The USB PC Watchdog board is a small circuit card that mounts inside the PC and monitors a PC for hardware/software lock-ups to ensure maximum system availability. It provides a solution for Telecom, ISPs, Voice Mail, File Servers, Kiosks, and Industrial systems that occasionally lock up but must be available on a continuous basis.

A new Revision of the board has been released. It also has a 4-Pin internal header behind the regular USB connector and an additional mounting hole. This allows it to be installed inside a PC and make a connection to the internal header on the motherboard. The new PN: 1141 version is also supplied with a 22” cable for the internal connection.

The card has the following features:

• Now supports ATX PCs without a reset switch.
• Connects to USB port or a hub on a PC running Win98-SE, ME, 2K, XP and Linux.
• Receives power from USB bus.
• PC Watchdog timer that can be set from 5 seconds to 1 hour via DIP switch or 1 second to 18 hours via software control.
• Monitors the PC USB bus for line activity in the passive mode.
• Can be used right from the box without any support programs.
• Has an on-board temp sensor to detect fan failures or other over-temp conditions.
• Two temperature trip points.
• Trip points can be modified by user software.
• Audible alarm for the temperature trip point.
• Programmable options allow the PC Watchdog to hold the PC in reset after the upper trip occurs.
• Also has an active Mode that allows a user program to exert additional control over the PC Watchdog.
• Two externally visible LEDs show status of PC Watchdog.
• PC Watchdog has a second relay available on an external jack to control other devices such as resetting another PC from a user program.
• Programmable power-on delay to allow the PC to complete its initialization sequence.
• Non-Volatile memory to store operating parameters.
• Eight bytes of non-volatile memory reserved for user data to implement simple software protection

The PC Watchdog board only requires that you have a open slot available in the PC case and a reset switch. The reset cable is disconnected from the motherboard (CPU) and plugged into the PC Watchdog board. A cable is provided to go from the PC Watchdog board to the motherboard. When the PC locks up and the PC Watchdog times out, then it will perform the equivalent of a push-button reset.

The USB PC Watchdog ships with utility programs for control of the board. Source code is provided for all included software. PC Watchdog works with Win 98-SE, ME, 2K, XP & Linux operating systems on a PC. Libraries and drivers are provided for Visual "C" and Visual Basic under Win 98-ME-2000 & XP.

Berkshire Part Number: 1140 & 1140-1.

Download the USB PC Watchdog manual in PDF format

Download Mechanical drawing for mounting hole spacing (PDF)