![]() In water heaters and kitchen stoves, MCU failure or malfunction poses a fire risk. MCUs are used in all sorts of electronic devices, but whether a WDT is required or not depends on the “level of safety demanded by or deemed necessary for a specific application.”Īutomotive devices are devices where MCU failure or malfunction could lead to life-threatening accidents. And an external WDT can provide the required redundancy. Redundancy is considered vital in maintaining system safety. When an MCU is monitored only by a WDT built into the MCU, there is no guarantee that a failing MCU will be able to monitor itself and also detect faults.Īn independently operating WDT is the only way to resolve such concerns. The reason is that an external WDT adds an extra layer of safety to critical systems.Īs said earlier, a WDT monitors an MCU to detect faults. If the MCU does not output a signal, outputs too many signals or outputs signals that differ from a predetermined pattern, the timer determines that the MCU is malfunctioning and sends a reset signal to the MCU. ![]() The watchdog timer communicates with the MCU at a set interval. The watchdog timer function can be inside the MCU, but here we are introducing “external” watchdog timers, the safer kind. To proactively prevent such incidents, it falls to the role of the watchdog timer to constantly watch over the MCU to ensure it is operating normally. Should the MCU program, for some reason, run out of control or stop running altogether, the electronic device may behave erratically, which in the worst case could cause damage or an accident. This makes safeguarding normal MCU operation essential. #INTEL WATCHDOG TIMER DRIVER LOCATION SOFTWARE#Integrated into a wide variety of electronic devices, MCUs come pre-loaded with program software whose commands are used to control electronic devices. ![]() It acts as a “watchdog” watching over MCU operation.Ī microcontroller (MCU) is a compact processor for controlling electronic devices. What is a watchdog timerĪ watchdog timer (WDT) is a timer that monitors microcontroller (MCU) programs to see if they are out of control or have stopped operating.
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