User's Manual

Figure 39: Berkshire Product Inc. Internal serial PC Watchdog
The Watchdog card is designed to monitor PCs used in critical applications such as: File
Servers, Voice Mail Systems, Internet Service Provider (ISP) systems, industrial applications,
and so on. The purpose of the Watchdog card is to ensure the PC is always available; especially
for systems that are not continuously monitored. After power is applied to the Watchdog, or
after a reset of the PC, the Watchdog waits 2.5 minutes (shorter times allowed in Command
Mode) before arming itself. This allows the PC to complete its reset and initialization
sequence.
The standard Watchdog package contains the following items:
• The Berkshire Watchdog manual on diskette as a PDF file
• The Watchdog timer on a standard PC I/O bracket
• A disk drive Y style power cable to power the board
• A DB-9 to DB-9 serial cable
• A 3.5 program diskette
• A reset cable
The Watchdog card is an internal PC card but without an ISA or PCI connector. The unit
consists of a bracket with a small card that receives power from the PC by means of a Power
Cable with standard Disk Drive Power connector. All the signal connections are made
externally.
Figure 40: Configuration of the Watchdog card on page 121 shows how the
Watchdog is used in DECT Messenger.
There is a mini jack connector available at the bracket of the Watchdog card, which provides
two relay contacts. However, these are not used in the DECT Messenger configuration. The
contacts can only be activated after an application sends the correct commands to the card
using V.24 (RS232). DECT Messenger cannot send such commands to the Watchdog.
The Watchdog resets the PC if the eKERNEL is not running.
DECT Messenger Customer Engineer Manual
120 DECT Messenger Fundamentals March 2012
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