Watchdog Timer
🐾⏲️ Embrace the Watchdog Timer (WDT) - Your Embedded System's Lifeguard! 🛡️🤖
Embedded systems are often deployed in environments where they must operate flawlessly without human intervention. To ensure this, we utilize a nifty feature known as the Watchdog Timer (WDT). This self-contained counter, when enabled, will reset the system if the software hangs or malfunctions. It's like a lifeguard, constantly monitoring the system and ready to jump in if things go awry. 🏊♂️🚨
The Watchdog Timer is a silent hero in the background, ensuring system reliability. Let's take a closer look at its key features:
1️⃣ System Reset: If the system hangs or the software gets stuck in a loop, the watchdog timer will reset the system, thereby ensuring continuous operation.
2️⃣ Regular 'Kicking': To prevent a system reset, the software needs to 'kick' or 'feed' the watchdog timer at regular intervals. This proves that the system is operating as expected.
3️⃣ Independent Operation: The WDT operates independently of the main system, making it effective even if the system CPU fails.
4️⃣ Fail-Safe Mechanism: In safety-critical applications, the WDT acts as a fail-safe mechanism, providing an additional layer of protection to the system.