Watchdog for mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a continuous process. In order to generate a stable income, the farm must work 24/7. But the technology is not immune to failures. Downtime can happen due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, overclocking or program errors. To prevent the risk, use a watchdog timer – Watchdog for mining. In case of a power outage, hangs and blue screen, the programs will reboot automatically.

Using Watchdog in mining

In mining, computers work at peak power. In order to avoid failures, watchdog monitors are used. The program monitors the state of the farm and restarts it according to the set settings (in case of hang-ups, incorrect operation of the GPU, failure of the Internet connection). In 2023, miners use 2 types of controllers:

• Software. The application sends a reboot command to the system.
• Hardware. The unit performs a reboot at the level of iron. To do this, it is connected to the Power or Reset buttons with cables.

The second type of watchdog timers is considered more reliable. Closing the wires, which is performed by the hardware controller, is similar to physically pressing the reboot button. Therefore, this type of monitor is recommended for highly loaded PCs, when software tools do not help. It can be made by yourself, but it is easier and cheaper to buy a ready-made one. In July 2022, the device costs 500-700 rubles.

The user can set the waiting time in the range of 10-1270 seconds. If a signal from the OS is not received, the controller will reboot the system. It is not worthwhile to set the minimum values. This will lead to a cyclic reboot. To correct the error, you will need to disable the controller.

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Principle of operation

The controller works in conjunction with the OD Farm Control program. The utility allows you to track the state of the processor and video cards in the farm.

The timer is connected to the computer via USB. The flash drive is connected by wires to the keys of power on (Power) and reset (Reset). If no response is received within the set time, the electronic unit will restart the OS. If there is no response from the system, the controller will press the Power button.

Where to buy

Watchdog monitors are available in offline computer hardware stores and on marketplaces. You can order the device on AliExpress.

In July 2022, the flash drive costs about 500 rubles. The software is distributed free of charge.

Connecting and configuring the Watchdog

To set the timer, you need to connect it to the motherboard via USB Type A and PBD 10 ports. For equipment with a PBD 10 connector, an adapter will be required. If everything is done correctly, the indicator on the unit will flash red. To configure it, you need to:

1. Download the PCWatchDog system management program on the official resource.
2. Install the driver (you can do it without connecting the block to the central board).
3. Add PCWatchDog to the autoload folder.
4. Connect the timer with wires to the Power and Reset buttons.
5. Start the PCWatchDog control program.
6. In the Timeout field enter the waiting time in seconds, after which the reboot should take place.
7. Specify the address of the resource for checking the network connection.
8. In the Specified program monitoring field add a program-miner.
9. To monitor the status of video cards, select Video Card Monitoring.
10. To save the settings, click Save.

Testing Watchdog for a mining farm

After installing and configuring the block, it is recommended to test its operation. To do this, you need to:

1. Open the Watchdog Monitor application.
2. During normal operation, the window at the bottom will display the status of video cards, network connection, system time.
3. To test, click Test.

The timer should reboot the farm. If it doesn’t, you should check the connection to the Reset and Power buttons.

Summary

The operation of the farm does not require the constant presence of the user. But miners need to take measures for uninterrupted coin mining. Due to working at peak loads, overheating and program errors, the system can hang. Watchdog is used to automatically restart farms.

Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.