![]() You can’t expect something at risk of possibly losing its mind to mind its own safety. What if the cruise control program gets stuck in the acceleration mode? The MCU running the cruise control program may need a watchdog timer, which is a kind of external check. Smartphones can be rebooted with a power-cycle off and on (usually when you need to make an urgent call), but how do you power down the MCU that runs the cruise control in your car? Turning off the car would definitely reboot the cruise control loop, but this option is obviously not safe at a high rate of speed. The first WDT, if not reset, may trigger consequences akin to a soft-boot rather than a hard boot. A bit unusual for embedded WDTs, this nested WDT gives the system up to 3 chances to reset the WDT before resetting the computer. Figure 1: This computer WDT has 3 stages of successive WDTs. A watchdog can be an external component in a separate package from the integrated circuit (IC) that houses the MCU (best), or a watchdog can be found inside the IC but on a different circuit from the MCU, however a WDT that’s dependent on the same resources as the MCU might not be a good idea for obvious reasons. ![]() It’s best to keep a watchdog external and unreachable by MCU code. But as long as the MCU is running, it will continue to ping the watchdog to reset the timer. Like a bomb, the watchdog timer is set to count down and if it times out, it resets the MCU, dumping programs and rebooting the MCU and probably other areas in the system that work in tandem with the MCU. The MCU checks in with the watchdog timer at a set interval to show that it’s still on the job. Watchdog timers (WDTs), or watchdogs, are circuits external to the processor that can detect and trigger a processor reset (and/or another event) if necessary. (The BSoD happens much less often these days.) Embedded systems are different from desktop computers, however, in that there is rarely going to be a human around who will know how to reboot the failing device. In “the old days,” the Windows operating system would occasionally crash (experience a fatal error) and put up what was called the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) where after it would reboot to prevent damage to the computer such as writing over vital boot code or similarly dangerous events. If a program goes haywire or into an infinite loop, it needs a way to check and see if things are still running. Each file type has a slighty different installation procedure to follow.įor more help, visit our Driver Support Page for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.In the world of microcontrollers (MCUs), sometimes things go wrong. For example, you may have downloaded an EXE, INF, ZIP, or SYS file. Tech Tip: Driver downloads and updates come in a variety of file formats with different file extensions. In most cases, you will need to reboot your computer in order for the driver update to take effect. Locate the device and model that is having the issue and double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.Ĭlick the Update Driver button and follow the instructions. How to Install a driver from Device Manager In Windows XP, click Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager button In Windows Vista, click Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Device Manager In Windows 7, click Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager In Windows 8, swipe up from the bottom, or right-click anywhere on the desktop and choose "All Apps" -> swipe or scroll right and choose "Control Panel" (under Windows System section) -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager In Windows 11, Windows 10 & Windows 8.1, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager ![]() In Windows, use a built-in utility called Device Manager, which allows you to see all of the devices recognized by your system, and the drivers associated with them. Once you have downloaded your new driver, you'll need to install it. Most major device manufacturers update their drivers regularly. To find the newest driver, you may need to visit the Dell website. It is a software utility which automatically finds and downloads the right driver. Tech Tip: If you are having trouble deciding which is the right driver, try the Dell Driver Update Utility. In the results, choose the best match for your PC and operating system. Enter Dell OptiPlex XE into the search box above and then submit. If the driver listed is not the right version or operating system, search our driver archive for the correct version. After you complete your download, move on to Step 2. To get the OptiPlex XE driver, click the green download button above. How to Update OptiPlex XE Device Drivers Quickly & Easily Step 1 - Download Your Driver
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