TROUBLESHOOTING - my system goes down when not connected to a computer.

One of the odd things we have seen is customers say when we are connected it is all working but when not looking it stops and errors come up.

Explanation

The common cause of this is if trying to power just off the USB or power too much.  A WatchMon generally is rated to need between 8V and 65V, a USB is usually capable of about 5V and is sufficient for the initial setup of the system but not longterm.  A poor quality USB cable or older PC may supply less.

In this instance if nothing else but the USB is powering the WatchMon and you disconnect the computer the CANbus, fans etc will go down when you disconnect from the laptop.  There is a small battery on board to maintain time etc but it isn't sufficient for all the accessories.

If you have any system that supplies between 8V and 65V the common practice is to have the battery that is being monitored supply the necessary power to maintain normal operations.  If doing a larger battery then a separate 12V battery is often used to power the WatchMon.

Troubleshooting

Powering with just the USB is the best way to start off during configuration but it is necessary to power the device through the power pins once you start connecting things such as CANbus or inputs/ outputs.