I'm trying to put together a device that will automatically cut the power to a connected device for a few seconds, at a given interval (like every 6th hours).
I want to put this device between the power source and the Arduino, to be able to do a “reset” at a given interval. I'm aware of the watch dog in Arduino, the reason I want to cut the power is that there is other devices connected to the Arduino, which I want to “reset” at the same time.
Is there anyone that can point me in the right direction to how I create such a device? And most important; Is there any issues of cutting the power to the Arduino over and over again, in the long term stability of the unit?
If i understand what you're saying correctly, you want to control some device by cutting its power every 6 hours and control it all with an arduino?
Well, assuming you have the ability to turn said device on and off using an output pin of the arduino, it sounds pretty easy.
Assuming exact timing is not imperative, just have a loop that increments a counter, then have a 1000 millisecond delay, then repeat. Check each time if the counter has hit 21600 yet and if so, toggle the pin, wait, toggle back.
If timing is crucial, i think you can get realtime clock libraries for the Arduino.
Furthermore, if you cant yet control the device by the Arduino, its probably not that hard depending what it is. You'll likely need a relay and a transistor (you could get away without the transistor but).
If i understand what you're saying correctly, you want to control some device by cutting its power every 6 hours and control it all with an arduino?
Well, almost right. I want to do what you are saying, but without the help of the Arduino. I could do it with an Arduino but that would be too expensive. I need to find a cheap way to get some kind of timer to trigger a relay at a given interval.