I'm not sure where to place this query or even to describe it succinctly but:
I have an irrigation controller which has been good for a year or so. It is powered by a mains-connected AC transformer with my rectifier circuitry that then uses a buck DC-DC module and finally a three pin voltage regulator.
There is a 2 x 16 LCD display which is usually blank unless I switch it to a range of data. Recently I find the irrigation is not coming on at the expected times, and when I try to switch the display on nothing happens. The power supply light is still on but the Arduino board is out of sight so I can't see the on-board LED's. However, when I cut the (mains) power to the supply and switch on again the controller starts up normally at the beginning of the program. I would have thought that if there was an intermittent power failure the system would just re-set, but it seems to completely stop or lock up.
The outputs are electromechanical relays switching 24vAC. I can manually switch these on and there don't seem to be any shorts or surge interference with the rest of the system. There is a small electric fence energiser about 1m away but that's being going for about 6 months with no problems so far.
I think for my first try I'll re-load the program. The electronics are "buried" in a box and disconnecting and opening it all up to troubleshoot the circuitry will be quite a big job. I'm just looking for advice on the TYPE of influences that make an Arduino system go dead but recover with a power supply reset.
I'd like to suggest an approach which doesn't address the problem, but makes your system resilient to it: a watchdog.
There's a lot to be said about watchdogs, but in summary they are an essential part of any system which must remain working over very long periods in what might be a hostile environment. In other words, they provide a valuable layer of resilience.
They should not be used as an excuse to leave bugs extant, of course. But they are a realistic response to the imperfection of the environment (and our coding skills).
So, I'm not proposing it as a solution to your problem, but something for you to consider implementing anyway.
Does your 3pin reg have bypass capacitors connected to its pins?
Have you checked your DC-DC converter?
Check its output DC volts and AC volts.
The capacitors on DC-DC converters, especially Electrolytic types, are working a lot harder than in a 50/60Hz application.
They eventually fail, usually high ESD and/or low capacity.
A circuit diagram would be helpful, please not a Fritzy image.
Relays are inductive loads. When you take power off of them, their magnetic field collapses and generates a spike of negative voltage that the Arduino doesn't really like. Upon reset it's fine but I wouldn't keep the system running that way. Use a MOSFET, transistor, or h-bridge to turn on the relay.
Thanks for the replies so far. The system is not mission-critical in that it is my hobby project for my own urban garden irrigation. I have reloaded the software and added a part which will give an obvious LCD display message if it re-starts (I know this won't tell me if it has merely locked up). I also switched off the electric fence energiser (it is to keep cats off the boundary wall).
I thought I had capacitors around the 7809 voltage regulator but buried the circuit diagrams and it's hard to see. I do have protection diodes across the relays, which are switched by small transistors. I thought that was easier/cheaper than using triacs to switch 24vAC for the irrigation solenoids.
I guess it should be straightforward to add a WDT to the software, then with the new restart display at least I'd see easily if it had locked up.
