Simple Sensor Question?

[Mark LaBelle]

Might seem like a dumb question, but does a sensor have to first "sense" motion in order to then "stop sensing" motion?

 

I have a keypad at the top of the stairs and it sets a scene in the basement play area.  If the kids hit that button, but don't go downstairs, the programming that turns it off after 5 minutes once it stops sensing motion, doesn't work.  

 

Maybe my programming is messed up, but once I go downstairs so the sensor "sees" me, then it turns off once it stops sensing motion.  Or, at minimum, does it have to wait for the next check in interval at 10 minutes and then stop sensing and fire off the programming to turn off the scene?

 

Mark

 

[neil12011]

You could do this a few ways:

 

When the 6 button is pressed: Execute lighting scene. 

 

Then start a timer: 5 min///when timer expires, turn off lighting scene.

 

OR

 

or you can go over to the actions pane and "if sensor is not sensing motion" turn off lighting scene.

 

Also, you could have the light scene activate, and set it to when the motion sensor senses motion, it resets the timer.  

[Cyknight]

But yes, it has to start sensing motion before it stops sensing motion.

[neil12011]

But yes, it has to start sensing motion before it stops sensing motion.

 

Touche'.

[Cyknight]

Mind you, I'd follow Neil's steps in your situation - restart the timer on manual turn on for a scene, and activate the scene in this case on motion directly (prevents loops vs start timer on scene activation)

 

So:

When motion starts sensing motion

Activate scene x

reset timer x {this is still here because if scene is already active - the timer would not be reset}

 

When scene x is activated

reset timer x

 

When timer expires

turn off lights

 

Add any conditionals (night/day) as desired.

 

Stop sensing motion wouldn't even need to be used in this scenario

[Mark LaBelle]

So I did the 6 button pressed activate lighting scene, start timer for 5 min, when timer expires turn off scene.  If they do go downstairs, I set a when sensor senses motion activate that scene anyway and stop timer  So silly, I missed the timer thing.  :-)  I just assumed if it was activated and then if the sensor didn't see anything, it would turn off anyway.  But, like you said, it has to first sense motion.  

 

Thanks guys.

 

Mark