Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[whitenack]

I would like to have one security light set up to detect motion in a much larger area than a single sensor can detect.  I would like to set up 2 or possibly 3 other detectors to trigger the light.  I would like to be able to move freely among the detectors, and I would want the light to stay on as long as motion is detected at any of the sensors. 

I see discussions regarding the drawbacks of several different motion sensors switching the same light... Since none of the motion sensors communicate with each other, if one motion sensor times out, it turns the light off even if the others are detecting motion.

I see smarthome sells a flood light that has sensors that will communicate with each other, turning all the lights on if one detects motion and keeping them all on until all sensors time out.  If motion is detected on one of the sensors, it resets the timer for all the sensor.

Is there a way to link regular motion sensors the same way?  Create a macro that has a timer that resets itself whenever any of the sensors detect motion and ignore an off command from any of the sensors as long as the timer is still going?

[dave w]

Is there a way to link regular motion sensors the same way?  Create a macro that has a timer that resets itself whenever any of the sensors detect motion and ignore an off command from any of the sensors as long as the timer is still going?

Yes using the CM15A and AHP software and  conditional macros. Each motion detector would trigger a macro to set a flag and send an ON command to the light controller. The light would not be sent an OFF command untill all three flags were reset.

[Paul H te O]

Is there a way to link regular motion sensors the same way?  Create a macro that has a timer that resets itself whenever any of the sensors detect motion and ignore an off command from any of the sensors as long as the timer is still going?

Yes using the CM15A and AHP software and  conditional macros. Each motion detector would trigger a macro to set a flag and send an ON command to the light controller. The light would not be sent an OFF command untill all three flags were reset.

Hi Dave W,
Can you explane how this works: The light would not be sent an OFF command untill all three flags were reset.
It would be verry help full,
Kind regards Paul.

[dave w]

The light would not be sent an OFF command untill all three flags were reset.

You need AHP with conditional macros. I don't use AHP anymore, so this is generally the idea:

All three motion sensors would have a different unit code address and each address would trigger a macro. Each macro would turn on the light, SET a timer, AND SET a flag.  When the timer(s) time out they each RESET their flags.  The light would be turned off WHEN flag one AND flag two AND flag three are all RESET.

[Waynemor]

Hi,
Sorry for just seeing this topic now, but...
Currently I am using 3 motion sensors on a very long hallway and so far this method has been working for me.
I have set all 3 to the same housecode and I have them triggering a macro that turns on the chosen housecode for the hall light (a different code than the sensors use). It appears that every time one of the motion sensors sends an on signal to the macro that the timer in the macro gets re-set. I also have the macro set for a timed off signal after so many minutes and until the on signals stop the light stays on.
Now here is how I have it set up.
The 3 sensors are set to M1. I have the macro set that when activehome pro sees an M1 it turns on A1.
Then after 2 minutes it turns off A1. A1 is the hall light.The macro never sees an M1 off so it doesn't react to any sensor's off signals.
Originally I had no idea whether or not this would work but I had my kids pace up and down in the hallway and as long as they kept moving and had triggered the sensors before the M1 off signal was sent this worked.
So from this I have to assume that continued triggering does indeed re-set the macro timer.
I have since tried this elsewhere and so far it has worked in every application.
I hope this helps.