Yea i enabled the binary sensor and its showing in HA and that’s what i’m using in my automation
I’m pointing it down because their docs show this as the best way to mount it, and i was considering buying their ceiling recessor for it as well!
I actually had it on a side unit in the hallway, and that was awful as well, so i checked docs and mounted it to a light. I did buy another one so maybe i’ll include that and see if its any different
Do you have any heat sources in the hallway? The ceiling mount sounds like a good idea but I’d still be interested in the pattern the sensor uses and how that affects it’s ability to sense movement. Have you tried rotating 90°? The 6x8 thing would suggest that there is some directionality.
No heat sources no, not anywhere near it anyway. The docs show nothing about orientation so i have already emailed them yesterday, the person who replied had no idea so is having to go to manufacturer i guess! https://aeotec.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/6000057073-multisensor-6-user-guide-
I see the part about the 6 x 8 oval. To me that would suggest an orientation. Here’s a good article on how a PIR works. It might help explain some of the limitations:
https://learn.adafruit.com/pir-passive-infrared-proximity-motion-sensor/how-pirs-work
Don’t suppose anyone can tell me from this video if its expected behaviour? I’ve tried two sensors and the difference orientations (aeotec got back to be on which way the 8m is)
As you can see from the video it literally doesn’t pick me up until i’m underneath it, i’m not sure how this can be sold as a security PIR, unless i’m doing something glaringly wrong. I’ve also attached my configs
Video of test: https://sendvid.com/8a2ih1s1
I don’t think mine is much faster.
Its not the speed of the device reporting, its the fact that it doesn’t pick me up until i’m under 1m from it. If its advertised as 8m by 6m why are people not bothered?
My understanding is that the way the sensor detects motion is that it actually has 2 sensors. What they see is broken up by a grid pattern on fresnel lense. This creates a grid that looks like concentric circles cut into pie shapes. Motion is detected when there is a significant change between the 2 sensors. Like this:
So yeah in those circumstances I would think you would have to be pretty close to trip the sensor when it’s pointing straight down mounted to a light like that. At about 2.2 m above the ground the sensor sees out about 7.6 m or 3.8 m on either side. Assuming a 120° angle of view. Depending on the pattern you probably need to be within 1.5 to 2 m to trip it.
Like this:
Also keep in mind Aeotec does say 6 m x 8 m. Their pattern is an oval. So if you have it pointing down the hall on the shorter side then the distance would be even closer. I would try rotating it 90° and see if that helps. Otherwise you may need more than 1 sensor to cover the area. Hallways are hard.
Reference for images:
learn.adafruit.com - The same article posted above.
Hmm, so the green colour in the ceiling mount view about represents what? surely here it should pick up my legs 6-8m away?
I’ve temporarily cable tied it to the light for testing as i’ve also bought their recessed ceiling mounts and didn’t want to cut a 70mm hole in the ceiling until i know it works!
What do you mean rotate it 90deg? i know that the 8m part of the oval is pointing down the hallway already if thats what you mean
Would the best place them in a hallway, be at one side opposite where you want the trigger to occur, with a slight angle?
Yes that is what I mean by turning it. That’s good.
So the sensor is actually 2 sensors. The lens distributes what they see into a pattern. The green is one sensor and red is another. I didn’t make the diagram so not 100% sure what the blue is. A null zone maybe? Anyway the way the sensor registers movement as seeing a spike in one zone (green) followed by a corresponding spike in the next zone (red). The sensor sees you about 4 m out but doesn’t call it movement until you cross into the next zone. Closer in.
It’s not 6 to 8 m away from the centre of the sensor. If you calculate the triangle you’ll see that at 120° field of view 2.2 m from the floor it only looks out 3.8 m in both directions.
