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Thread: Occupancy sensor question

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Occupancy sensor question

    I have a question about using occupancy sensors. I'm running the latest 12.x version.

    I have occupancy sensors (they simply turn on, or off a single dimmer) that work as expected with occupied and unoccupied actions as long as the load was previously switched on. They will go unoccupied and switch off, then switch on when occupied. However, if the load is previously turned off, either with the switch directly, by recalling a scene, or by recalling a time clock event that turns them off, they do no function. ie. they will not turn on the load when sensing motion if previously switched off. Is this behavior to be expected?

  2. #2
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    This may be at least partially considered expected behavior, depending on the circumstances. Once an occupancy sensor turns a light on, they it won't turn it back on again until the timeout period has passed (without motion), even if the light is otherwise switched off.

    In general, think of the motion detectors as motion-activated picos, in that they have no way to monitor the loads they are switching. They just send on/off signals based on seeing motion or not seeing motion (for the timeout period). They aren't smart enough to respond to other changes in the lights they are controlling.

  3. #3
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    Yes, I can see via telnet monitoring that's exactly what is happening. Too bad they work this way. I guess I was expecting them to send a message of occupied/unoccupied to the main repeater and have the main repeater deal with what to do, but that isn't exactly the case.

    This is something Lutron should try to improve on with a future version.

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  5. #4
    I think I'm tracking with you, but I can see the use case for how they work currently. If I walk into a room, and it goes occupied, and the light comes on - if I use the switch to turn it off (because I want it off) - it won't come on again until the room goes unoccupied and then occupied again. Isn't that how you would want this to work? I think the crux of it is... when the light is forced off (via any of the methods you describe) when occupied - it needs to see that transition to unoccupied (depending on what your timeout is set to) before it can go occupied (and turn the load on again). This works how I'd want it to work... do you have a different use case where this is a problem? I have motion sensors in every room of my house, and I can't think of a situation where it doesn't work like I want it to work. If you really want to do what you say you do, then you simply don't tie the motion sensors to any loads, and then use third party integration to get the occupied/unoccupied events from the sensors and then use these events to do whatever you want.

  6. #5
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    Yes, third part integration is the way to go for advanced functions.

    Unfortunately the settings for time periods are set directly on the device, so there is no way to change the time-out without pulling the device down from the ceiling, and even then the settings are not very fine. Ideally the sensor would send data the moment motion is sensed or not sensed and let the controller figure out what to do. I think they operate the way they do since they are battery powered and need to conserve energy and limit messaging.

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