Motion detectors not transmitting Dusk.Dawn status?

[dwengrovitz]

I have several Insteon motion detectors (2842-222).   They seem to transfer their status for the motion sensor and battery sensor perfectly, but all of them display a blank field when I check the status of their Dusk.Dawn sensor.   They used to be able to detect that as well in their current physical locations, so I don't think this is related to distance from a dual band device), but somewhere along the line with various ISY994i upgrades that data disappeared.  Any idea why that field would always show up as blank instead of ON or OFF? 

[LeeG]

You could have lost a link record but it is more likely related to the options set.  What are all the options for a particular motion sensor?   I checked one on my motion sensors last week to confirm a question on the Smarthome  forum about Darkness level and confirmed Dusk.Dawn node was working on 4.3.8.

 

Note that the ISY does not prime the Dusk.Dawn node with a value.  The motion sensor must send a command for that node for it to have a value.

 

EDIT:  also note that a light level must exist for a minimum of 3.5 minutes before the motion sensor will send a Dusk.Dawn command.  One of my motion sensors requires more than 4 minutes before sending a On/Off command for Dusk.Dawn

[Teken]

Also keep in mind anytime the system is rebooted battery operated devices lose their current state until such time a signal is received.

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

[andyf0]

Also, keep in mind the sensor has to be OFF for around 3 minutes before the state is updated. So if you're constantly walking in front of it, it cannot update the status.

[dwengrovitz]

Thanks to all for the quick replies.  The devices have been in place for months, so that should have been plenty of time for them to adjust to a stable steady state of operation.  The only pin I have that is bridged within the device for settings is pin 5, which supposedly puts everything in remote software control mode.  If I query the device via the Options button in the ISY994i interface, the software settings are:

 

- Timeout (minutes):  1.0

- LED brightness:  100

- Darkness sensitivity:  128

- Sensing mode (as motion is sensed):   checked

- LED on:  not checked

- On commands only:  not checked

- Night only mode:  not checked

[LeeG]

With a Darkness=128 I would expect it to indicate On for Dusk.Dawn when motion sensor is in a dark room for more than 4 minutes and not detecting motion.

 

Was the Motion Sensor put into manual linking mode before Query pressed?  If not those values may not be what the motion sensor has set for those options.

[Kush]

Have you tried to adjust the Darkness sensitivity? The motion sensors I have also displayed a default setting of 128 but always showed a blank Dusk.Dawn state no matter what I did until I changed it. Try a lower setting of 60-70. I believe some sensors must have Dusk.Dawn disabled until adjusted.

[larryllix]

...and always factory reset those babies. I found the MS units to do really weird things until factory reset.

[dwengrovitz]

Thanks to all for the helpful comments, and my apologies on the radio silence the last few days while I tried a few things out.  I'm not sure exactly what finally did the trick, but either the factory reset, lowering the darkness sensitivity to 60-70, or removing and re-linking the motion sensor to the list of devices serviced by my ISY resulted in a non-blank Dusk.Dawn setting for the first time in ages.  Thanks again for the suggestions!

[larryllix]

Mine are mostly set to about 70 also. I test mine in closets but exact lighting is hard to set.

 

I occasionally look at my 10 MS units status to see if any are outstanding reporting in they see dark. They all seem  to be about the same time each night despite different sunlight exposures for each room anyway.