Change settings on Motion Sensor (with no one present)

[tobias-tobin]

Hello,

I saw in the wiki a 'trick' to change the settings on a motion sensor without being present to put it into linking mode.  I am trying to help someone remotely who is not available to work with me.  I want to change some settings on a motion sensor. Currently, all boxes are unchecked and the device reads Off.  I do not really understand these instructions:

 

 

Motion Sensor Trick

To activate the MotionSensor for reads and writes without pressing the Set button:

• If you have a helper you can use the On command.
• If you are alone you will probably have to key with the Off command.

1. Select the Motion Sensor from the device tree.
2. Open the ISY dialogue concerning the MS Options.
3. The Communications Mode dialogue will open asking you to put the MS in linking mode.
4. Active the MS with motion.
5. Immediately after seeing the state change (this could be to On or Off) click the Ok on the Communications Mode requester.
6. ISY will read the options from the MS.
7. By the time you change any options the MS will be sleeping again.
8. If the MS is still On wait for it to change to Off. Otherwise activate the MS again.
9. Immediately after seeing the state change (this could be to On or Off) click the OK in the Options Settings requester.
10. ISY will write the changes to the MS.
11. If you miss the window you will see Request Failed and have to start over.

 

Both 'If you are alone you will probably have to key with the Off command' and 'Active the MS with motion' - Since I cannot create motion, then I cannot do this, correct?  I also do not know how the jumpers are set.  I assume as shipped.

 

Eventually I will be able to coordinate with this person to put the sensor into linking mode.  But I could get more accomplished if I could make the changes to the sensor myself, remotely.

 

Thanks,

tobias.

[LeeG]

Without knowing how jumpers are set (need jumper 5) means it might not be possible to set Motion Sensor with a program (ISY).

 

Also the process requires the motion sensor send a motion signal (On or Off) to the ISY which from your description is not possible at this time.

 

Battery devices sleep to save battery life.  If the battery powered device cannot send a message this type of update is not possible  

 

Is the motion sensor defined to your ISY or the remote person's ISY that you can log into and access the event viewer?

Edited April 13, 2016 by LeeG

[tobias-tobin]

I LeeG,

Thank you for your response.  To answer your question, the client gave me remote access to their admin console, so yes I can access the event viewer.

 

This is not something super important, it is more a convenience for myself and the client as I wouldn't have to bother him to accomplish various things. Although, it think it would be a convenience to a lot of us not to have to go around the house holding down the button on devices if we didn't have to

[LeeG]

Thanks for the additional update.

 

I agree that working with battery devices, particularly motion sensors that may require a ladder, adds to the effort involved.

 

The concept in the Wiki is to gate an update when inbound traffic occurs from battery device.   It works but as noted before, the device must send some message to the ISY to know when to start the update.  The battery device stays awake for a very short time so initiating the update from the ISY must be immediate.

 

For a new device it is much easier to put it into manual linking mode which keeps the battery device awake approx 4 minutes.  This eliminates the critical timing associated with the Wiki approach.   

[stusviews]

Is the MS already added to the ISY?

[tobias-tobin]

@stusviews,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you stusviews.  Yes, it is already added.  

[Teken]

Things to note which isn't mentioned in that WiKi entry is sometimes a wait of 0-3 seconds needs to be added to the program. Also you can use the dusk to dawn node to activate the remote device update process.

 

You will quickly find out this remote device write process either works or requires endless fine tuning to get it perfect. In some instances this remote device write simply does not work at all.

 

I don't know what's different in the HL2 application but I haven't seen an issue using Insteons software to accomplish the very same. 

[stusviews]

If the MS is already added, then you can make any changes that you want, but if your not at the site, then you need that the MS be activated via motion to effect the changes through a program that updates those changes.