Dimming from multisensor

Hi, Can anyone tell me how can I dim a light to a specific level from the multisensor...Do I need to write a logic in a touchscreen?

 

You're going to need to provide more information about exactly what you want to achieve before we can give you accurate help.

Do you want the motion sensor to set a level that is lower than 100% when it detects movement?
Do you want it to dim to a level after the timer expires, rather than turn off completely?
Are you trying to dim a light or set a specific light level using the remote control?

 

Hi

Ok,Its like I want to dim a light to a specific level before the expiry time inorder to give an alert to the person sitting in that room.
For eg, if I am giving an expiry time of 30 minutes to a light with group address 50, I want the same light to dim to 50% after 25 minutes.

 

I would do this by having the Multisensor turn on and run timers for 2 separate groups, one with a 25-minute timer and a second with a 30 minute timer. One group would use 100% and the other would use 50%. Then, use logic in the output units to combine them. There should be no need to use touchscreen logic.

Assuming your Multisensor is configured as default, assign the first group address to Virtual Key 1 Group. It should automatically be assigned to Virtual Key 2 Group. On Virtual Key 3 change the function from Sunset to Day Move. Select yes when the Confirm dialogue pops up asking if you want to change key 4 to Night Move. Assign the second group to Virtual Keys 3 and 4. Change the timer value for the first group to 25 minutes. Change the timer for the second group to 30 minutes.

Go to the Key Functions tab. For Key 4, change the Short Press function from On Key to Recall 1. When the pop-up dialogue box appears asking if you want to clear Occupancy Events, click No.

Go to the Blocks tab and change the Recall 1 level for the second group from 100% to 50%.

Open up the dimmer UI and find the channel that is using the first group. On the Logic tab tick a box in the column that corresponds with that channel and any one of the currently unused Logic Groups. Directly underneath the column of tick boxes change the radio button from Min to Max. To the right of the tick box change the Logic Group from unused<unused> to the second group address.

I haven't tested this, but it should work. The way it works is that the sensor turns on 2 groups whenever it detects motion, one at 100% and the other at 50%. Since the dimmer is set to use Max logic, the output channel will be at 100%, since 100% is the maximum value of 50% and 100%. After 25 minutes without motion the sensor will turn off the group that is at 100% but the group that is at 50% will remain on. The output of the dimmer channel will reduce to 50% as the maximum value of 0% and 50% is 50%. Eventually, after 30 minutes without movement, the second group that is at 50% will be turned off by the sensor. The dimmer channel will then turn off as the maximum value of 0% and 0% is still 0%.

I would not do it this way if you have lots of units on the same network that you want to include this feature for. The above method will increase network traffic because commands will be going out on the bus whenever the sensor is detecting movement. It will be fine if you only have a handful of sensors where you want to do this. If you have lots, then logic in the touchscreen can solve that problem.

Let us know how you get on.</unused>

 

That'a a pretty good way to achieve the intended outcome.

Another way to do it which wouldn't result in the extra traffic would be to still use two groups as you suggest, but have both the groups turning 'ON' as normal.
Use MIN logic in the output unit to combine the two groups to control the load.
Set the timer expiry command for the group with the shorter time period to 'Recall1' with the Recall 1 level set to 50%.

For a more elegant touch, you could use Ramp Recall 1 instead of Recall 1 as the timer expiry and set the ramp rate 2 to suit. This way you will get a more gentle reminder that the lights are about to go off.

I have implemented my timers with a single group, and just use a really slow ramp with Ramp off. It achieves the same goal without the above complications.

 

I thought about doing it that way too, but was concerned that the sensor wouldn't re-issue the On command when it re-detected movement, as the group is already On, albeit at 50%. The effect would be that the lights get stuck at 50% if movement is detected during the window of time between the first and second timers expiring. To solve that problem, the Short Press command could be changed to a Recall at 100%... but that results in the same network traffic rate as the earlier solution I posted.

If the sensor will re-issue a command to put the group back to 100% when it detects movement, even if the group is already on at 50%, then your solution would be even better. If you can confirm that this is what the PIR's always do, regardless of age, then that would be great.

 

You're right.. it would get stuck at 50 %

I think the simple long ramp (to off) is the best solution.

 

Hello

Thank you very much for the replies.

But I think, I wish to do it the way Don said.
Like, when the sensor detects movement, both the lights will turn ON to 100%.One light will have an expiry time of 30 min and the second light will have an expiry time of 25 minutes.
The timer expiry command for the second light will be "Recall 1" with 50% value.

And , in the output unit, I shall select minimum logic, Tick the column in which i got the 1st light address and select the logic group as the second light address.

Is it this way?

 

If you do it the way Don describes you will have a problem. When the first group turns off, and the light goes to 50%, then the lights will not go back up to 100% when the sensor next detects movement. The only way to get the lights back to 100% will be to allow the lights to turn out completely and then walk in front of the sensor again.

I'm a little confused about your reference to 2 different lights. Your first post only mentioned 1 light. In both Don's and my recommendations we are suggesting using 2 group addresses to control a single light to get the effect you desire.

Don, I'm with you though; I use the long ramp to off on my sensors too!

 

Yes sir, You are right. I tried it and it happened as you said, the light which was at 50% did not turn on to 100% when another motion was detected.

I am really sorry for the confusion, I am attaching here the multisensor program window.
There are 2 halves in the room, as you see in the attachment.
What I want exactly is, when the sensor detects motion both the channels has to go full On to 100%.
The second GA should dim to 50% before the time of expiry while the first GA remains at 100%.
This is to give an alert to the person sitting in that room that the lights are going to be turned OFF.
The reason we are doing this is because our customer is complaining that the lights are turning off when he sits idle in the room(with no movements, like reading).
So, this is the solution we found out.
Please look onto it and kindly find me a solution

 

Dear Newman

I also tried the method which you told me at the start.
But, there also, the group set at 50% remains stuck and does not detect any other new motion.

 

In the attachment do I correctly assume that the S-D6-1-SPOT... and S-D6-2-SPOT... groups are the group addresses for the 2 lights you are trying to control?

Are you wanting only one of those 2 lights to drop back to 50% or both of them?

If this is the effect you see then you have made a mistake in the way you have configured things or you have misunderstood the method. I think you might be confusing your 2 lights with the 2 group addresses that Don and I have referred to earlier. They are not the same things.

If this is the problem you are trying to solve then I would suggest solving it the way that Don suggested back in his first post, using a long ramp. Change the Timer Expiry commands from Off Key to Ramp Off. Then change your Global Ramp 2 rate in the Multisensor from 12 seconds up to something like 3 or 5 minutes.

Using this method the lights will slowly dim down. When the home owner notices that the light level is dropping he can wave his hand (or whatever) to retrigger the motion sensor.

If this is not satisfactory, or doesn't work as desired, then let us know and we'll re-visit the 2 group address method.