Motion devices - clear delay, re-trigger time settings and automations

When using motion devices, it is common for these devices to have 'built-in' timers for

  • time transition from active to inactive (motion cleared delay)

  • time transition that another 'active' can occur after transition to 'inactive' (re-trigger time)

These can mess with either/both your automations, or your 'spouse acceptance factor'.

What to be aware of:

  • the re-trigger time should be taken into account when automations operate, such that there is not a dead zone where the automation appears to not operate due to re-trigger delay.

Example:

So at time:

  • t0: the motion active event occurs

    • in this piston it would turn on the light
  • t1: the motion event ends (by the device and the device sends inactive)

    • in this piston, it will set a time wait for 22 seconds, after which it turns off the light
  • t2: the timer fires and the light is turned off

The goals are:

  • between t0 - t2, if there are additional motions noticed, that the light would stay on

  • immediately after t2, the light would come on (immediately) if new motion is detected

What to be aware of:

  • For my device, it has a re-trigger time of 8 seconds

    • if there was no wait in the automation, or a wait of less than the re-trigger time, there can be time windows in which a new motion event would not occur in a timely fashion, thus someone walking within the range of the sensor does not turn on or extend the on for the light as expected.

      • so things appear to flash, or go off, or not go on, while people are present.

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