Sensor
Modern security sensors are conditionally divided into three main groups:
Temperature sensors are a special case: they can belong to any of these three groups.
Note that there are many combined models that combine several types of sensors at once. And here is a detailed description of each individual variety:
- Intersection sensor (barrier). Sensors reacting to the crossing of the guarded perimeter. Such a sensor generates a beam (or several beams) in the infrared range, and when such a beam is crossed by a foreign object, the device gives a signal. Most often, the IR barrier consists of a separately made receiver and transmitter, however, there are also one-sided devices in which the emitter itself “monitors” the reflection of the beam from a certain object. Recall that IR rays are invisible to the naked eye; this makes it possible to effectively disguise such a system. And the range of modern IR barriers can reach several hundred meters.
- Motion Sensor. Sensors that respond to moving objects in the field of view. They can use different principles of operation: infrared, microwave, etc. Motion sensors in the original sense of the term are used mainly as security; in such models, the functions of a break, vibration and / or temperature sensor may be additionally provided. However, there is another variety - household models designed for use as lighting sensors (see below). They are designed to switch the 230 V voltage intended for lighting fixtures (rather than the 12/24 V used in alarm systems), and most often use the same voltage for their own power supply; and other types of detection (except for movement) are not provided in such models. As for the types of work, infrared ones are based on the change in the thermal radiation of objects and can give false alarms due to unforeseen heat flows, and also depend on weather conditions. Combined, which, in addition to the infrared sensor, are equipped with a microwave (microwave), reacts not only to thermal changes. Accordingly, they are less prone to false positives, but much more expensive.
-
Infrared (PIR) motion sensor.... The principle of the PIR infrared sensor (from the English passive infrared sensor) is based on fixing changes in thermal radiation from surrounding objects. Such sensors accurately register movement, but are not immune from false alarms due to unforeseen heat flows and depend on weather conditions. There are models that combine several PIR sensors, so they can analyze more changes and more accurately register movement.
— Microwave (SHF) motion sensor. These sensors operate in the microwave radio range similar to a radar: the device periodically emits a pulse and, by analyzing the reflected signal, determines the presence of foreign objects in the controlled space. Such devices are somewhat more complicated and more expensive than infrared ones, but their capabilities are noticeably wider. For example, an IR sensor usually has a limited field of view, while a microwave device is able to "see" the entire 360° around. The "radar" coverage area is not limited to line of sight, it can detect foreign objects behind small obstacles - like window glass or partitions between workstations in an office. In addition, the microwave sensor is equally effective over the entire temperature range. Among the disadvantages, in addition to cost, it can be noted that it is undesirable to use them when people are constantly in the area of microwave action. However, most alarms still turn on only when there are no people in the room.
- Combined (PIR + microwave) motion sensor. Such models consist of two types of sensors, infrared (PIR) and microwave (microwave). Combined solutions combine two dissimilar technologies, which minimizes the number of false positives. In addition to thermal analysis, these devices emit electromagnetic waves at a high frequency, typically 5.8 GHz (may differ depending on the manufacturer). These waves are bounced off the surrounding objects, so that the sensor can register even slight changes.
- Break sensor. Security sensors that react to glass breaking. Nowadays, such sensors are most often made contactless and do not require placement on the glass itself, although there are exceptions. And the most popular principle of their work is acoustic: with the help of a microphone, the sensor “listens” to the environment and reacts to the sound of breaking glass (this sound is quite unique, it is easy to separate it from extraneous noise). There are other principles of operation, for example, infrared (reaction to a sharp change in the visible "picture") or vibration (tracking shocks and vibrations using a contact sensor). Some models also have the functionality of a motion sensor, and sometimes a full-fledged vibration sensor.
- Opening sensor. Security sensors that respond to the opening of windows, doors, hatches, etc. As a rule, the sensor itself is placed in a door or window opening, and a special mark is placed on the door / window. When closed, this label is in close proximity to the main device, and when opened, it moves away and the sensor is triggered. Such sensors may also have vibration and/or temperature detection.
- Vibration sensor. Security sensors that respond to various shocks and vibrations. They can be used for different purposes. For example, such a sensor can warn of an attempt to open a door or window, climb over a fence, crack a safe or an entire wall of a building; It can be mounted on a cabinet door or desk drawer as an opening alarm. And some of these devices are so sensitive that they can even be placed near individual valuable items - so that the sensor reacts to any attempt to move such an object from its place. On sale there are both specialized vibration sensors and models with combined functionality that also respond to movement, breaking, opening and / or temperature.
- Smoke detector. Fire-fighting sensors that react to the appearance of smoke in the air. This is one of the simplest and most reliable methods for detecting a fire: smoke during fires is almost guaranteed, and even with a low intensity of the flame, smoke is often quite significant. For additional reliability, such detectors can be combined with gas and/or temperature sensors.
- Gas sensor. Fire detectors that react to the presence of a certain gas in the air. The specific format of operation of such devices may be different. So, some models react to carbon monoxide (CO) - not only is it a product of combustion and a sign of fire, but it is also dangerous in itself, so such a sensor also provides protection against carbon monoxide poisoning. A number of devices are triggered when a significant amount of domestic gas appears in the air (for example, from an open burner or a damaged pipeline), methane, propane-butane, etc. - in such cases, timely notification avoids an explosion. Finally, sensors that are able to detect sleeping gases are marked in a separate line. Note that gas sensors may also have smoke and/or temperature response functions.
— Leak sensor (flooding). Household sensors that react to the appearance of moisture on the floor or other surfaces. Such a sensor is installed right in the place of possible flooding, and a pair (or several pairs) of special contacts are used for detection: even a small amount of water between the terminals closes them and leads to operation. Contacts can be placed both on the sensor body itself and on a remote unit connected to it with a wire. Some of these devices also have a temperature sensor function.
- Temperature sensor. By itself, temperature detection is very versatile, it is used in all major formats of sensors - security, fire, domestic. At the same time, there are very few temperature sensors in their pure form - these are separate fire models that respond to a significant increase in temperature. In the security format, this type of detection is most often combined with motion or opening detection; Specifically, a thermal sensor in security systems can provide, for example, tracking heat from living objects or responding to a change in temperature in a room when a door / window is opened. As for domestic use, here we are talking about monitoring and controlling the microclimate in the room; To this end, sensors of this type are often supplemented with humidity sensors.
- Humidity sensor. Household sensors that monitor indoor air humidity. Humidity is one of the key characteristics of the microclimate, maintaining a certain level is necessary both for the normal well-being of people and for more specific tasks - ensuring optimal conditions in a warehouse, workshop, laboratory, etc. Note that pure humidity sensors are found rare, usually this function is combined with temperature detection.
— Lighting. Sensors designed to automatically turn on and off lighting. Almost all such models are a special kind of motion sensors described above. And the main difference from traditional (security) motion sensors is that this type of sensors is used to switch the voltage of 230 V (and not 12/24 V); the same voltage is often used for its own power supply, although there are also models with batteries / accumulators. In addition, most of these devices have brightness control (see "Functions and Capabilities"). The light sensor can also be used for security purposes - to illuminate a moving object that has entered the protected area. However, most often such sensors provide convenience in purely everyday situations - for example, to turn on the light in a dark entrance when a person enters it.Installation
Standard installation method assumed by the sensor design.
-
Ceiling. Ceiling mounting is somewhat more complicated than wall mounting, but from a height the sensor can cover a large space. In addition, it can be installed above any point in the room - both close to the walls and away from them.
—
Wall-mounted. Wall mounting requires some preparation (often you have to drill holes for fasteners), but in general it is somewhat simpler than ceiling mounting. The disadvantage of this option is the limited possibilities for choosing the location of the sensor in the room
— Wall/ceiling. Devices that allow both installation options described above; For this purpose, the design provides for an appropriate universal fastening. Thanks to it, the customer can choose the best option depending on the situation, and even change the installation method if the need arises.
—
Tabletop. Devices installed on a table or any other flat surface. This installation method is as simple as possible; in addition, it allows you to easily move the sensor from place to place. At the same time, desktop installations in general are not reliable, so they are extremely rare.
— Tabletop/wall-mounted. Sensors that provide both tabletop and wall mounting. These are mainly small flat household solutions.
- On the windows. An installation me
...thod found exclusively in individual break sensors with a contact operating principle. As a rule, such sensors are capable of tracking not only the breaking of glass, but also more or less strong impacts on it, and sending a signal in advance.
— On the body of the spotlight. Mounts directly to the body of a spotlight or other lighting fixture. Found exclusively in light sensors. This installation has a number of advantages over remote mounting of the sensor: firstly, the entire “sensor + spotlight” system is as compact as possible, and secondly, you can get by with a minimum length of connecting wires. On the other hand, not every spotlight has the ability to mount a sensor; it wouldn’t hurt to clarify this point in advance.
- Corner. Another installation option, typical primarily for light sensors (see “Purpose”). In this case, “corner” does not mean “in the corner”, but “on the corner” - the sensor is placed on the corner of a building, fence, wall, etc. Moreover, the horizontal coverage angle (see below) in such devices is usually 270° - in other words, the sensor covers the entire space around it, except the wall itself.
— In the door frame/window frame. Installation method used in opening sensors. Such models usually consist of a pair of devices: the sensor itself, installed on a door or window opening, and a tag placed on the door/window. This device works due to the fact that when the door/window is opened, the tag moves away from the sensor.
- Floor-standing. A variant found exclusively in flood sensors. These sensors are originally designed to detect moisture on the floor, so that's where they are placed; There are practically no exceptions to this rule.Features
—
Sensitivity adjustment. The ability to change the threshold of the sensor, adjusting it to the specifics of the situation. Such adjustment is mainly used to prevent false positives: for example, so that the outdoor light sensor does not turn on the light, reacting to tree branches swaying in the wind. There are other nuances associated with adjusting the sensitivity; more details about them can be found in special sources.
—
Adjustment of illumination. A function mainly used in light sensors. Usually, such devices are equipped with photocells that evaluate the level of ambient light; if it is too light around and there is no need to turn on the lighting, the sensor simply will not respond to “external stimuli”. And adjusting the illumination allows you to adjust the response threshold of the photocell — that is, the level of illumination below which the sensor begins to work for its main purpose.
—
Adjustment of the response time. Ability to change the timer on the light sensor. Usually, such sensors, having ceased to detect movement in the field of view, do not turn off the light immediately, but with some delay — this format of operation is considered optimal for a number of reasons. And the adjustment of the response time allows you to set the shutdown time at the request of the user (within certain limits, of course); this can be useful for adjus
...ting the sensor to the particular situation. For example, when installing a lamp over the porch of a private house, the front door to this house may be in the dead zone of the sensor; setting the timer allows you to select the shutdown time so that the owner can easily open this door before the light goes out, and the lamp does not waste extra energy.
— Immunity to animals. A function found mainly in motion sensors, including separate models for lighting. The general idea is already clear from the name: this feature allows you to avoid triggering the sensor on cats, dogs and other animals. Such immunity can be useful not only in the presence of domestic “living creatures”, but also in other situations: for example, if neighboring cats can enter the yard served by the sensor. Note that the threshold for this function can be either fixed (for example, “from 20 kg”) or configurable; this point should be clarified separately. And in IR barriers with this function, a different principle is usually used — determining the height of an object. To do this, the device generates two (or more) parallel beams at different heights, and the short-term shading of the lower beam, which is typical for small animals, is not perceived as a trigger.
— Alarm signal. This feature means that the sensor is capable of sounding its own alarm, usually by means of a built-in siren. Such a signal can be very useful in some situations. For example, a siren from a security motion or breakage sensor can attract the attention of witnesses or even the police, significantly complicating the task of an attacker; and the sound from a smoke or gas sensor alerts all people nearby, allowing you to take action to counter an emergency as quickly as possible. Another useful feature of this function is that many sensors with a siren are able to at least partially perform their task even if communication with the control panel is completely lost.
— Protection against opening/separation. Additional protection against attempts to disable the sensor or interfere with its operation: when such attempts are detected, the sensor gives an alarm. Note that the specific features of such protection may be different, depending on the type and specific model of the sensor. Some devices react to a violation of the integrity of the case, others — to the loss of contact with the supporting surface, others — to characteristic shocks, shocks or vibrations that occur when trying to open or tear off the sensor, etc. Such nuances should be clarified separately. However, anyway, this type of protection provides additional security; it does not give an absolute guarantee against interference in the alarm system, however, it greatly complicates such a task.
— Communication jamming notification. A function found in wireless sensors (see "Connection"). When it detects attempts to jam the wireless connection, such a sensor sends a warning to the control panel, and if the connection is completely lost due to jamming, it turns on its own alarm. This makes it much more difficult to interfere with the wireless alarm system.Horizontal angle of coverage
The angle covered by the sensor horizontally. This is one of the parameters that determines the size of the sensor's field of view, along with the vertical coverage angle (see below).
For wall and similar sensors (see "Installation") that "look" horizontally or almost horizontally, the meaning of this parameter is obvious. But in ceiling models, its value may be different. So, if the coverage angle of 360° is specified for the ceiling sensor, this means that the field of view has the shape of a regular cone, the coverage spot is round, and the width of this cone is determined by the vertical coverage angle. If the viewing angle in such a device is less than 360 °, this means that the cone of the field of view turned out to be “flattened”, the field of view is oval, and the horizontal coverage angle in this case describes the size of the field of view along the long axis. The same applies to models with a combined installation — wall / ceiling.
Anyway, this parameter must be taken into account when choosing a sensor for specific conditions. So, for large rooms with entrances from several sides, omnidirectional sensors are useful, and if there is only one door and there are no other ways of penetration, a narrowly directed one can also come in handy. For a light sensor mounted above the porch of a house, a wide field of view is usually not required; on the contrary, a narrow coverage angle can be an advantage, in particular, it can replace
immunity to animals to a certain extent (see "Functions and Capabilities") — in some cases, the sensor can be directed so that it does not see domestic "animals". But corner light sensors, on the contrary, by definition cover a vast area.
A separate case is represented by IR barriers (see "Purpose"). In them, the horizontal coverage angle is the angle by which the IR emitter can be rotated without moving the body of the device. It is indicated by the total covered sector, that is, an angle of 90 ° means the possibility of turning 45 ° in each direction from the central position. Movable emitters are provided for adjusting the system and pointing the beams at the receivers; such a need, usually, arises during installation, because pointing accuracy must be very high, and it is very difficult to achieve it due to the position of the hull alone.
Power source
The type of power used by the sensor.
Nowadays, you can find models that operate from
230 V household networks, from an external power supply
of 12 V(less often
24 V), from a
microUSB or
USB type C connector, as well as from autonomous sources -
batteries or
accumulators. Here is a detailed description of each option:
— 12 V. Standard operating voltage for most modern alarm systems. This type of power is found in wired sensors other than light sensors; the energy comes through the same wire that is used to transmit signals to the control panel.
- 24 V. Another type of power used in alarm systems with wired sensors. However, for a number of reasons it is much less common than 230 V.
— 230 V. Option used primarily in light sensors. Such devices are designed to switch the 230 V voltage supplied to the lamps - it is quite logical to power the sensors themselves from the same 230 V. Occasionally, there are other types of sensors with a similar connection, sometimes of a rather original design - for example, gas sensors that are plugged into an outlet when installed, or wireless motion detectors that are mounted in a lighting socket.
- Batteries. Powered by replaceable standard size batter
...ies. Such batteries can be either disposable or rechargeable, but in sensors the first option is most often used (and the term “battery” in this case usually refers to a slightly different type of power source - see below). This type of power supply is found mainly in wireless models, but can also be provided in wired sensors to ensure the operation of certain functions - for example, an alarm signal when communication with the control panel is lost. Formally, using batteries requires additional costs - batteries are not always included in the kit, unlike batteries. However, in practice, these costs are quite insignificant - especially since the energy consumption of most sensors is so low that the operating time on one set of batteries is often calculated in years. And you can change such a power source in a matter of seconds (while the battery needs time to charge). In light of this, batteries are the most popular in modern self-powered sensors.
- Battery. Powered by a battery that is not a standard size and does not allow for quick replacement (often not removable at all). This is another option found in wireless models (and some wired sensors with "standalone" functionality), along with the batteries described above. The advantages of the battery are that it is initially included in the package, and when the charge is depleted, you do not need to buy a new battery - you just need to charge the existing one. On the other hand, charging requires a power source and a certain amount of time, during which the sensor will most likely be inoperative. And although the operating time on a charge, as in the case of batteries, is often calculated in years, batteries are still used in modern sensors much less often.
- microUSB. The microUSB connector provides power to security sensors with a constant voltage of 5 V and low current values.
— USB type C. Power supply via USB type C connector with low constant voltage and current.
External power supply to security sensors with microUSB and USB type C connectors can be established from a standard smartphone charging unit or any other suitable adapter. Often this power supply is combined with autonomous power supply - from replaceable batteries of a standard size (see paragraph “Power from batteries”).Working hours
Operating time of the self-powered sensor on one set of batteries or battery charge (see "Power"). Note that this indicator is quite approximate — it is usually indicated either for an perfect or for a certain “average” mode of operation. The real battery life also depends on a number of practical nuances: the frequency of operations, the communication range, the level of interference, etc., up to the air temperature. So in fact, the operating time may differ from the claimed one, and in the other direction. Nevertheless, according to this characteristic, it is quite possible to both evaluate the overall battery life of the sensor and compare different models with each other: the difference in the indicated operating time usually fully corresponds to the difference in real battery life.
Note that modern sensors have very low power consumption, so their operating time is calculated in months.
Operating temperature
Ambient temperature range in which the sensor is guaranteed to remain operational.
All modern sensors are able to transfer the temperatures typical for residential and office premises without consequences. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to this parameter mainly in those cases when the sensor is planned to be used in more unfavorable conditions — for example, on the street, in an unheated room, in a “hot” industrial workshop, etc. At the same time, we emphasize that even for the most "Heat-resistant" models are undesirable exposure to direct sunlight — they can heat the case to temperatures that are much higher than permissible.
