RS40 Occupancy Sensor Placement
Placement and installation of the RS40 occupancy sensor is very important in order to get good occupancy data. This sensor uses Passive Infrared technology to detect the motion of heat. It is line of sight: any opaque object will block the sensor's view and limit coverage. Similarly, windows will also block line of sight and limit coverage. The effective range is up to 6 meters (19ft) and 135 degrees field of view.
Room Occupancy Placement
When using the RS40 to determine if a room is occupied, it is best to find a central location with good line of sight to the entire room. The ideal location is mounted on the ceiling in the center of the room, or area of the room where you expect the highest concentration of people to be.
Sensors can be placed on the wall as well if needed. Be sure to mount sensor up and away from any obstacles to maximize coverage area. For larger areas, using multiple sensors is recommended. RS40 sensors can overlap coverage with neighboring sensors without interfering with the operation of each other.
Workstation & Individual Space Occupancy Placement
The RS40 can be used to also detect a single person at a workstation or other location if positioned properly. Recommended placement is under a desk or table that will give a clear view of the occupant's legs or body while limiting line of sight to surrounding areas that might pick up other people. Mount to the under side of the table directly in front of where the occupant will likely be, far enough back that they are not likely to hit it with their knees. If a desk has a support mount at least 50mm (~2in) in front of support on the occupant side, otherwise place at least 150-300mm (6-12in) further back than an average occupant's knees would rest under the table.
To limit the field of view in open areas use the under desk lens accessory with the RS40 to focus its field of view and avoid false triggers from the surrounding area. This lens fits snuggly over the dome of the RS40 and clips onto either side. It also comes with screw hole attachment clips for more permanent mounting (screws not included), if not using the clips may be removed by gently bending the wings up towards the clip or cutting them off. The under desk lens is marked on with a FRONT, when placing the arrows should point towards the desired detection area. It will limit the field of view to the cone shown in the above desk mounting images.
Note: The RS40 is not waterproof rated. Be aware when placing down within reach of people or under surfaces to avoid areas that may collect moisture or be a water drain path.
Traffic Detection Placement
The RS40 can also be used to detect traffic through an area using the visitor counter lens accessory to focus the field of view to a narrow beam. This way it can be used in a doorway or other entry point to provide a count of individuals going past a point. Recommended placement would be either inside the doorway or immediately adjacent from the ceiling pointed directly down into the middle of the entryway. Position the sensor so the long axis is parallel with the entryway as pictured below. The visitor counter lens will create a 5 degree wide beam that extends out across the threshold.
The visitor counter lens fits snuggly over the dome of the RS40 and clips to either side like the under desk lens accessory. it also comes with screw hole attachment clips for more permanent mounting (screws not included), if not using the clips may be removed by gently bending the wings up towards the clip or cutting them off.
Activate the RS40 Occupancy Sensor
To setup the RS40, first make sure it is nearby (within 50 feet) of the Cascade-500W. Pull the tab on the battery. The sensor lens should light up red for ~1 second and then turn off. It will then blink red any time it detect movement.
The RS40 will provision to the Gateway when it powers on, it will appear in your Data stream and start passing occupancy data. Now, you can setup a visual dashboard and create alerts with the RS-40 Occupancy sensor
Mounting The RS40
The RS40 occupancy sensor comes with double sided adhesive pre-applied that makes it simple to stick to any surface. If using either of the lenses it's also possible to use the screw holes to also directly mount to surfaces.
Adhesive Mounting
Simply peel the back cover to expose the adhesive surface and press to adhere. This adhesive is meant to be semi-permanent, be aware that removing the sensor may damage soft surfaces such as paint or drywall.
Screw Mounting
Picking the correct type of screw for the mounting surface, the screws can accommodate a M3 bolt or a #4-#5 screw. For softer surfaces such as drywall it is recommended to use a screw and anchor combination, being careful to mark hole locations before drilling holes for anchors.
Testing Coverage
Depending on your desired application you may want to place the RS40 in different locations. Once you pick a location it is recommended to test out the coverage by moving around the desired area. The sensor will blink red whenever it detects movement, the max rate of detection is about 1Hz so give it a second after blinking before testing a new location.