How the Sensor Works
This is a high-sensitivity radar module that detects human presence. It's unique because it can detect not just large movements (like walking), but also micro-movements (like breathing) and completely stationary people. This makes it ideal for true presence detection in applications like smart lighting or security.
Understanding "Distance Gates" (The Most Important Concept)
The sensor's total detection range is divided into 9 segments, called "gates" (from Gate 0 to Gate 8). Think of them as invisible tripwires placed at regular intervals away from the sensor. You can control the sensitivity and maximum detection distance for each of these gates individually.
- Range Resolution: This setting determines how deep each gate is.
- 0.75m / gate: Best for large areas. Gate 0 covers 0-75cm, Gate 1 covers 75-150cm, and so on, up to about 6.75m.
- 0.2m / gate: Best for precise, short-range detection. Gate 0 covers 0-20cm, Gate 1 covers 20-40cm, etc. The maximum range is much shorter in this mode.
- Max Motion/Static Gate: This is your maximum range setting. It tells the sensor to completely ignore anything detected beyond that specific gate. For example, if you set "Max Motion Gate" to 4 with a 0.75m resolution, the sensor will only report moving targets within 3.75 meters (5 gates: G0-G4 * 0.75m). This is critical for preventing false triggers from outside your target area.
Key Configuration Parameters
- Gate Detection Threshold (0-100): This is your most powerful tuning parameter. It defines the minimum "energy" required to register a detection in a specific gate. A higher value makes the gate less sensitive and is useful for ignoring noise from fans or other environmental interference.
- Unmanned Duration (s): This is a "cooldown" timer. It defines how long the sensor must see *nothing* across all its active gates before it finally reports the area as "unoccupied". A higher value prevents lights from turning off if you sit very still for a while.
Practical Configuration Strategy (Step-by-Step)
- Choose Range Resolution: Decide if you need to monitor a large room (0.75m) or a very specific, small area (0.2m).
- Set Max Distance: Set the "Max Motion Gate" and "Max Static Gate" to cover your target area and no more. If your room is 4 meters deep, set the max gate to 5 (at 0.75m resolution) to avoid detecting people in the next room.
- Enable Engineering Mode: This is essential for tuning. It shows you the live "energy" (detection strength) in each gate.
- Tune Thresholds, Gate by Gate:
- Have someone move or sit still at different distances within your target area. Watch the energy bars in the Engineering Mode view.
- If a real presence is not detected reliably: Decrease the "Motion" or "Static" threshold for the corresponding gate until the energy bar responds strongly.
- If you see constant energy in an empty gate (a false trigger): This might be caused by a fan, an AC unit, or a vibrating object. Increase the threshold for that specific gate until the energy bar stays at zero when no one is there.
- Set Unmanned Duration: Once your gates are tuned, set this to a reasonable value (e.g., 30-60 seconds) for your application.
- Save Changes: Click "Save Changes" and then "Restart Module" to apply all settings.
Physical Installation Tips
- Positioning: The sensor has a detection cone of about ±60°. Mount it on a wall (1.5-2m high) or ceiling (2.5-3m high) pointing towards the area you want to monitor.
- Interference: Avoid pointing the sensor directly at fans, curtains that move in a draft, or large metal surfaces which can cause strange reflections.
- Back Lobe: The radar can "see" behind itself to some extent. If you have movement behind the wall where it's mounted, you might get false triggers. Taping a small piece of metal (like aluminum foil) to the back of the sensor PCB can block this.