Battery powered Z-Wave PIR for motion detection

1

105437

BIT Beta Team
Jun 8, 2015
2,134
1,030
I have 3 cameras and I would like to try using a PIR at each location to trigger motion alerts. I'd like to use a battery powered PIR at each location. My cameras are the LTS version of the Hikvision DS-2CD2342WD-I.

I know nothing about PIRs and how to use them with BI. Is this even possible? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Absolutely possible however you will need a Sealevel SeaDAC device for the PIR to talk directly to BI.
 
105437 said:
I just read through that thread, thanks! So with a Vera on my LAN I can use a Z-Wave PIR to send motion alerts to the Vera and then the Vera can send an "external" command that instructs the camera to record. Is that the high-level workflow? Thanks
Click to expand...

I've done something similar (with a wireless door sensor). The challenge is the latency:

PIR -> Vera -> Vera scene -> lua command in scene -> BI

Because of how long it may take for the above flow to happen, the object that triggerred the motion may have moved out of FOV (field of vision) by the time BI gets command from Vera.

You can (somewhat) address this by increasing the pre-trigger frame buffer size in BI Record tab for that camera. This however makes the pre-trigger frame buffer longer for every recording.
 
On a related note, I have also configured BI motion detection to trigger Vera.

BI motion -> web service call to Versa -> Vera virtual switch -> Vera scene (like turn on flood lights)
 
  • Like
Reactions: fenderman
Thanks @actran... since I know nothing about Z-Wave PIR, Vera etc. In the flow you outlined above, what is lua? Is that the command language inside Vera?
 
105437 said:
Thanks @actran... since I know nothing about Z-Wave PIR, Vera etc. In the flow you outlined above, what is lua? Is that the command language inside Vera?
Click to expand...

If you read the thread that @fenderman pointed to you earlier, an example lua command would be:

luup.inet.wget("http://192.168.X.X:XX/admin?camera=camera_short_name&trigger&user=XXXXX&pw=XXXXXX",5)

In Vera UI, when editing a scene, you can put the above command in luup code section. When the scene gets triggered, it will execute your lua script.

vera scene editor.png vera scene lua.png
 
Thanks @actran... I was assuming that it was the command language in Vera. Appreciate all the detail and confirmation. So is Vera the best home automation control hub to use with Z-Wave PIR sensors and BI? Are others compatible too?
 
105437 said:
Thanks @actran... I was assuming that it was the command language in Vera. Appreciate all the detail and confirmation. So is Vera the best home automation control hub to use with Z-Wave PIR sensors and BI? Are others compatible too?
Click to expand...

@105437 What is best depends on you and your home automation requirements.

I only have experience with Vera. I chose Vera because it is relatively easy to get started, there is a community, there are community-built plug-ins, there is a way to script more complex behavior and Vera is reasonably priced. There are much more expensive systems that will nickle and dime you, or they are less scriptable.

I know @nayr (well-known here) has built his home automation on Domoticz

nayr's home automation build out...

I may try Domoticz one of these days but I would want to dedicate quality time to do it right, including scripting similar scenes and lua code.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom