
14
Part I: Home Automation
Place the motion detector in a location where it can
sense motion at every entrance in the room, as illus-
trated in Figure 1-11. You should not have to wave
your arms to trigger the motion detector. If you want
to reduce the likelihood of a pet triggering the motion
detector, place the motion detector high in the room or
angle it toward the ceiling. If the motion detector goes
off too frequently, consider covering part of the sensor
with tape to reduce the field of view.
You’ll eventually want to permanently install the motion
detector, but don't screw it into anything until you've
been using it for at least a week. I guarantee that you’ll
end up moving, tilting, or otherwise adjusting it, and the
fewer screw holes in the wall, the better.
Generally, motion detectors have a great deal of intelli-
gence built-in, including the ability to send signals at dawn
or dusk, and to ignore motion when the room is already
well lit. If you’re a control freak, however, this won’t be
enough. Fortunately, you can use your computer to receive
the signals from the motion detector and perform more
intelligent processing—for example, factoring in the time
of day or not turning on lights while you are watching a
movie. Check out Chapter 2, Automate Your Porch Light.
Motion detector
field of view
72.0 in. x
36.0 in.
Figure 1-1 ...