This window
is where you enter information about a sensor. A sensor is anything that
can generate an X10 code, such as a motion sensor or X10 compatible remote
control wall switch; or anything whose status can be monitored with an IO board
(such as a U401, U421, U421-SC3 or U451 board).
For the Name field, enter something that briefly and uniquely describes the sensor. Use the Description field if you have any more information you want to put about the sensor. These fields will show up in the selection list and in the log file.
Some kind of interface device is needed to get the status of a sensor. This is normally set up when you first create your control file, however it can also click Device Setup to add, remove or configure these devices. When add a sensor, you need to specify which type interface device (Device Type) to use. Depending on what kind of device you are using, there may also be more than one device for that type of interface, so make sure you select the appropriate Device for the one you want to use with this sensor.
A couple fields will look different depending on which device type you select. If an X10 type of computer interface is used, such as the CM11A, it will show House Code and Unit Code. These are the codes that uniquely identify this sensor. Make sure the sensor is set up to this house code and unit code as well.
If the Show in Activity List check box is checked, then when the sensor is triggered, it will show it in the log on the main screen. If a sensor is triggered frequently, you may want to un-check this box so it won't clutter the log. This is checked by default.
If
a device type of a temperature sensor such as the DS18S20 or DS18B20 is
selected, then the House Code and Unit Code fields will disappear and a new
field under "Show in Activity List" will appear. Log every n
degree change lets you choose how often to log changes that happen with the
temperature sensor. If 1 is selected, then every time the temperature
changes 1 full degree since the last time it was logged, it will log it
again. You can also have it log even more often by putting a decimal point
in front of the number (for instance, log every .2 degrees). And you can
have it log less often by specifying a larger number.
If the Include on Main Window is checked, then it will appear on the "Sensors" tab. The sensors tab allows you to see what sensors have been triggered recently. It can also manually be triggered from that window so you can simulate the sensor being triggered. By default, it will be shown in the sensors tab on the main window.
The Access Level field indicates the access level a user must have in order to control the sensor. For instance, if the access level is "General", and a user's item access level is "Limited", they will not be able to trigger the sensor from the Sensors tab on the main screen or from the network client, where if the user has an item access level of "General" or Privileged", they will be able to trigger it. If the access level is set to Privileged, then only people with an item access level of "Privileged" will be able to trigger the sensor.
If a device type of
an IO board like the U4x1 Direct I/O is
selected, then a Port and Pin will be shown instead of a House
Code and Unit Code. The sensor will be for a particular port and pin on
the IO board. If the port is set to represent an entire byte rather than
individual pins, then the pin field will not be shown. The value for the
port will be between 0 and 255, where if each individual pin is used, the value
can only be 0 or 1.