Infrared motion sensor operation
The infrared motion sensor works by detecting the movement of heat sources that are within its area of operation.
The effectiveness of detection is affected by:
– the amount of heat emitted by the moving object and the ambient temperature,
– the size of the moving object,
– the direction and speed of the movement.
The effectiveness of an infrared motion sensor will be lowest when:
– the temperature of the moving object is close to the ambient temperature (e.g., a sunny room, a radiator in the detection field, etc.),
– the object is moving at a low speed directly towards the motion sensor,
– the size of the moving object will be small compared to the area of the detection zone.
Examples of situations that can lead to malfunction of infrared motion sensors:
– Light sources located in the detection area of the PIR motion sensor. Turning a light on/off causes a large and rapid change in the temperature of the bulb, which can be interpreted by the infrared motion sensor as a moving object.
