The column where you get to put your lighting questions to the head of the Ovia lighting business, Mike Collins, and his team of technical experts.
Q. WHERE WOULD I USE MICROWAVE SENSOR AS OPPOSED TO A PIR?
PIR (Passive Infrared) presence detectors detect body heat and movement and are ideally suited where a defined detection pattern is required.
Microwave presence detectors, alternatively, are sensitive to movement and are ideal for large spaces and areas that have an awkward shape, or where fine motion detection is required.
When choosing a sensor for your application, there are many aspects to take into account, such as sensitivity, coverage and detection.
PIRs are ideally suited where a defined detection pattern is required, for example down a walkway. However, they require movement across the infrared beams, which means they must be installed in the right position to provide effective coverage.
Microwave sensors are sensitive to objects that move, with much greater coverage and security. This makes them ideal for large spaces and areas that have an awkward shape, or where fine motion detection is required such as a garden or a car pulling into a drive.
Microwave sensors, particularly those with an adjustable sensitivity range, can false trigger due to things such as trees blowing in the wind. They can see through plastic, glass and thin walls such as office partitions, although this is usually at a significantly reduced sensitivity level.
PIR sensors are affected by the climate such as high/low temperatures whereas microwave sensors offer a more stable performance and will perform better when subject to high/low temperatures.
If you’re looking to install lighting sensors inside residential applications, PIR will cater to your needs. On the other hand, if you’re after a lighting solution with higher sensitivity, microwave detection would be ideal.
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