Timer queries

[caravanboy]

Hi, I use a set of responses to do an automatic Security Off in a morning (e.g. within 2 minutes of LAST activating my Upstairs PIR (if in NightMode, between 6am and 10am ), if Staircase PIR and then Hallway PIR are triggered in sequence before timer expires then auto disarm.
This has worked well for months until this weekend. I cannot figure out why it didn\'t auto disarm. It\'s impossible not to trigger the PIRs so my only theory is that perhaps Timers do not operate as I understand. 

For context this is my very simplified set of responses. The only real issue is PIR1 though

PIR1_Response:If nightmode AND DisarmStep = 0 AND Hours ok Then Do CancelDisarmCheck After 120 seconds Using NightDisarmTimer

PIR2_Response:If ... AND DisarmStep = 0 AND NightDisarmTimer <> 0 Then (i.e. if timer still going) Set DisarmStep = 1

PIR3_Response:If ... AND DisarmStep = 1 AND NightDisarmTimer <> 0 Then (i.e. if timer still going)  Execute actions to disable security now

CancelDisarmCheck:Set DisarmStep = 0  -- it\'s been 2 mins since we started the sequence, so reset step
What I wanted to confirm is, does the \"Do Response After NN secs Using TimerName\" cancel and restart the timer every time that response is triggered? I had assumed it would. That is the only thing I can think of to explain why it didn\'t work on this one ocassion - e.g. perhaps I started to walk downstairs 1 minute and 59 seconds after FIRST triggering the upstairs PIR regardless of how many times I had subsequently triggered it.

For now, I\'ve changed my PIR1 response to check if the timer is running, stop it, then re-start it, so that should work even if I misunderstand how Comfort resets/restarts timers.  

All is working fine again for now but I just wondered if anyone can confirm either way?
Thanks

[slychiu]

When you start a timer, it will restart the timer
eg
Do Response after 120 seconds using Timer 1

This starts the timer

If you trigger the same timer again within the delay,
Do Response after 120 seconds using Timer 1
It restarts 120 seconds,

Hence the target response will only happen if the Timer is allowed to run for 120 seconds
In other words if it is triggered by PIR1 repeatedly the Response will run only if the PIR has been inactive for 120 seconds

One possibility that it did not happen as expected is because the PIR1 is triggered continuously. If that is the case the Timer is only started once, because the PIR comes on and remains on, and does not retrigger because someone is moving continuously

Try putting the Timer Response in Zone Off Response instead of On Response
Hence only the PIR stop detecting will start the timer

[caravanboy]

Hi, thanks as always for the speedy response.

That\'s a good point - I hadn\'t considered the PIR1 being continuously triggered, I suppose that could have happened if my wife was walking around on the landing at the same time, although unlikely as its quite a small zone.

At least I now know that the timer should restart as I\'d thought. I\'ll have a think about the Off response idea instead anyway.

[Ian]

Beware spiders - I had a PIR that triggered for no apparent reason - until I found a spider living inside!