Once sensors are commissioned, occupancy data will be accessible in your environment. Unfortunately, there are still scenarios where sensors have issues, and the occupancy data stream is disrupted. Here we'll cover a few of these scenarios.
Applies to
Sensor issues can be addressed by the following administrator roles:
- Subscription Administrators (Subscription Owners, automatically are assigned this role)
- Building Administrators
Not commissioned
Make sure the sensor is commissioned to a location. All locations available for sensor mapping are published in the building editor. Sensors usually get decommissioned when changes occur in your building. Certain scenarios were already covered in the article Commissioning sensors. Two common scenarios when decommissioning takes place are:
- A building has unpublished changes. Therefore a sensor can't be linked yet.
- Deleting locations (e.g., desks or meeting rooms) will decommission the sensor.
Depending on the situation, you can easily commission the sensors again by going to the sensor overview and adding a 'new' location to the sensor. Ensure you always publish the building first so you don't have the issue of not seeing certain locations.
Empty battery
Depending on the sensors within your building, they may be battery-powered. In these situations, admins need to check battery levels and replace the battery.
Sensor is not powered
As stated above, each sensor is different, and certain sensors are powered through a power cable and others by battery. When a sensor is disconnected from the power, it will appear as a broken sensor. In these situations, double-check whether the sensor is getting power. Check both ends of the power cable connected to the sensor and the wall outlet. Power cables tend to get loose over time. It could have been deliberately disconnected in certain situations because the outlet was needed for something else, and the sensor wasn't plugged back in.
The above scenario is common for desk sensors, but if you have powered room sensors, it is less common for the power cable to get loose.
Wrong sensor ID added
During commissioning, a mistake or typo could be made. This can cause a mismatch between the added sensor and the actual sensor ID. Whenever sensors are added, check the sensor IDs. Also, be mindful of using white spaces before or after the sensor ID.
Sensor blocked
Most sensors give a periodic update to indicate it is active, even when the occupancy status (e.g., available or occupied) hasn't changed. When blocked, the sensor stays in an occupied occupancy state, while in reality, it is not necessarily occupied. The solution is quite easy: remove the object that is blocking the sensor.
However, knowing whether a sensor is blocked is a bit more challenging. We recommend checking and monitoring the sensor status over time. If the sensor is occupied during unexpected moments (e.g., during nighttime), it is recommended to check the sensor and see if something is blocking it.
If the sensor is still not working after removing the object blocking it, the sensor could be broken.
Sensor broken
A broken sensor includes two situations: either the mechanism detecting occupancy is broken, or the sensor itself is not sending any data. In the first scenario, you may receive false information (also see Sensor blocked). In this case, check if the sensor is broken or if something else is causing the issues.
If a sensor does not provide you with any data and is not responding at all, check whether the power cable is disconnected.
If the power cable is still connected, but no data is being sent, and there is no response from the sensor, you will need to replace a broken sensor and delete it from the sensor overview page.
Internet connectivity
Generally, sensors communicate internally through an internet connection. When connecting to the Mapiq environment, an internet connection is needed to get the data into Mapiq. When a customer is experiencing network issues or has certain firewall policies in place, it can impact the sensor information shared with Mapiq.
Connectivity issues are usually observed in situations when the sensors are not functioning correctly. Mapiq can be consulted to help identify the issue. Mapiq is not responsible for the customer's network, and in many cases, internal IT work needs to be conducted to resolve the issue.
Gateway issues
Sensor networks leverage hardware. But regardless of the hardware, there's one point of entry and exit for all sensor information: a so-called "gateway." When issues occur with a gateway, no data is transferred. Symptoms are similar to no internet connectivity. Gateway issues need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Actions that can be taken are a simple power cycle of the gateway, a check of any firewall/internet settings, or a replacement of the gateway.
Technical difficulties
Mapiq uses different services to support the sensor network. These service can be impacted by degradation or outages. In these situations Mapiq needs to address the issue(s).