Door and Window Sensors for Increased Security and Automation

Door sensors detect whether a door or window is open or closed. This blog post describes how they work and provides examples of their use.

Infsoft Blog Door Sensor

Magnetic door sensors detect whether a door or window is open or closed. They are often used for security purposes as part of warning systems to trigger an alert message when doors, windows, or even drawers are opened or closed. In addition, door sensors can be used for head counts based on a registration of the number of door openings.

FUNCTIONALITY

Infsoft Door Sensor Product Image
Door sensor (product image by Minew)

The sensor for detecting the status of the door or window (open/closed) consists of two magnetically coupled parts. One element needs to be attached to the door/window and the other to the door/window frame. Placing the sensor on the bottom side of a window will maintain the ability to tilt the window. A change of status is detected by the sensor when the two magnetically connected parts move away from each other and the magnetic contact is lost. The sensor registers the event and transmits the information, via a Bluetooth gateway (infsoft Locator Node 1400), to the cloud (infsoft LocAware platform®). Using the infsoft Automation tool, conditions can be defined that will trigger a specific action (e.g., sending a message when a door remains open for at least two minutes).

The door sensor is battery operated; a local power supply is not necessary. Since it is a magnetic sensor, ferromagnetic materials such as steel may affect its performance and sensitivity.

APPLICATION EXAMPLES

Public buildings, hospitals, government buildings, hotels, offices, etc. have safety regulations regarding fire protection. For example, fire doors must always be closed, except in an emergency, and must not be held open by wedges or the like. Door sensors can monitor compliance with these regulations and trigger an alarm as soon as one of these doors stands open.

Door sensors can also protect specific areas within buildings by notifying responsible parties of unauthorized entry. Such door opening alarms can also be useful for certain groups of people, such as children or dementia patients.

In the retail sector, door sensors can be used to ensure that necessary refrigeration temperatures are maintained: If the door of a refrigerated shelf is not closed, prompt action can be taken to maintain the quality and safety of the food and save energy.

Door sensors are not only used within safety concepts but also for people counting. In office buildings, for example, it is possible to determine how often the sanitary facilities have been frequented, allowing cleaning to be adapted to actual usage.

The sensors can be attached not only to doors but also to windows, where they will also notify you of unwanted openings (e.g. in company buildings outside operating hours).

If you would like to discuss your individual use case with us, please contact us.

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