NANO 16 offers adjustable sensitivity, hold time and daylight threshold for tuning the lighting response.
When a microwave motion sensor seems unreliable, the cause is not always the sensor. Daylight thresholds, long hold times, mounting position and motion outside the intended zone can produce very different symptoms. Because microwave sensing responds to movement in reflected signals, a controlled walk test can help separate missed approaches from unwanted triggers. These six checks give installers a repeatable way to tune the lighting response.
Write down the desired result before touching the controls. Which entrance should turn the light on? What movement should not? When should daylight inhibit lighting, and how long should the light remain on after the last movement? Mark likely sources of unwanted motion, such as adjacent traffic, moving doors and HVAC equipment, on a floor plan.
Use one observer at the light and one person walking each route. Record the trigger point and the setting for every trial. If the installation includes glass, test both sides of the partition. A SINO M16 can detect movement beyond some glass or lightweight partitions, so nearby traffic is worth checking before sensitivity is increased.
Identify the installed model and confirm its power supply, wiring, mounting height and connected LED-driver load before adjusting the controls. A qualified installer should handle electrical work under local requirements. NANO 16 is rated for a 300 W LED load and an adjustable 2-16 m detection radius; NANO F16 has an adjustable 1-8 m radius. Set the intended coverage for the installed model rather than applying another model’s range or load rating.
Set the ambient-light threshold to the manufacturer’s recommended test position so the light can switch during the test even if the room is bright. Otherwise a correctly detecting sensor might appear unresponsive simply because its daylight threshold inhibits the light. Record the starting setting before changing it. Once detection is stable, restore a threshold appropriate to the site’s actual daylight and lighting requirements.
Use the model’s short test delay so you can distinguish one trigger from the next. Wait until the light goes off between test passes. Sensinova lists a 10-second to 12-minute time delay for NANO 16; other models can differ. A long hold time can look like continuous false triggering when it is actually one valid trigger keeping the light on for several minutes.
Ask a colleague to enter the monitored zone from each approach and record where the light activates. Then test the adjacent corridor, both sides of a glass partition and the area beyond a thin door. Repeat at different walking speeds and times of day where practical. The goal is not to maximize nominal reach; it is to make the zone match the lighting task.
Lower sensitivity in small steps if activity outside the intended area causes unwanted switching. After each change, retest the farthest required approach as well as the unwanted route. If the expected approach stops triggering before the adjacent passage stops triggering, a different mounting position, orientation, partition treatment or sensor type may be necessary. Do not treat software settings as a substitute for sound placement.
Set the final ambient-light threshold and hold time for real occupants, not merely the fastest test cycle. Check operation in daylight and after dark. Leave a record of mounting height, sensitivity position, time delay, lux setting and test results so maintenance staff can compare future behavior. Test after any change to partitions or nearby moving equipment.
| Observed symptom | Check first | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Light switches when adjacent traffic passes | Walk-test the adjacent route while the monitored zone is empty | Reduce sensitivity and retest both routes; reconsider placement if zones cannot be separated |
| Light stays on and seems to retrigger | Record actual hold-time setting and wait through a full cycle | Shorten test delay; then check for moving equipment or adjacent traffic |
| No response in a bright room | Check ambient-light threshold before blaming the sensing range | Use test setting, verify detection, then recommission the daylight threshold |
| Far corridor approach does not switch reliably | Test the path, mounting height and sensor orientation | Adjust sensitivity within the model’s specification or revisit placement |
| Intermittent triggers near machinery or doors | Correlate events with moving doors, fans or vibration | Relocate or isolate the sensor as appropriate and repeat the walk test |
These are diagnostic starting points, not guaranteed fault diagnoses. If wiring, supply or relay behavior is in doubt, use a qualified electrician and the product’s official instructions.
If reducing sensitivity also loses the required approach, rethink the mounting position or sensor type. PIR and microwave sensors behave differently around partitions: PIR sensing needs direct line of sight, while microwave detection can extend beyond some non-metallic barriers. Choose the approach that fits the intended lighting zone rather than trying to correct every coverage mismatch with a dial.
For people who remain seated with little movement, a conventional motion detector can still turn a light off despite correct commissioning. That is a different design problem; consider the true presence sensor range rather than endlessly increasing microwave sensitivity and creating adjacent-room triggers.
This simple record makes later troubleshooting easier. If a building layout changes, the original setting is no longer automatically appropriate.
Share the room layout, mounting height, lighting load and observed trigger points with Sensinova for model-specific guidance.
Record the time, daylight condition, sensitivity and hold-time settings, whether the light had fully switched off, and nearby activity such as moving doors, fans or traffic. Repeat the same walk test to isolate the cause.
No. Start with the manufacturer’s test procedure, then tune sensitivity to cover required approaches without regular activation from adjacent traffic. Maximum range is not the same as correct coverage.
Record the hold-time setting, temporarily use a short test delay and wait for the light to switch off between controlled walk-test passes. Restore the operational delay afterward.
First check the lux threshold, power, wiring, mounting and test procedure. Increasing sensitivity before checking daylight inhibition can create unwanted triggers without solving the underlying issue.
© Sensinova India 2026. All rights reserved.
