Settings By Alert Type
You can specify parameters for each type of security problem (security, fire, etc.).
Delay Before Alarm
'Delay before alarm' specifies the number of seconds, from the time a sensor is tripped, that you will have to enter your PIN code (on an Orbiter) before the alarm sounds. Normally, for security alerts you should allow about 30 seconds so that you can enter the house and shut the alarm off. You may also want a brief delay for 'fire' events, since you will likely add event handlers to tell before LinuxMCE to call the fire department in such cases.
Normally you do not need a delay on 'Movement', 'Announcement' and 'Air Quality' alerts, since these do not normally trigger alarms. If a sensor triggers an announcement, for example, you probably want LinuxMCE to make the announcement right away, rather than waiting for a delay.
The event that is triggered when a sensor is activated is specified in LinuxMCE Admin Website-->Wizard-->Security-->Active sensors (Reaction to sensors), and is dependent on the security state of the house. In other words, a different type of event can be triggered when the house is in the "sleeping" security mode than the event triggered by a sensor when the house is in the "armed -- away" security mode.
Exit Delay
Exit delay means that no events of that type will be fired for that many seconds after you change house modes by entering your PIN on an Orbiter. You will likely give yourself an exit delay of 30 seconds or so for security events. If you specify no delay, then the instant you arm a sensor it becomes 'live' and you will have no time to leave the house.
Alarm Duration
Alarm duration indicates how long after firing the initial event before LinuxMCE fires a corresponding 'reset' event. Let's say that you have added an event handler that turns on all the lights, tv's and stereos in the event of a security breach. You likely will not want them to stay on indefinitely until you return. So after however many seconds you specify here, LinuxMCE will fire a 'Reset security breach' event. In the event handler wizard you would then specify that in response to the security event you want LinuxMCE to turn on all the devices, and in response to the reset security event you want LinuxMCE to turn them off again.
Pool Alerts
| This short section requires expansion |
You really have total flexibility to tell LinuxMCE to do anything in response to the events. For example, if there is a security alert you may want LinuxMCE to turn on the lights and tv's, but after so many seconds when it resets the security alert, you want it to turn off the tv's and all lights except the front porch light.
