Timers (schedules)

The timer  (schedules) function is used to create one or more timers that can be configured to turn scenes on and off based on the time or date or sunrise/sunset times. For example, you can set meeting room luminaires to activate during office hours or set corridor lights to dim to a lower level during the night.

To set a timer, go to the More tab and select Timers (schedules). 

Create a new timer (schedule) by selecting Edit in the top right corner and then + in the top left corner. 

Select the Switches ON button and set when the scene should activate. You can set the timer (schedule) to operate on weekdays or a specific date. The time can be set for a specific time of day or can use local sunrise and sunset times to turn the scene on. To use sunrise/sunset the network location needs to be enabled. See the Network setup settings section for detailed instructions. Select Done to confirm the changes.

Select the Switches OFF option and select the time when the scene should turn off. The options available are the same as those available for the Switches ON time. You can also select After and set the length of time the scene should remain on for. Select Done to confirm the changes.

Select the scene or scenes that you want to control with this timer  (schedule) from the Add a scene option. Note that if multiple scenes are to be activated from the same timer (schedule) then they must contain mutually exclusive luminaires (i.e. Every scene that is part of a single timer (schedule) must have different luminaires from every other scene used for the same timer (schedule). If they don’t then operation may not be as expected because luminaires will receive multiple conflicting commands simultaneously).

Set the Fade time for the scene. This is the time it will take for the luminaires in the scene to reach their defined light level when the timer (schedule) is activated. Fading will start when the timer (schedule) is activated. This means that if you set the scene to come on at 14:05 and you set a fader for 30 seconds then the scene is at full brightness at 14:05:30. The scene also fades to off with the same time, so if the scene goes off at 15:00 the light will be fully off at 15:00:30.

If an application also uses presence detectors and requires that a timer (schedule) would operate regardless of any movement being detected (i.e. At a higher priority in the Casambi Control Hierarchy), Override presence should be enabled for the timer (schedule). If one or more timers (schedules) are set to Override presence then to ensure that any underlying Presence or basic Timer (schedule) control can resume, at least one of the Override presence timers (schedules) must have a Switches OFF time set. See the Appendix for an explanation of the Control Hierarchy.

There is the option to have a timer (schedule) Removes manual control when it activates. This has the effect of removing any currently active manually triggered commands that might be taking control priority of luminaires (either those in the whole network or just luminaires in the scene targeted by the timer).

If Removes manual control is activated for a timer (schedule) without any scene selected, it will affect all luminaires in the network. If a scene is also selected as part of the timer (schedule) configuration, Removes manual control will only affect any active manual control applying to luminaires in the define scene and the timer (schedule) scene will also trigger as normal.

It is also possible to Enable/Disable a timer (schedule) by using the Enabled button. Confirm your settings by selecting Done. After saving a timer (schedule) it is possible to copy that timer (schedule). Open the timer (schedule) again, scroll to the bottom of the settings and select Save as copy.

Refresh a timer (schedule): Timers (schedules) only send commands to the network at the specific set times. If you program a timer (schedule) to activate at a time that is earlier than the current time, it will not activate until the Switches ON time is next reached (e.g. The next day). If you wish a timer (schedule) to refresh to a state that would currently be active, select Edit and then select the refresh button (spiral arrow) in the top left of the Timers (schedules) screen, next to the +.

Notes: 

• Timers (schedules) do not always require a configured Switch ON or Switch OFF time if operating at the same level in the control hierarchy.  For example, multiple timers (schedules) could be configured to trigger the same scene to different dimming levels throughout a 24-hour period. Therefore, only start times would be necessary for each timer (schedule) because one timer (schedule) automatically overrides the previous timer (schedule). To disable an ON or OFF time, swipe left (iOS) or push and hold (Android) on the Switches ON or Switches OFF option. A Delete option will then appear. Select this to disable the ON or OFF option for that timer (schedule). The text Not set will then be shown under the Switches ON or Switches OFF option. Note: If using the Override presence option, the timer (schedule) must have both Switches ON and Switches OFF times set.
• Casambi units will keep track of time as long as at least one unit in the network remains powered. In a situation where all units have lost power the network time needs to be re-synchronised to the units again. In this situation please open the Casambi app and connect to the network to set the time again. For a Not shared network this must be done on the same mobile device that was used to originally configure the network.
• Timers (schedules) occupy different priority levels in the Casambi Control Hierarchy depending on what timer (schedule) features have been used (e.g. A Weekday timer has a lower priority than a Date timer).