Its been a few years since I reviewed the Aeotec Multisensor 6. Since then I have bought more of those for different rooms around the house. They have been very reliable and have served me well over the years, especially for automations such as auto room humidity control, lighting automations and presence detection.
So I was curious to see how the newest Z-Wave sensor in their lineup, the Aeotec TriSensor 3-in-1 compares. The Trinsensor has 3 sensors as its name suggests: Motion, temperature and light. Compared to the Multisensor 6, it loses the humidity, vibration and ultraviolet sensors.
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Aeotec TriSensor – Specifications
The Aeotec TriSensor has 3 different sensors:
- Motion sensor
- Temperature sensor
- Light (lux) sensor
Detailed Specs
Model No. | ZWA005 |
Max. PIR motion sensitivity | 7 metres / 23 feet |
Measured Temperature Range | -15°C to 50°C |
Light Intensity Measuring Range | 0 - 22595 LUX, +-30LUX accuracy |
Operational Temperature | 0°C to 70°C / 32°F to 158°F |
Radio protocol | Z-Wave Plus, 500 series |
Radio Frequency | 908.42MHz (US) 868.42MHz (EU) 921.42MHz (AU) |
Wireless range | Up to 150 metres outdoors maximum (492ft maximum) |
ZWave Repeater | None |
Security | S2 |
Water-proofing | None |
Power Supply | Battery power only (1×CR123A batteries, 3V, 1500mAh) Min voltage = 2.6VDC Max voltage = 3.2VDC |
Certifications | CE FCC RCM ROHS |
Sensor Dimensions | 45 x 45 x 35 mm |
Unboxing the Aeotec TriSensor 3-in-1 Z-Wave Sensor
As with every Aeotec product I have seen, the TriSensor comes in a sleek package with the following box contents:
- Battery cover
- Back-mount arm
- Double sided tape
- 2x screws
- User manual
- Warranty card
Design
The TriSensor is similar in appearance to the Multisensor 6, and is almost exactly the same size too. The cube shape makes it easy to place on flat surfaces.
The TriSensor is also very compact and just a bit larger than a CR123A battery as can be seen below.
On the front face, there is the standard PIR sensor cover and just two other components – the lux sensor and a very bright LED which flashes green whenever motion is detected.
On the back side, the battery cover holds the cover lock slider, the back-arm mount hole, and some technical information about the multisensor.
Taking the battery over off reveals the battery compartment that takes a single CR123A battery (supplied), and the Z-Wave Action button. While the Aeotec Multisensor 6 can use either batteries or a USB cable for external power, this TriSensor is only battery-powered.
The advantage of USB external power is that you can get real-time sensor data instead of once every few minutes with the batteries. So this is something I would have liked to see in the TriSensor.
Just like the Aeotec Multisensor 6, the TriSensor is also a ZWave Plus Gen5 device. While Z-Wave Gen7 devices are becoming more common, it has not been implemented in the TriSensor yet.
However the TriSensor additionally supports S2 security and ‘Smart Start’ technology.
Installing and configuring the TriSensor
Setting up the TriSensor with my HomeSeer-based home automation system was a breeze.
I first put the HomeSeer Z-Wave hub into ‘add device’ mode. Then I put the TriSensor into inclusion mode by pressing the action button once. Immediately, HomeSeer detected the TriSensor and added the various sensors devices (motion, light, temperature).
Features & Performance
Let’s now look at the various sensors the Trisnesor sports and how they performed. I used the TriSensor for a 6 month period as part of my home network, and so can give a real-world usage report.
Motion Detection
The max motion detection range of the TriSensor is 7 metres (23 feet). In my testing, it reliably detected motion from across my 5 metre wide hall. I found it very sensitive, it reacts instantaneously to motion and throughout the 6 month test period never missed a motion event.
You can adjust the sensitivity of the motion detection if you wish. The Z-Wave parameter that controls this setting is Parameter 3 [size 1 byte]. The value range is from 0 – 11. By default, the sensitivity setting is set to the maximum sensitivity value of 11.
You can also control the time gap between sensor activations by adjusting the ‘Motion re-trigger time’ which is Z-Wave Parameter 1 [2 byte]. For example if you set the value to 10, the PIR sensor timeout will become 10 seconds – so for 10 seconds after detecting motion it will ignore all further motion. After that, it will then again be ready to detect motion. The default is set to 30 seconds.
These two settings can be used to control and reduce false motion alerts.
Compared to the Mutisensor 6 on USB power, I felt that the TriSensor has better sensitivity even though its on battery power.
Temperature sensor
The temperatures reported by the TriSensor were accurate and very close to those of the Multisensor 6.
Light level sensor
The light level sensor also work very well. According to Aeotec, the TriSensor comes with a digital light sensor that’s capable of sensing lighting between 0 lux to 22595 lux in real-time.
I created an automation that automaticlly turned on a lamp plugged into an Aeotec Smart Switch 7 in the room whenever the sun started setting.
Battery life
While the Multisensor 6 can make use of up to two CR123A batteries, the TriSensor makes use of just 1. After 6 months of use, the sensor reports a battery level of 100% to HomeSeer, which I doubt is accurate. But the sensor is still working well.
Wireless range
The TriSensor has very strong wireless range and was able to stay in touch with the Z-Wave network wherever I took it in my house.
Verdict
I love the Aeotec TriSensor and highly recommend it. It has the 3 key sensors you need for most home automations and performs very well. Improved motion detection sensitivity over the Multisensor 6 and excellent battery life make for a very competent multisensor.
Where to buy
Check Price on your local Amazon site
A quick note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate link(s). An affiliate link means I may earn advertising or referral fees if you make a purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
It looks sleek and simple, but don’t let its aesthetics fool you! This thing packs some serious tech specs under those elegant curves. It’s always a pleasure to open up an Aeotec product. The TriSensor 3-in-1 Z wave sensor had me at “hello.”