Garadget Settings and Alerts

Your Garadget account allows management of multiple devices with each device configured independently. When accessing “Settings” page, the configuration is presented for the unit currently selected in main screen.

Device

  • ID - read-only 24-character string identifying the device within Particle platform of which Garadget is the part. This value may be needed in some third-party integrations and for technical support.
  • Name - name of the device identifying the door to the user. This name is shown on the main screen of the app and used in the notification messages.
  • Status - read-only current status of the door. Possible values are: closed, open, closing, opening, stopped. To alter the status, control the door from app’s main screen or with the conventional door opener’s controls.
  • Last Contact - read-only time since the unit reported the its status.
  • Firmware - version of the software running in the controller. The firmware is updated remotely to introduce new features, ensure reliability and security of the devices. If the device uses custom firmware, you can request the opt-out from the automatic updates.

WiFi Radio

  • WiFi SSID - the name of the wireless access point to which device is currently connected. This is a read-only value, which can be changed in the wireless router configuration.
  • Signal Strength - The strength of the received WiFi signal as reported by the unit’s radio. This read-only value can be used to judge the quality of the WiFi connection. This indicator is not conclusive; there may be additional factors affecting the stability of connection (e.g. radio interference or return signal level).
  • IP - Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the device by the router. Garadget relies on the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for IP address assignment. This read-only value can be modified by reserving a specific address for the MAC (see below) in router’s DHCP configuration. This may be required when filtering or routing network traffic by IP address.
  • Gateway - IP of the network device responsible for routing the traffic outside of the local network. Typically it’s the wireless router’s address. Read-only value.
  • IP Mask - read-only value defining the range of IP addresses considered to be a part of local network.
  • MAC - media access control address, a read-only value uniquely identifying the network adapter. This parameter can be used for reserving the IP address on the router and various traffic filtering.

Sensor

  • Reflection - most recent door sensor reading. The read-only values range from 0-100. Zero reading indicates no reflection. Depending on the ambient light conditions, the reliable reflection should be in the range 30-97 while the laser pointed at the tag. Re-positioning and/or shielding of the sensor can increase the sensor’s reflection in challenging conditions.
  • Scan Period - the time between the readings of the door sate. Shorter period improves controller’s reaction time to the changes of the door state, while longer period reduces the blinking of the laser and makes the sensor less sensitive to the temporary disruptions.
  • Sensor Reads - Number of individual measurements within each scan. The values from multiple readings are averaged to reduce the possibility of the interference from changes in ambient lighting happening at the exact time of measurement. Higher values allow better compensation, lower values reduce the use of the laser. Default value is sufficient in most cases.
  • Sensor Threshold - The minimum reflection rate to be interpreted as closed door. If the controller generates false negatives (i.e. reporting the door as open/opening when it is in fact closed) then threshold should be reduced to about half of the lowest reflection value. If the condition continues, consider re-positioning the unit and/or shielding it from the source of bright ambient light. The value can be increased in case of false positives (i.e. door intermittently reported as closed when it is in fact open or opening). False positives may be caused by the highly reflective surfaces in the path of the laser when door is in motion.

Door

  • Door Motion Time - the time it takes for the door to move from fully opened to closed state. Increase this value if controller reports stopped shortly before the closed state. Decrease this value if door animation continues long after the door completed the actuation.
  • Relay On Time - the controller electrically simulates the press on the wall button. This parameter controls how long the “button is being held pressed” when the command is issued remotely. Some door openers interpret short pulses as a different command (e.g. wireless remote lock-out). Increase this value if remote command is not handled as expected.
  • Relay Off Time - some commands such as reverse direction while opening, require multiple “button taps”. This parameter sets the minimum time between multiple consecutive commands that opener can distinguish.
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Garadget Alerts Explained

Alerts are the push notifications delivered to the mobile device when the specific conditions occur.

  • The user has to be logged in into the app for Garadget alerts to work on their mobile device. You are logged in, if after opening the Garadget app you immediately arrive at the main screen with the door graphics. To stop all Garadget alerts on the mobile device, logout by swiping right in main screen and tapping on ‘Logout’ command under the account email.
  • Alerts are suppressed when the Garadget mobile app is active. This prevents distracting messages when the user is already observing the status of the doors. To test alerts, switch to the home screen or another app without logging out.
  • All alerts are independent; the use of the timeout alert doesn’t require any of the state alerts to be activated and visa versa.

State Alerts

State alerts are sent when there is a change in the state of the device or door

  • Reboot - sent when Garadget powers up. This event can indicate mains power failure.
  • Online - sent when Garadget re-connects to the server after being offline.
  • Open - sent when door starts to open after being closed.
  • Closed - sent when the door becomes fully closed after being open or stopped.
  • Stopped - sent after there was no confirmation that the door fully closed after the close command from the app. This can happen if an obstacle prevents the door from closing and it reverses. If this alert fires every time the door closes, then motion time needs to be increased in the device settings.
  • Offline - sent when server loses connection with the device.

If you receive false alerts (reports of door frequently opening and closing), then the laser sensor may need an adjustment. If you receive frequent online/offline alerts, then WiFi signal may be too weak or it suffers from the radio interference. Please visit the troubleshooting guide for solutions.

Timeout Alert

Timeout alert is fired when the door remains open longer than the specified time period. It is useful to make sure the door doesn’t stay open for too long. This alert is only fired once, for example, there will be only one 20-minute alert even if the door remains open for much longer.

Night Alert

Night alert is fired when the door opens during the specified time period or if it remains open at the beginning of that period. It is useful to ensure that the door remains closed at night. This alert is fired for each door opening during the configured time.

Location Alert

Location alert is fired when the mobile device leaves the configured location while the door remains open. This alert is useful to make sure the door is closed when driving away from the property. To minimize the battery usage, this feature relies on less accurate low power location services based on phone’s WiFi connections and cellular towers. As the result, it may not always trigger exactly on the edge of the configured geographic area.

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