How to monitor my warehouse bay doors?
December 19, 2008 11:00 AM Subscribe
My business operates a large warehouse with several bay doors. For security and heating reasons, I would like to make sure the doors are only open when they must be. Is there any sort of gadgetry that can monitor when the doors are open and alert someone in the office when a particular door has been open for X minutes?
Several managers have keys, there are bay doors/loading docks facing out on 3 sides of the building, and we receive deliveries and dispatch trucks throughout the day. We have security cameras, but I need a separate screen that ideally would just show the current status of all of the doors (open or closed), preferably with a running clock on how long each door has been open with an alert once it reaches a certain threshold.
For example, we have a program that monitors our phone lines, and displays on a computer monitor how many customer service reps are on the line with customers, how many are available, and how many customers are on hold. If any customers have been on hold for more than a minute, that quadrant of the screen begins flashing red. No one needs to actively monitor it to notice when it starts flashing.
Several managers have keys, there are bay doors/loading docks facing out on 3 sides of the building, and we receive deliveries and dispatch trucks throughout the day. We have security cameras, but I need a separate screen that ideally would just show the current status of all of the doors (open or closed), preferably with a running clock on how long each door has been open with an alert once it reaches a certain threshold.
For example, we have a program that monitors our phone lines, and displays on a computer monitor how many customer service reps are on the line with customers, how many are available, and how many customers are on hold. If any customers have been on hold for more than a minute, that quadrant of the screen begins flashing red. No one needs to actively monitor it to notice when it starts flashing.
Response by poster: Humans still need to close the doors, so the Butler is out... Sometimes a door may need to be open for half an hour or more as trucks legitimately come in and out. A quick glance at a security monitor or Nextel beep to a manager can verify whether a door needs to be open or not -- but first I need that alert to know when and which door is open.
posted by yom3ts at 11:22 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by yom3ts at 11:22 AM on December 19, 2008
Shouldn't be too hard. I would think you could use a few of those cheap magnetic loop sensors like home alarms use tied to a simple controller in the office. Maybe three red LEDs that stay on when the doors are open?
posted by cdmwebs at 11:31 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by cdmwebs at 11:31 AM on December 19, 2008
Or, just buy three of these: http://www.smarthome.com/7168M/Universal-Garage-Door-Monitor/p.aspx
posted by cdmwebs at 11:34 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by cdmwebs at 11:34 AM on December 19, 2008
cdmwebs link is a pretty good first step, but it doesn't have a timer. I can only suggest that there must be a pretty simple Radio Shack solution that adds an electronic timer to the mix. Maybe a local high school or college electronics student/hobbiest could piece it together for a small fee.
I'm surprised that such a solution doesn't already exist.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:50 AM on December 19, 2008
I'm surprised that such a solution doesn't already exist.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:50 AM on December 19, 2008
wire up a photo eye that goes *thru* the door, to a delay timer set to the time you want, to a light in your office. THere are any number of delay timers that only send a signal through after a predetermined amount of time. I used a configuration much like this, wired into another photoeye that checked if a car was coming, on car washes any time the heat was on. Pretty simple for anyone who's not afraid to wire up 12 circuits.
posted by notsnot at 11:53 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by notsnot at 11:53 AM on December 19, 2008
Use a photo eye (infrared transistor and phototransitor pair from radioshack...about 3 dollars for a pair). Connect to an arduino (www.arduino.cc), write a little program and voila, bay door sensors. Or ask a smart high school kid to build this for you....
posted by jz at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by jz at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2008
Response by poster: The bay doors don't "go vertical" so I don't think the Universal Garage Door Monitor gadget applies. Also a minor clarfication -- we have 10+ independent bay doors (I have seen several mentions of the number 3... probably doesn't matter all that much anyway.)
Interesting ideas so far, though I don't completely understand them, they at least give me a starting point!
posted by yom3ts at 12:01 PM on December 19, 2008
Interesting ideas so far, though I don't completely understand them, they at least give me a starting point!
posted by yom3ts at 12:01 PM on December 19, 2008
What you really want is a system that notifies you when a garage door has been opened,
and again when nothing has gone through it for some settable time period. This can be done
with a dry contact beam break device, and on-delay relay with a settable time period.
Use 12 volt circuits: there are no code requirements and they won't set fire to your building.
How you want to report it depends on you. It can be as simple as a board of labelled
indicator lamps that is within view of a surveillance camera, as you suggested, or it can
be an application that runs on a computer, and talks to an inexpensive i/o board that
watches the electromechanicals.
Hardware cost per door starts at about $200, from Grainger. I/O board is another hundred
or so, but you only need one, plus some software, which can be arbitrarily expensive,
depending on who you get it from. Oh, and someone is going to have to be paid to design it
for you and to install it, but you already knew that :-)
posted by the Real Dan at 1:01 PM on December 19, 2008
and again when nothing has gone through it for some settable time period. This can be done
with a dry contact beam break device, and on-delay relay with a settable time period.
Use 12 volt circuits: there are no code requirements and they won't set fire to your building.
How you want to report it depends on you. It can be as simple as a board of labelled
indicator lamps that is within view of a surveillance camera, as you suggested, or it can
be an application that runs on a computer, and talks to an inexpensive i/o board that
watches the electromechanicals.
Hardware cost per door starts at about $200, from Grainger. I/O board is another hundred
or so, but you only need one, plus some software, which can be arbitrarily expensive,
depending on who you get it from. Oh, and someone is going to have to be paid to design it
for you and to install it, but you already knew that :-)
posted by the Real Dan at 1:01 PM on December 19, 2008
Why monitor the doors ? Use simple high frequency occupancy sensors ( as opposed to PIR ) combined with delay on/off timers. The doors will only open when someone or a vehicle is near the door for a certain time and will remain open until activity stops near the door. When the activity stops the doors will close automatically. You should be able to complete this for $150 per door approx.
posted by defsix at 1:32 PM on December 19, 2008
posted by defsix at 1:32 PM on December 19, 2008
Don't know of anything that meets your needs out of the box, but I could certainly make you a system as could a few dozen other mefites.
I'd use Maxstream Zigbee radio modules in an 802.15.4 multi-drop configuration and poll them once a minute to determine door status. The xbee pro modules have a 100 mW output level, and cost in an enclosure would be about $100/door. Plenty of range for this.
See digikey.com and look under Maxstream. They've got a pro development kit for $350 or so. You'll need extra xbee Pro modules as only two ship with the kit. The rest are lower power xbee units (1 mW).
posted by FauxScot at 2:01 PM on December 19, 2008
I'd use Maxstream Zigbee radio modules in an 802.15.4 multi-drop configuration and poll them once a minute to determine door status. The xbee pro modules have a 100 mW output level, and cost in an enclosure would be about $100/door. Plenty of range for this.
See digikey.com and look under Maxstream. They've got a pro development kit for $350 or so. You'll need extra xbee Pro modules as only two ship with the kit. The rest are lower power xbee units (1 mW).
posted by FauxScot at 2:01 PM on December 19, 2008
Any chance a webcam and motion detecting software would be possible . If the doors cover or reveal something unique when moved that could key the motion detecting software. One camera maybe enough for all ten doors and just set areas of interest for motion detection.
Not sure if software available can do the timer part but i will have a look.
posted by stuartmm at 2:51 PM on December 19, 2008
Not sure if software available can do the timer part but i will have a look.
posted by stuartmm at 2:51 PM on December 19, 2008
Any chance a webcam and motion detecting software would be possible . If the doors cover or reveal something unique when moved that could key the motion detecting software. One camera maybe enough for all ten doors and just set areas of interest for motion detection.
You know, I thought about that at first, too. You could install Ubuntu on an old PC,
It's a little intimidating at first, but it has gobs of configuration and is very flexible. Oh, and it's free.
posted by cdmwebs at 3:10 PM on December 19, 2008
You know, I thought about that at first, too. You could install Ubuntu on an old PC,
sudo apt-get install motionand with a little config, hook up a few video cameras and be up and running in an afternoon. Motion website.
It's a little intimidating at first, but it has gobs of configuration and is very flexible. Oh, and it's free.
posted by cdmwebs at 3:10 PM on December 19, 2008
cdmwebs, I was just reading through the motion wiki they they seem to have the right on event actions to generate timers/ messages. You might need an action when the door opens that starts a timer. Then trigger the other action when the door comes down killing the initial timer.
posted by stuartmm at 3:29 PM on December 19, 2008
posted by stuartmm at 3:29 PM on December 19, 2008
our security system folks (Sonitrol) provided my company w/ magnetic gadgets on the door and surround. we've got 1 garage door, 4 large firedoors (barn door style), and regular doors. while there isn't necessarily a timer function exactly as you describe it, but you could certainly adapt it for that purpose.
we also have a mechanical switch on the garage door. it cuts off the heat the moment the door opens. it has saved me loads of money over the last few months.
posted by modernpoverty at 9:08 PM on December 19, 2008
we also have a mechanical switch on the garage door. it cuts off the heat the moment the door opens. it has saved me loads of money over the last few months.
posted by modernpoverty at 9:08 PM on December 19, 2008
I know that a netbotz http://netbotz.com/products/appliances.html can monitor a contact sensor and send out email based on timing criteria. It can also have an image from the built in camera attached to the email if that makes sense. Depending on how critical the application is, you can add a "Last Call" module hooked up to a POTS line to send out a text message, or take other action. The netbotz sensors all have programmable thresholds and schedules, so if for example the door can be open for 5 minutes at a time 8-5, M-F, but never on the weekends, it can accommodate that. The specs say you can have 17 sensor pods on the NetBotz 500, and I don't think there would be an issue running serial cable a really long way.
posted by tcskeptic at 9:48 PM on December 19, 2008
posted by tcskeptic at 9:48 PM on December 19, 2008
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posted by unixrat at 11:11 AM on December 19, 2008