Differences in Sensor Reading Rules and Advanced Rules

Monnit offers two types of Rules that can be similar in operation but have key (but subtle) differences that may determine how you operate with notifications. This article will outline some of these differences to provide an understanding of the different Rule types and how to implement them.

A common question

A common question in understanding the difference between Sensor Reading Rules and Advanced Rules is related to the sensor's Aware State Threshold.

Many customers new to the Monnit platform start by configuring the sensor's Aware State Thresholds of the sensor, thinking that simply setting these thresholds will trigger a notification after the thresholds are applied. Only later do they realize that the Aware State operation of the sensor is not tied to a Rule unless the User executes such a configuration.

While the Aware State configuration does control how the sensor communicates and operates, it is not inherently tied to any Rule unless a corresponding Rule is created and the sensor is assigned to the Rule.

A simple sensor reading triggers some Rules, and others are triggered by the sensor's Aware State or other Advanced Condition. With Sensor Reading Rules, you configure the trigger point on the Rule Condition itself.

Advanced Rules, conversely, are configured on the sensor's Aware State and thus are directly tied to Aware State Threshold settings on the sensor. Therefore, check the Rule type if you wonder why your sensors' Aware State Thresholds are not triggering a Rule when the sensor reading breaches them.

Only Advanced Rules are triggered based on the sensor's Aware State.

Sensor Reading Rules

Sensor Reading Rules have the Condition configuration under the Rule Condition tab. As mentioned above, these are not inherently tied to the sensor's Aware State Threshold. 

Therefore, you could have a sensor with a specific Aware State Threshold and a Sensor Reading Rule with a completely different trigger point. 

Sensor Reading Rules generally give a Greater Than, Less Than, Equal to, Greater than or equal to, or Less than or equal to configuration. This will vary by type. The Rules are triggered solely based on the sensor reading and the trigger point you have set up on the Rules.

Advanced Rules

Advanced Rules are triggered by the sensor's Aware State (and possibly other recorded conditions). They are generally directly tied to the sensor's Aware State Thresholds. 

Different kinds of Advanced Rules allow for generally more complex logic. For example, you can trigger an Advanced Rule to send when a sensor reports "x" number of consecutive Aware Messages.

The most common Advanced Rule is the Notify After Aware Period Rule, in which the Notify After Aware Period timer is started by the first reported Aware Message, and the Rule is triggered by a subsequent consecutive Aware Message from the sensor after the timer has elapsed.

Until you create an Advanced Rule, no Rule will be associated with the sensor's Aware State Threshold configuration. However, the various types of Advanced Rules will allow you to implement notifications based on the sensor's Aware Readings/Aware State Threshold.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between Sensor Reading Rules and Advanced Rules is important, especially for new users. It might determine how you choose to operate regarding Rules. Feel free to contact support@monnit.com with related questions.