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Xovis — advanced configuration: monitoring, heatmap, age estimation & PF staff exclusion

Xovis advanced configuration — device monitoring indicators, multisensor status codes, backup/restore, heatmap API, Apparent Age histogram integration, PF-Series behaviour-based staff exclusion. Source: Xovis Knowledge Base.

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Written by Vemco Group

Advanced configuration topics from the Xovis Knowledge Base — device monitoring via API and Status Push, heatmap generation, Apparent Age integration, and behaviour-based Staff Exclusion on the PF-Series without a badge tag. Source: Xovis Knowledge Base.

Device monitoring

Monitor sensor health via the WebUI status page or via the REST API and Status Push. Key indicators to watch:

Scene illumination

Normal = ADEQUATE. If lux drops to 2 or below (PCT sensors: 10 or below) → INADEQUATE. Add illumination or adjust illumination mask.

Tilt

OK when live tilt is within ±1° of saved tilt. If the sensor is knocked or vibrated → shows MOVED. Resave the tilt in Settings → Mounting.

Calibration

OK when calibration has been applied. If floor mask is redrawn but recalibration not applied → NEW VERSION AVAILABLE.

Multisensor status codes

out_of_sync

Time is not correctly synchronised — check NTP server on all sensors

mismatch

Unexpected MAC address for a given IP — sensor may have been replaced or IP reassigned

incompatible

Firmware version mismatch between sensors — update all sensors to the same firmware version

unauthorised

Wrong username or password in multisensor settings — update the single sensor password in the multisensor configuration

privacy_protection

Privacy level too high — set all sensors to privacy level 0 before stitching

unused

Sensor is not part of the multisensor scene — check scene configuration

wlan_multisensor / wlan_sensor

WiFi connection — not supported in multisensor

remote_connection_multisensor

Remote connection — not supported in multisensor

Configuration backup and restore

  • Take a backup (.xbak file) after first configuration and after any significant changes

  • Backups are encrypted

  • Cannot restore a backup across different sensor generations (e.g. PC2 → PC2SE)

  • Data push authentication passwords and multisensor passwords are not restored from backup — must be re-entered manually

Config change tracking via API

To detect whether a sensor's configuration has been changed:

GET <sensor-ip>/api/v5/config/state

Returns a master checksum + per-endpoint checksums with timestamps. The master checksum changes on every config change or reboot. Use ?contents=true to include the actual settings values alongside the checksums.

Daily heatmap

The heatmap shows which floor areas had the most foot traffic — grid-based, coloured from blue (low) to red (high). A person standing for ≥1 second in a grid square increments its counter.

To generate a clean 24h heatmap:

  1. At closing time (e.g. 20:00), download the heatmap: GET <sensor-ip>/api/v5/singlesensor/data/history/heat_map (raw data) or add .jpg for a JPEG image

  2. Reset the heatmap: DELETE <sensor-ip>/api/v5/singlesensor/data/history/heat_map

  3. Wait 24 hours, then download again

  4. Repeat daily

Apparent Age Estimation — integration

Apparent Age Estimation (FW ≥5.8, licence required) can be integrated in two ways:

Live data push

Provides an age estimate in years for each individual tracked person. Maximum flexibility for server-side processing. Higher data volume.

Logic data push

Provides aggregated histogram data per time interval. Configurable age bins between 16–65 years. Compact payload. Recommended for Vemcount integration.

Xovis recommendation: Use logic push for analytics dashboards — longest data retention during connection loss, lowest bandwidth, configurable bins per customer use case.

Example bin configuration (5 bins):

Bin 0

0–17 years (child)

Bin 1

18–28 years

Bin 2

29–39 years

Bin 3

40–51 years

Bin 4

52–62 years

Bin 5

63+ years

Retrieve bin configuration via: GET api/v5/singlesensor/data/live/counts — includes histogram bin boundaries and current bin counts. Enable Logic configuration in the push agent to include bin info in each push payload (FW 5.9+).

Staff Exclusion on PF-Series — behaviour-based (no badge required)

The PF-Series supports staff exclusion without a physical staff badge tag — using zones and lines to identify staff movement patterns. Two methods:

Method A — Staff Zone

Draw a zone that only staff enter (e.g. behind the counter, stockroom entrance). Configure a Late count logic where the activation zone is the staff zone. Any person whose track starts or ends in the staff zone is counted separately as staff.

  1. Place a staff zone covering the staff-only area (behind counter, back door, etc.)

  2. Add a Late count logic on the main entrance line → name it "Staff Count"

  3. Set the staff zone as the Activation Zone for this logic

  4. Edit as custom logic → for both Modifier 1 and Modifier 2: click the OR operator → select Zones → "Has visited zone" → select the staff zone

  5. Result: only tracks that entered the staff zone are counted in this logic

  6. Subtract staff count from total visitor count in Vemcount to get visitor-only figures

Method B — Staff Line

Similar to Method A but uses a line that only staff cross (e.g. access door line). Useful when there is no distinct staff zone but there is a staff-only door.

  1. Place a staff line at the staff entrance/exit

  2. Place a dummy activation zone anywhere (will be replaced)

  3. Add a Late count logic with the main entrance line + dummy zone as activation

  4. Edit as custom logic → replace zone condition with "Lines → Has crossed line" → select the staff line

  5. Delete the dummy zone

Behaviour-based staff exclusion works on PF-L thanks to its wide coverage area — a single sensor can often cover both the customer entrance and the staff-only area simultaneously, making this method highly practical for smaller retail formats.

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