Troubleshooting: Factbird Production Counts Are Too Low (Missing Counts)

Symptom

You may be experiencing this issue if:

• Some counts appear in Factbird, but totals are lower than actual production

• Large production runs result in only a small fraction being recorded (e.g., 1000 of 6000)

• The counter increases inconsistently while the line is running

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please confirm:

• The DUO is powered on

• The sensor is installed and connected to the DUO

• You can observe the sensor LED and DUO input LED while products pass

Diagnostic Steps

Follow these steps in order.

1. Confirm the sensor detects every product

   1. What to check: Observe the sensor’s detection LED as products pass at normal line speed.

   2. What result indicates success: The sensor LED activates every time a product passes.

   3. If result is not correct, recalibrate or reposition the sensor, then retest before proceeding (you can locate recalibration steps by searching for documentation on the sensor manufacturer's website).

2. Confirm the DUO input LED blinks consistently

   1. What to check: Observe the correct DUO input LED (matching the configured port/channel).

   2. What result indicates success: The DUO LED blinks once per product.

   3. If result is not correct, verify wiring and input configuration (NPN/PNP and correct port).

3. Verify DUO input configuration (NPN / PNP)

   1. What to check: Confirm the configured sensor type (NPN or PNP) in the DUO settings matches the physical sensor specification.

   2. What result indicates success: The configured input type matches the sensor’s actual output type.

   3. If result is not correct: Update the configuration to match the sensor specification, save changes, and retest with live production.

4. Verify debounce value is not too high

   1. What to check: Review the debounce setting in the DUO configuration.

   2. What result indicates success: Debounce is shorter than the time it takes one product to fully pass the sensor.

   3. If result is not correct, reduce the debounce value and test by manually counting 10 products.

Common Root Causes

• Cause 1:

  • Sensor not properly detecting products due to distance or sensitivity.

  • Recalibrate the sensor using the manufacturer instructions (e.g., Omron E3AS-F recalibration guide) and verify LED detection.

• Cause 2:

  • Debounce value set too high, merging multiple products into one count.

  • Decrease debounce time incrementally and test with live production.

• Cause 3:

• Incorrect NPN / PNP Configuration (the DUO input type does not match the sensor’s output type), causing unreliable or partial signal detection.

• Update the DUO configuration to match the sensor specification and retest.

Resolution

Once resolved:

• The sensor LED activates for every product

• The DUO LED blinks once per product (on the configured port)

• Factbird counts match manual production counts

If The Issue Persists

Contact Support and include:

• DUO serial number

• Sensor model number

• Screenshot of input configuration and debounce setting

• Example timestamps showing missed counts

Related Articles

• How to configure a sensor for Factbird DUO

• What is the debounce value?

• Data Override