What is Sensor Discovery

Sensor Discovery is the first of the three stages of Bhairava Sense. Its job is simple: find out what is already on the site, without anyone having to type in a list.

Discovery asks the site network who is there, then asks each controller which sensors it has.

What happens

You run Bhairava Sense on a laptop connected to the same network as the equipment. It looks across that network, asks which controllers are present, and then asks each controller which sensors it has. The controllers and sensors it finds appear as a list, ready for the next stage.

What you do not have to do

You do not need a list of the equipment beforehand.
You do not need to type in addresses or settings.
You do not need an engineer to come and explain what is installed.

What discovery gives you, and what it does not

Discovery tells you what exists. It cannot tell you where it is or what it is called, because the equipment itself does not know that (see "Why sensors have no name of their own"). So the result is a list of controllers and sensors that are real and reachable, but not yet placed on your site and not yet named.

That is exactly what the second stage, Sensor Fusion, is for.

If something you expect is missing

Is the laptop on the right network? Equipment on a separate network from the laptop cannot be seen.
Is the equipment switched on and connected? A controller that is off cannot answer.
Was it perhaps found under a different controller? Sensors appear under the controller they are wired to.

Discovery only asks and reads. It does not change anything on the equipment it finds.