<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Sensor Channels Settings
A sensor has one or more channels in which it handles the actual monitoring data. In the channel settings, you can define how to display the data from the sensor's different channels displayed in graphs, gauges, and tables. Additionally, the channel data can determine the sensor status. Use the limit settings to achieve this.
On the sensor's Overview tab, click the gear icon of a specific channel gauge to change its settings. Click the pin symbol on the left of the gear icon in a gauge to make this channel the primary channel of the selected sensor.
You can also open the settings of a channel by clicking the respective gear icon in the channels data table.
For lookup channels, we recommend that you stay below 120 lookup values to get expressive gauges. For non-primary lookup channels, the upper limit is around 40 lookup values.
The Gear Icon of an SNMP Traffic Total Channel to Open Channel Settings
The available options are nearly the same for all sensor types. An exception applies to the Downtime channel, which is automatically calculated and does not offer all settings. Channels with "absolute" values additionally have an option for defining the Value Mode.
You can quickly choose another channel of the selected sensor via the dropdown list at the top of the channel settings dialog.
Channel Settings for a Disk Sensor
Available Channel Settings
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Name
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Enter a meaningful name to identify the channel (not editable for script sensors after sensor creation). The name will appear in graphs and tables. You can automatically add the sensor's ID to the name by using the placeholder [#id].
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Unit
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This field is only visible for custom sensors. Enter a string that describes the unit of the returned values. This is for display purposes only. Please enter a string.
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Scaling Multiplication
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This field is only visible for channels with a custom unit. If you want to multiply the received raw data by a certain value, enter the multiplier here. Please enter an integer value. Otherwise, use the default value 1 to not change the received value.
The following sensor types provide the scaling factor for received values with custom units in their sensor settings.
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Scaling Division
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This field is only visible for channels with a custom unit. If you want to divide the received raw data by a certain value, enter the divisor here. Please enter an integer value. Otherwise, use the default value 1 to not change the received value.
The following sensor types provide the scaling factor for received values with custom units in their sensor settings.
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Value Lookup
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This field is only visible for custom sensors. Select the lookup file that you want to use with this channel.
Do not use this option for sensors that provide the unit Value Lookup in the sensor settings! This channel setting will be overwritten with the next sensor scan. Please define the lookup file that you want to use with this channel on the Settings tab of this sensor. Choose the option Value Lookup for the setting Sensor Channel #x Unit (where x is the number of the channel) and choose the desired lookup file under Sensor Channel #x Value Lookup.
See also manual section Define Lookups—Requirement: Channel Unit "Custom" for affected sensor types.
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ID
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Sensor Factory
- -1 is for sum channels of traffic channels (for example, of the SNMP Traffic Sensor).
- -4 is for the Downtime channel (you can use it, for example, for an uptime percentage calculation in a Sensor Factory Sensor).
- -2 (coverage) and -3 (error) are used internally.
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Graph Rendering
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- Show in Graphs: Sensor graphs contain the data of this channel.
- Hide from Graphs: Sensor graphs do not contain data of this channel.
If you choose to hide this channel in graphs, it will also not appear in a Report if you include this graph.
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Table Rendering
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Define if you want to show this channel in data tables. Choose between:
- Show in Tables: Sensor data tables contain the data of this channel.
- Hide from Tables: Sensor data tables do not contain the data of this channel. This option hides the channel gauge as well, but the channel will still be available in the data table of the sensor's Overview tab.
If you choose to hide this channel in data tables, PRTG will also not use it for the calculation of the "sum" (total) channel of the sensor.
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Line Color
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- Automatic: PRTG sets the color of this channel in graphs automatically.
- Manual: Individually define the color of this channel. You can enter the desired color code below.
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Color (#rrggbb)
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Line Width
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Define the width of the channel line in graphs. Enter an integer value in pixels. The maximum line width is 25px, but we recommend that you use values between 1 and 7 only to get optimal results.
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Data
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- Display actual values in [unit]
- Display in percent of maximum: Calculate and show percent values based on a maximum value. Provide a maximum below.
If you choose this option, you cannot display the data of traffic sensors as a positive and negative area graph.
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Maximum ([unit])
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Value Mode
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absolute
What is the Value Mode in channel settings?
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Decimal Places
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- Automatic
- All
- Custom
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Spike Filter
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- Disable Filtering
- Enable Filtering
The spike filter option is not available for the channel Downtime.
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Spike Filter Max. Value [unit]
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Spike Filter Min. Value [unit]
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Vertical Axis Scaling
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- Automatic Scaling: PRTG automatically uses the optimum scaling. Usually the scaling ranges from the minimum to the maximum value. PRTG uses one single scale for each unit label only.
- Manual Scaling: Define the scaling manually. Additional fields appear below. Defining manual axis scaling can make low values better visible in your graph, but it may result in a graph with multiple vertical axes for the same unit label.
Settings for this option are ignored if you enable the Chart Type Stack channels on top of each other or Show in and out traffic as positive and negative area chart (available for traffic sensors) on the sensor's Settings tab.
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Vertical Axis Maximum [unit]
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Vertical Axis Minimum [unit]
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Limits
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Warning Down
- Disable Limits
- Enable LimitsWarningDown
If a channel uses lookups, we strongly recommend that you control the sensor status only via the lookup definition. If you define limits in addition here, the sensor will use both the channel limits and the status as defined in the lookup file. In this case, channel limits will determine the overall status of the sensor and overwrite the sensor message while the channel gauge still shows the status as defined in the lookups.
You can show limits in graphs (highlighted in yellow or red) if you select exactly one channel with a limit in a graph.
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Upper Error Limit [unit]
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This field is only visible if you enable limits above. Specify an upper limit for a Down status. If the channel values overrun this value, the sensor will be Down. Please enter an integer value or leave the field empty.
While a sensor shows a Down status triggered by a limit, it will still receive data in its channels.
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Upper Warning Limit [unit]
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Warning
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Lower Warning Limit [unit]
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Warning
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Lower Error Limit [unit]
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Down
While a sensor shows a Down status triggered by a limit, it will still receive data in its channels.
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Error Limit Message
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Down
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Warning Limit Message
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Warning
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Click Ok to save your settings and to close the settings window. Click Apply to save the changed settings while the Edit Channel window remains open. This functionality is useful if you want to change the settings of other channels of the current sensor as well. You can select another channel via the dropdown menu above the settings. You can close the settings window without saving by clicking Cancel.
If you have changed any settings and click Cancel or choose another channel via the dropdown menu without applying the changes, PRTG will ask you to confirm this step. Discard Changes will ignore any edits and closes the window or shows the settings of another selected channel. Click Save to apply your changes.
More
Knowledge Base: What is the Value Mode in channel settings?
Sensor Settings Overview
For information about sensor settings, please see the following sections:
Ajax Web Interface—Device and Sensor Setup—Topics
Other Ajax Web Interface Sections
Related Topics
Keywords: Configure,Configure Sensor Channel,Decimal Places,Error Limit,Limits,Limits Error,Limits Warning,Line,Line Color,Line Width,Peak Filter (Spike Filter),Sensor,Sensor Channel Settings,Spike Filter,Vertical Axis Scaling,Warning Limit