The All-in-One, or AIO, is a model of Door Opener that was brought out in 2023. Instead of utilising a string to lift and close a separate door, this model is exactly what it says on the tin: all in one.

Learn more about it in our article on Identifying ChickenGuard Models.

Automatic Calibration means that the unit will find the door's open and closed positions itself. Auto Calibration does not mean that the unit does not need to be calibrated. You will still need to complete a new Door Calibration after a battery change or error message.

"Auto-Stop" is how we refer to the Door Ajar Sensor feature on the All-in-One model. This feature keeps your chickens safe by stopping the door if an obstruction is detected while the door is attempting to close. The door will then re-open and try to close again shortly afterwards.

When a member of the Support team refers to the base of a unit, this means the rear portion of the unit, which houses the motor.

The battery box is the black rectangular box which holds the batteries.

In Mark-4 models, this sits in the base. In Mark-5 models, this is attached to the front panel. In All-in-One models, this sits inside of the main unit, held in place by a blue rubber bung.

"Battery OK" is a message you will see on a page inside the Misc Settings. Next to this message, your batteries' supplied voltage will be displayed. The screen will look something like this:

NOTE: a full set of AA batteries should provide 6volts. You will receive a low battery warning when the voltage lowers to 5v. If this page displays less than 5.3v, it is worth changing the batteries as soon as possible.

Calibration refers to the process of setting the door's Open and Closed positions. To complete a calibration, navigate to Door Calibration and follow the instructions on screen.

Calibrate Type is a page inside the Misc Settings of Mark-5 models, which allows you to choose between Automatic Calibration and Manual Calibration.

The circuit board (sometimes referred to as the PCB) is the 'motherboard' which is located on the inside of the front panel on any ChickenGuard device. Think of this as the computer or brain of the unit.

"Clock 12/24hr" is an option in your door opener's Misc Settings, which allows you to choose which format your clock displays in.

When a member of the team refers to a close cycle, this refers to the process of the door closing automatically at its set time.

The "Close Settings" page is where you can choose which option to use for closing the door. The options are Timer, Sensor, LUX+, and Manual.

"Closing Torque" is a message you may see on your screen when the door is closing. The percentage next to this message pertains to the amount of power the motor is using to close the door.

"Computed Sunrise" is an Open Settings option in the ChickenGuard App which uses your location to calculate the time that the sun will rise in your area - this is updated daily to keep up with the changing seasons.

"Computed Sunset" is a Close Settings option in the ChickenGuard App which uses your location to calculate the time that the sun will set in your area - this is updated daily to keep up with the changing seasons.

"Custom Mode" is a setting inside the Door Control option of the All-in-One model. This mode allows you to manually alter the values which control the way the door moves. We do not advise choosing Custom Mode without the guidance of a ChickenGuard Support Technician.

"Diode" is an option inside the Light Sense Type page, which can only be accessed through the Secret Menu. It refers to a type of light sensor called a Photo Diode, which has been used in some of our units in the past.

"Door Ajar" is an error message you might see if your door has stopped due to an obstruction. This error message will only appear if you have the Door Ajar Sensor turned on.

The purpose of the Door Ajar Sensor is to detect an obstruction in the doorway during an open or close.

E.g. if a chicken is standing in the doorway when the door is trying to close, the unit will detect this obstruction and stop closing, showing the "Door Ajar" error message.

It will then retry the close cycle twice more.

If the obstruction remains, then the unit will stop trying to close the door and will display the "Door Error" or "Door Obstruction" message.

The "Door Calibration" page in the settings menu is where you can calibrate your door. Calibration refers to the process of setting the door's Open and Closed positions.

The "Door Control" option, inside the Misc Settings of the All-in-One, is where you can choose which mode the door works in.

Learn more about the Door Control options in our help article on All-in-One Door Settings.

"Door Error / Recalibrate Door" is an error message you might see if your door has stopped due to an obstruction or a problem with the string, door, or runners.

Learn more in the "Door Error" Troubleshooting article.

"Door Obstruction" is the error message that will be displayed on the All-in-One screen if the door has failed to close after repeated attempts. This error message means that there is an obstruction that must be removed before the door can close.

"Door opener" refers to ChickenGuard's main product; some people may think of it as the controller box.

The door openers we currently sell (as of Summer 2023) include the Standard (S5) and the PRO. Door openers we have sold in the past include the Premium and Extreme.

Other products we sell, which are not "door openers", include the Locking Door and the All-in-One.

"Door Stopped / Recalibrate Door" is an error message you might see if there has been a problem which has caused the door to stop in a position somewhere in between the open and closed position. This message will also show after using the Motion Control option, as the door needs to be recalibrated.

The Extension Box is the box which the control panel can be switched to, and then mounted separately to the main All-in-One unit.

This is useful if the door of your coop is very low to the ground or if you want to mount the door inside the coop but still make use of the light sensor.

The "External Power" page in Misc Settings allows you to turn on or off External Power Mode on your Mark-4 device. Turning ON External Power Mode tells the unit to draw power from the USB power cable. Turning OFF External Power Mode tells the unit to draw power from the batteries.

The "Ext Light Error" message indicates that the unit is looking for an external light sensor. However, the external light sensor is not an accessory that is yet available for mark-5 models.

You can stop this message appearing on your screen by navigating to Misc Settings/Secret Menu > Ext Light Sensor and selecting "NO". See more detailed instructions in our article on the Ext Light Error Message.

The "Ext Light Sensor" page in the Misc Settings of your Mark-5 unit allows you to turn on or off detection for an external light sensor. However, the external light sensor is not an accessory that is yet available.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "Extreme", this refers to a model of door opener sold between 2017-2023.

As of 2023, the Extreme is no longer produced.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the front panel, this is the front part of any unit, where the screen and buttons are located. It could also be referred to as a control panel.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "homepage" or "home page", this means the main screen that shows when you first wake the device; this is the page which reads "Chickenguard.com" on the top line, and displays the clock on the bottom line.

This may also refer to the main page of the ChickenGuard App.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "HomeHub", this is the small wifi box you use to connect your smartphone and door opener when using the ChickenGuard App.

When an article or a member of the team refers to "identifier symbols", this refers to four icons shown under the LCD screen inside the ChickenGuard App, which tell you at a glance which settings are being used to open and close the door.

The LCD Screen is the screen on the front of your device. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display.

"LDR" is an option inside the Light Sense Type page, which can only be accessed through the Secret Menu. It refers to a type of light sensor which uses light dependent resistors; this is the type of light sensor used in almost all of our products over the years.

The LDR light sensor can be identified by its squiggly orange line, which Photo Diode sensors do not have.

The light sensor is what registers the sunrise and sunset, and tells the door when to open or close when using the "Sensor" option. It is located on the front of your device. It reads light levels in LUX values; the lower this value, the darker it is, and the higher this value, the brighter it is.

For help with any troubles you might experience with your door opener's light sensor, please see our Light Sensor Help article.

(NOTE: The light sensor feature is not enabled on Standard or S5 devices, but can be unlocked with a one-time payment. Just contact the Customer Support team and let them know your location so that they can give you a quote for this cost.)

The "Light Sense Type" option in the Secret Menu allows you to set the type of light sensor your door opener has. Most units utilise an LDR type light sensor, but some may utilise a Photo Diode type light sensor.

You should only ever need to access this setting in the case of a sensor fault. If you suspect your sensor may have a fault, please see our help centre article on Light Sensor Help, or contact the Customer Support team for assistance.

The "Locking Door" is the door kit made and sold by ChickenGuard, which locks automatically when it closes. It is made of durable ABS plastic and lightweight aluminium.

These doors can be purchased on their own, or in a Combi Kit with a PRO model door opener.

LUX is a measurement of light, which we use to tell the door when to open and close. The LUX value is higher when the light is brighter, and lower when the light is darker.

The "LUX Adjustment" page is where you can adjust your Sensor settings. You can customise the light levels that should trigger your door to open and close.

You can also take a light reading to determine what the light level is at the time of taking the reading.

LUX+ is an option in the Close Settings. It uses the light sensor as the main method of closing the door, but allows you to set a backup timer which will trigger the door to close if is is not dark enough outside before the chosen time.

(NOTE: This option is not available on Standard or S5 units, as the light sensor is not enabled.)

Manual Calibration refers to the process of completing a calibration by manually setting the open and closed position of the door.

All door openers except the All-in-One can be manually calibrated.

Manual Calibration is not the same thing as opening the door manually or closing the door manually.

"Manual" is an option in your Close Settings. Setting the door to close on Manual means that the door will not close automatically, and will only close when you press the down button.

Closing the door manually is not the same thing as a Manual Calibration.

"Manual" is an option in your Open Settings. Setting the door to open on Manual means that the door will not open automatically, and will only open when you press the up button.

Opening the door manually is not the same thing as a Manual Calibration.

"Mark-4" refers to a generation of ChickenGuard door openers that were released in 2017. These include the Standard, Premium, and Extreme models.

"Mark-5" refers to a generation of ChickenGuard door openers first released in the UK, Europe, and Australia in 2022, and later released in the US and Canada in 2023. These include the S5, P5, X5, and PRO.

The P5 and X5 were discontinued in 2023, and replaced by the improved PRO model.

When the term "Menu button" is used, this refers to the button on the front panel that you use to enter the Settings menu, select an option, or save a setting.

On Mark-4 and Mark-5 models this button is in the centre of the three. On the All-in-One model, this button is the large button to the right. This button can be identified by the Standby symbol.

The "Misc Settings" is an option in the Settings menu which holds the extra settings options which are not necessary for everyday use.

In this context, "Misc" is a shortened version of the word "miscellaneous".

"Motion Control" is a page in the Misc Settings which allows you to move the door as much as you would like in either direction, using the up and down buttons.

This option is useful if you are trying to determine whether there is a problem with your motor.

The motor in your door opener is the part which turns the spindle, and therefore lifts the door. In mark-4 and mark-5 units, this is attached directly to the spindle and can be seen when you open up the device.

The motor in your All-in-One door is the part which turns the cog wheel, lifting and closing the door.

The "Motor Power Err" error message is an error message you may see on your screen when there is a problem with power getting to the motor in your device.

Please see our "Motor Power Error" Troubleshooting article for assistance with this error.

"Multi Timer" is an option on mark-4 models that allows you to set different opening and closing times for different days of the week. If Multi Timer is turned on, you will see a day next to the time on the "Chickenguard.com" screen.

This feature was discontinued in 2022 when the mark-5 range was released.

"Normal Mode" is a setting inside the Door Control option of the All-in-One model.

Normal Mode is designed for every day usage in moderate weather conditions. This mode makes the door sensitive enough to obstructions that it will stop closing when it detects a chicken.

"Offset" refers to a specified period of time before or after sunrise or sunset that the Door Opener will open or close the door when using the Computed Sunrise/Sunset option in the ChickenGuard App.

When a member of the team refers to an open cycle, this refers to the process of the door opening automatically at its set time.

The "Open Settings" page is where you can choose which option to use for opening the door. The options are Timer, Sensor, and Manual.

The PCB (sometimes referred to as the circuit board) is the 'motherboard' which is located on the inside of the front panel on any ChickenGuard device. Think of this as the computer or brain of the unit.

If you see a message onscreen during a close cycle or open cycle that reads "Power" and a percentage, this refers to the amount of power the motor is using to lift or close the door.

On later models, this was changed to "Opening/Closing Torque" to avoid confusion.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "Premium", this refers to a model of door opener sold between 2017-2023. When "P5" is used, this refers to a mark-5 model sold between 2022-2023.

As of 2023, the Premium/P5 is no longer produced.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "PRO", this refers to a model of door opener released in 2023. This model was designed to provide a combination of the best features of the P5 and X5 models.

"Radio Comms" is a page you may see in the Misc Settings of your 2023 model door opener. This page is only used when connecting the door opener to your mobile device when using the ChickenGuard remote control app. The app is currently still in development and has not yet been released. The app software will only be compatible with PRO and All-in-One units.

In this context, "Comms" is a shortened version of the word "communications".

"Remote Control" is a page you may see in the Misc Settings of your mark-4 door opener.

This option was added in anticipation for a remote control app which is currently in development.

Unfortunately, the app is not yet available, and will not be compatible with models which have this option in their settings. The app software will only be compatible with PRO and All-in-One units.

If your screen displays "Secret Menu", you will need to use the UP or DOWN button to scroll until you see "EXIT", then press the menu button to exit the secret menu.

The "Secret Menu" holds a lot of settings normally only used by the engineering team, and you only need to enter this menu if instructed to by a Customer Support technician.

The Secret Menu is only reachable if you press and hold the menu button for 5+ seconds and select "YES". Please avoid holding down the menu button when using your door opener; you only ever need to press it with a short click.

"Sensor" is an option in both your Open Settings and Close Settings, which tells the door to open or close using the light sensor. The sensor option automatically opens the door at sunrise and closes the door at sunset.

To adjust your sensor settings, you will need to navigate to "LUX Adjustment".

NOTE: This option is not available on Standard or S5 models.

"Sensor Delay" is an option you may notice in your door opener's Misc Settings. Sensor Delay allows you delay the door's close cycle by up to 60 minutes.

Learn more about this option in our article on Adding a Sensor Delay.

The "settings menu" is the menu which is entered when you press the menu button from the "Chickenguard.com" screen. This menu holds all the options necessary for everyday use.

The options in the "settings menu" should be in this order: Open Settings, Close Settings, Set the Time, Door Calibration, LUX Adjustment, Misc Settings, Language, Exit.

"Set the Time" is an option in your door opener's menu which allows you to set the Clock to the correct current time.

Take care to make sure that you do not accidentally set the time 12-hours out.

e.g. imagine you are setting the time at 3pm; if using the 24-hour clock, make sure to set the hour to 15 instead of 3. And if using the 12-hour clock, make sure to keep pressing the up button until the "am" on the far right changes to "pm".

"Setup Wizard" will be the first option available in the settings menu when you set up your ChickenGuard unit for the first time. The aim of the Setup Wizard is to guide you through all the settings necessary for your door opener to work automatically.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "Solar+Radio Hub" or the "Radio Receiver", this describes the small box with an antenna that you plug into your PRO unit in order for it to connect with your smart phone when using the ChickenGuard App.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "spindle", this means the plastic piece that holds and turns the string. This is attached to the motor inside the device.

NOTE: All-in-One models do not use a string and therefore do not have a spindle inside.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "Standard", this refers to a model of door opener sold between 2017-2023. When "S5" is used, this refers to the mark-5 model that was released in 2022.

All ChickenGuard door openers besides the All-in-One utilise a string on a spindle to lift and close the door. Learn more about the string in your door opener by reading our String Durability article.

"Timer" is an option in both your Open Settings and Close Settings, which allows you to set a specified time for the door to open and close.

NOTE: The door can only be set to open before 12pm/midday, and can only be set to close after 12pm/midday. You cannot set the door to open in the afternoon/evening without altering the Clock's time so that it believes it is opening at 11am at your desired opening time. Learn how to do this by reading our article on Setting the Door to Open after 12pm.

If you see a message onscreen during a close cycle or open cycle that reads "Opening Torque" or "Closing Torque" and a percentage, this refers to the amount of power the motor is using to lift or close the door.

"Unlock Sensor" is an option in your door opener's Misc Settings which is only important if you have a Standard or S5 model. This is where you will find a code that the Customer Support team can use to generate a PIN. (There is a one-time payment required to generate this PIN.) The PIN can then be entered into the bottom line of the Unlock Sensor page.

Learn more about unlocking your sensor by reading the article on Unlocking your Sensor.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "weather seal", this means the rubber/silicone seal that runs around the inside of either the front panel or the base of your door opener. This seal is very important in ensuring that your door opener is protected from rain and snow.

"Winter Mode" is a setting inside the Door Control option of the All-in-One model.

Winter Mode is designed for more extreme weather conditions where ice or frost may have gathered between the door and the rails.

This additional power is strong enough to push through the ice, but it also makes it less sensitive to obstructions. To keep your chickens safe we recommend closing the door slightly later to avoid trapping a chicken.

When an article or a member of the team refers to the "X5", this refers to a model of door opener sold between 2022-2023. This product is the mark-5 upgrade of the Extreme model. As of 2023, the X5 is no longer produced.