Paul Foulkes and Simon Johnson from Theben Automation offer their tips on mastering DALI for advanced lighting control.
Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) technology may seem complicated, but it is essentially a two-way communications protocol that simplifies lighting control in buildings.
Unlike traditional systems where each light requires a specific control circuit (switched return/link), DALI allows lights to receive commands to switch, dim, and change color through a single, two-wire bus system. This bus system, known as the DALI bus, is easy to install and can be simple to set up, eliminating the complexity often associated with other lighting systems.
Why Dali?
The emergence of Dali was primarily driven by the need to deal with the heavy loads and potential overloads caused by electronic ballasts used in modern lighting systems, especially in commercial environments. With DALI, each luminaire operates independently with power coming from a common 230V line, while commands such as switching, dimming and color changing are transmitted via the DALI bus.
This not only reduces stress on the physical relays, but also significantly reduces issues such as flickering and glare in dimmable LEDs. It also allows grouping of lights for specific rooms or spaces within a room, which can be changed without moving appliances or physically rewiring.
What is the difference between DALI and DALI-2?
DALI originated in the late 1990s and is defined in IEC60929. The current (2020) version of DALI is called DALI-2.
DALI Version 1 includes only luminaire controllers (control equipment). DALI-2 includes other products, such as application controllers and input devices such as presence detectors, as well as bus power supplies, which were not included in DALI Version 1. For electricians, this means a single line for lighting, emergency, switches and sensors.
Assembly possibilities
With a DALI system, you have the option of assigning fixtures, accessories, controllers, and input devices to groups by giving them specific “addresses.” Each title can be assigned to several groups in order to provide the specific lighting level in the room and/or area at any time of the day.
In addition to these groups, you can also use scenes. They are specific light outputs applied, for example, by a single switch on the wall of a room or via commands from a building management system or presence detector.
Simple installation
The DALI system offers very wide lighting scheme possibilities (and independent of the DALI-2 brand), with only one limitation: there is a maximum number of components that can be connected to each DALI line. DALI-2 allows 128 addresses, of which 64 are DALI fixtures/controls (control equipment) and 64 are DALI-2 controls (control devices).
Lighting Control Dream Team – Presence Sensors and DALI-2
Optimal light management can also be achieved with a high-level control solution using a building management system and presence sensors. As an input device, the presence sensor provides information regarding presence detection and lux level measurements.
The top-level control system is responsible for providing all functions, such as local and remote switching, continuous lighting control, full/semi-automatic switching (presence/absence), manual override and scenes. Presence sensors also support remote commands to dim or toggle lights, control blinds and HVAC, or other functions.
Theben offers a wide range of DALI-2 presence sensors for almost any need. It creates efficient, flexible and future-proof lighting management, which can be seamlessly integrated into building automation systems.
Presence sensors can send information via the DALI-2 bus to the higher-level control system, according to IEC 62386 Part 301. Using the information, this can trigger the required actions. In addition, the compact DALI-2 push button interface and the powerful DALI-2 switch actuator can be integrated into the building management system.
conclusion
DALI lighting technology offers significant advantages to modern electrical installations, providing flexibility, ease of use and enhanced control over lighting environments.
As the industry evolves, keeping up with these technologies will be critical for electricians looking to expand their expertise and service offerings. By understanding and implementing DALI, professionals can ensure efficient, compliant and advanced lighting solutions for their clients.
Get more details about Theben’s range of DALI lighting control solutions here
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