With the market for smart lighting and connected controls projected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future, Mike Collins, Managing Director at Ovia – part of the Scolmore Group of companies – looks at the DALI protocol, described as the largest wired digital open protocol in the world for lighting.
The origins of DALI
Originating in the late 1990’s DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a bi-directional communications protocol that is used to provide control over, and communication between the components in a lighting system.
Key features of DALI:
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It is an open protocol – any manufacturer can use it.
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With DALI-2 interoperability between manufacturers is guaranteed by mandatory certification procedures.
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Installation is simple. Power and control lines can be laid together and no shielding is required.
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The wiring topology can be in the form of a star (hub & spoke), a tree or a line, or any combination of these.
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Communication is digital, not analogue, so the exact same dimming values can be received by multiple devices resulting in very stable and precise dimming performance.
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All devices have their own unique address in the system opening a very wide range of possibilities for flexible control. This also allows all devices to be individually monitored and maintained.
How does DALI compare with 1-10V?
DALI, like 1-10V, was designed for and by the lighting industry. Lighting control components, such as LED drivers and sensors, are available from a range of manufacturers that have DALI and 1-10V interfaces. However, that’s where the similarity ends.
The main differences between DALI and 1-10V are:
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DALI is addressable. This opens the way for many valuable features such as grouping, scene-setting and dynamic control, such as changing which sensors and switches control which light fittings in response to office layout changes.
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DALI is digital, not analogue. This means that DALI can offer much more precise light level control and more consistent dimming.
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DALI is a standard, so, for example, the dimming curve is standardised meaning that equipment is interoperable between manufacturers. The 1-10V dimming curve has never been standardised, so using different brands of drivers on the same dimming channel could produce some very inconsistent results.
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1-10V can switch a luminaire off / on only having the function to dim between 10 – 100%. DALI can dim between 0 – 100%, manage colour control, carry out scheduled emergency lighting tests logging the data, also logging other data such as energy usage and status. DALI can also carry out complex scene-setting and many other lighting-specific functions.
As a business, Ovia is continually developing products that incorporate the latest technology and our list of fittings that are compatible with the DALI protocol continues to be expanded.
New Pin Spot DALI added to Ovia emergency lighting range
Our latest addition is the new Pin Spot DALI – a range of LED DALI emergency conversion modules with self-test that can be integrated into any DALI addressable install.
Suitable for a vast range of applications, the DALI self-test non-maintained Pin Spot emergency luminaire is available in a Corridor Lens option, which features a 155 lumen output, and also in an Open Area Lens option, with a lumen output of 188.
The self-test function offers installers the option to monitor the emergency system remotely, removing the need for manual function and duration tests. As the luminaires are DALI addressable, the system can quickly detect and manage any faults, providing notifications when a failure occurs, thus eliminating the need for visual inspections.
Other features include:
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Intelligent, automatic self-test scheduling for non-DALI applications
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Integral status/identification sounder with user-override
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Built-in charge indicator LED and ‘push to test’ switch on the lamp head
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Incorporates a high temperature LiFePO4 battery as standard
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Emergency spacing (2.5m ceiling): 8m open area / 19m escape route
The new Pin Spot DALI self-test luminaire comes with a five year warranty.