Glossary of Terms / Concepts
- Device Name
this is the installation name for a DALI bus controlled Driver. Use this name to describe the location and features
- Discovery Name
this is the "friendly" name used by Apps and Cloud controls for daily use. Some devices can be hidden from discovery. For example, if 6 switches are in tandem mode, only one of these 6 devices should have a friendly name and not be hidden.
- DALI lighting control bus - please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Addressable_Lighting_Interface this is the IEC 62386 standard for lighting control. Compared to DMX, it is more robust, slower but not too slow, and easier for electricians to wire. Compared to Bluetooth and other wireless, it is not changing every few years, and it is also self powering ( wireless devices need batteries). Compared to Ethernet, it is much more economical both in the devices and in the wiring.
- short address
In the DALI specification, a device has both a "long" address and a "short" address. For those who know DHCP for TCP/IP, this is similar to a mac address and an IP address.
During provisioning ( address assignment ) all switches are assigned a "short" address between 0 and 63. The "long" address is only used during provisioning - to insure that all addresses are unique. Once that is done - the long address is not used again.
- group address
once a short address is assigned, a device can be assigned a group address. This means that 1 or 64 devices can be controlled at the same time. This is important because each DALI command requires 23 mseconds, therefore, noticeable delays would occur, if many devices were to be turned on / off at the same time individually. The Group allows all devices to be activated exactly at the same time.
- Set DALI Xmit
a DR2 device can send On/Off/Dim/CCT level changes either using it's short address, or a group. If a Group is selected, then this is typically used in our Tandem mode.
- scene storage
each DALI device can store up to 16 scenes. Each device can be a member of a Scene - or can be excluded from the scene. If included, the device can be either include for brightness, color temperature, or both. Therefore, a device can have the temperature change, but not the brightness, or the brightness, but not the temperature, or it can be excluded completely. Example of this, is if the living room lights are to be set to a level and color, but the bedroom should not change if a scene is recalled. Another example, is if all lights should be set to warm temperature, even if off, so that if they are turned on, the color will match other devices. 15 Scenes are supported for immediate execution - with all executing at the exact same time. Beyond 16, scenes are implemented in software - therefore some delays will occur between execution times.
- DALI switches (Signature)our AL-WS-DR2 is a wall switch, with built in LED driver. It receives DALI bus commands as individual, group or scene recall. It can drive CCT or Fixed color temperature. It has a momentary switch action to toggle the lights on/off, and a slider for brightness and CCT control. Our AL-WS-010v is a single button DALI bus on/off switch with slider for brightness and CCT. Our AL-WS-8B is a programmable multibutton switch.
a AL-WS-DR2 has two channels ( sides) - these are used for either up to 5 fixtures with CCT, or 10 with fixed temperature. If fixed, the two channels can be split to operate independently. The assignment of Warm and Cool can be swapped. The Dimming slider can be on the left or right depending how the DR2 was installed.
- Local Dimming switches
our AL-WS-DR1 is a wall switch, with built in LED driver. It has local control only. It can drive Fixed color temperature. It has a rocker switch action to turn the lights on/off, and a slider for brightness. Our AL-WS-DR1 is a low cost device with no DALI.
a AL-WS-DR1 has one channel ( side ) - it is used for up to 5 fixtures with fixed temperature.
- Fade Time
This is the time that a DALI device needs to go from on to off, or off to on. It is also the time to change from one CCT level to another.
- Minimum dim
sets the lowest brightness level
- Maximum dim
sets the highest brightness level - this is used to limit over bright LEDs. The slider operates between min and mix.
- Fail level
255 means ignore. If not 255, should the DALI bus be disconnected, then the level set will override the switch on/off/dim level and will turn the light on. Useful for UL 924 egress lighting, when DALI power is restored, the original lighting level is restored.
- Color Temperature:
a fire burns either low with a "warm tone" - like embers or like molten metal with a bluish color called, oddly, "cold or cool". Sunset and daylight are example of warm and cool color temperature. Sunset can be 2700K and daylight can be 5000K depending on cloud conditions. Residential lighting can follow this pattern. This concept is also called CCT and also circadian.
- User LED CCT values
ZWD defauts to 2700K and 5000K for each CCT device. If the LED chips attached to a driver are different ( say 2200-5000K ) then change the registers in order for all fixtures to be at the same color temperature.
- CCT Fade time
The number of seconds it takes to change from one CCT value to another - set from 10 seconds to 2540 seconds = 45 minutes
- Power On level
You can select OFF, Last means the light will be restored to the level before a power outage. Otherwise, any level can be selected as the power on level.
- Driver Modesee the DR2 data sheet for more info.
- Tandem Operation (Virtual 3-Way )
A method to allow 2 or more AL-WS-DR2 to operate in unison - say 5 DR2 controlling 25 CCT Fixtures - acting as one.
- N-Way ( wired remote control )
In 120vac wiring, switches can be installed to operate in 3-Way mode, the Romex carries the energy to the light. Two switches control one set of lights. In ATX LED, N-Way is a control line that does not carry the energy of the lights, instead, it is a low voltage low current contact that is interpreted by the AL-WS-DR2 to turn lights on and off, or to send commands on the DALI bus to turn any light in the house on and off. This means that 1 or more switches can operate to control one set of lights. 1, 2, 3 or any number (N) switches can be wired in parallel to On/Off/Dim the lights.
The N-Way can control the LEDs on the AL-WS-DR2 directly, or it can be software configured to control via the DALI bus, any short address, group or scene on the same bus, or via the hub, any address, group or scene on any other bus.
- Virtual Devices ( Split operation )
Normally a short address requires a physical DALI device, with Virtual devices, we can create DALI bus actions without a device being directly controlled - instead, the action is interpreted as a trigger for a macro of a sequence of commands
- Timers ( Auto Off )
The ATX Switches support timers - so for example, a hall light can turn itself off XX minutes after it is turned on.
- PIR / Motion
ATX LED fixtures with Motion sensing can be used to turn lights ON/Off automatically, and this action can be used by the control hub to trigger Macros of actions
- DALI Channels
A single DALI bus is limited to 64 short addresses. In projects with more than 64 devices, we have multi bus products with 2, 3, or 4 channels. Addresses and Groups can overlap between channels without conflict, and will execute at the same time. Scenes 0-15 are the same for all channels, scenes greater than 16 are executed sequentially and will have visible delays.
- Detection of attached LEDs
Each LED chip has a standard voltage of approximately 3 volts when bright, and 2.5 volts when dim. A Fixture has an array of LEDs. For example, a P023R6-660-3500K has a matrix of 3 x 11 chips. A P023R6-660mA-27/5000K has a matrix of 3 x 7 x 2 chips. The array is then 3 high and 7 wide, and repeated once for warm and once for cool. The AL-WS-DR2 can identify the "height" of the array of chips attached, multiple fixtures wired in series increases the height - we divide by 3 to get the number of ATX fixtures
Uploading ....