DALI ballasts are among the most up-to-date and popular products of the moment, as they stand for flexible and intelligent management of a lighting system.
Put simply, DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a standardised protocol for the digital control of modern lighting designed to evolve from the more basic 0-10Volt, by means of communication between a control module and a DALI LED power supply over a dedicated line of up to 300m with very high immunity.
It is a control system based on two fundamental concepts:
- Open Standard Protocol, which means that any manufacturer can use it. It is an IEC60929 standard protocol that developers have changed over time to IEC62386. Therefore, it is now possible for all DALI components of a lighting system from different manufacturers to work together as long as they are marked with the DALI logo and certified by the same consortium after a special compatibility test.
- Two-way digital communication module, as DALI systems use digital signals to transfer commands from the control systems to the luminaire and vice versa.
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Where did the definition of DALI come from?
The DALI concept was born in the late 1990s. The companies that make up the IEC (International Electronic Commission) introduced it in an attempt to update the existing 0-10V. Since 0-10V was never flexible and analogue was not without its immunity issues, theIEC developed DALI to allow users to modify or redesign their lighting in a versatile and reliable manner.
Initially DALI was defined by the IEC60929 standard. Over time, it was changed to the current version 2020, defined in IEC62386. Today, this latest version is referred to as DALI-2, whereas the previous one was just DALI.
What are the advantages of DALI systems?
Here are some of the most important advantages of using DALI LED control gear:
- Interoperability: As an open protocol, DALI allows devices from different manufacturers to be used in the same connection without inconsistent results. In addition, it is always possible to update the system with new ones launched on the market, as was the case with the transition from DALI to DALI-2 and even more recently with D4i™, which opened up DALI to IoT applications with numerous new connection options (wireless, IP-based networks and the new DALI+™ brand).
- Centralised control system: lighting functions can be controlled through two or more settings with one system.
- Reliable monitoring system: two-way communication provides access to accurate and up-to-date information on system components. In addition, the status and energy consumption of individual lights can be monitored.
- Programmable lighting: as modern solutions demand, it is possible to customise the lighting of a location to meet space requirements. For example, daylight levels in a room can be adjusted according to the amount of sunlight entering or the presence or absence of people in the area.
- Convenient reconfiguration: if the lighting needs to be changed or upgraded after a while, it is reprogrammed to operate according to the new requirements, all done via software.
What are the most common applications?
DALI is a popular lighting control option for restaurants, hotels, offices, large homes and other commercial environments. Of course, a simple installation for small rooms and small buildings requiring a basic DALI system is also possible.
In the field of horticulture LEDs DALI is also experiencing a phase of great development and diffusion:horticulture lighting can in fact benefit greatly from DALI dimming lighting control.
Universal Science's DALI power supplies
Thanks to historical partnerships with two major market players such as uPowerTek e SELF Electronics, Universal Science is now able to offer DALI power supplies for specific applications, both indoor and outdoor.
Below are some of the LED power supplies regularly kept in stock at the Pregnana Milanese (MI) site:
Upowertek
SELF
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