Dimming outside LED floodlight with DALI? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: onesixright
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 02:36:47 pm
content: Hi All!I'm looking at outside floodlight. What requirements a the LED 's and driver should meet, to be able to make themdimmableviaDALI?Aynone did this? Your thoughts or recommendations are greatly appreciated.I get this faint idea you cant just use a TRIAC on a LED driver.and with the sheer amount of LED types on the market: Can't see the forest for its trees...Thanks!

author: H.O
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 04:10:36 pm
content: Buy the light fixture you want to use.If the fixture is intended to be connected to 230V then make sure it's dimmable and use a DALI phase dimmer (usually trailing edge).If the fixture is delivered without any driver you have more options.* You can buy a standard dimmable driver and hook that to a DALI phase angle dimmer.* You can buy a driver with analog dimmer control and use a DALI to analog converter.* You can buy a DALI dimmable constant current driver to drive the fixture.Personally I'd try the last option - DALI dimmable constant current driver.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2020, 03:05:50 am
content: The link below has a nice overview of what DALI is / does:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Addressable_Lighting_InterfaceIf you see this as a hobby, you can get some microcontroller and solder an interface together between DALI and some LED's, but then again, if this was your goal, you probably would have known this already.If you want something that "just works" without too much fiddling then you'd probably be better of with a black box to interface between DALI and the LED's, or a LED fixture that directly speaks DALI.

author: onesixright
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 12:34:36 pm
content: Quote from: H.O on August 28, 2020, 04:10:36 pmThanks!Few more questions:1. How I can determine if a LED is suitable to be dimmed (apparently not every LED is)?2. Do you have any idea if the last option (DALI CC driver) is also the most Energy efficient?Much obliged.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 02:43:28 pm
content: Nowadays, I would suggest Wifi or Bluetooth since it's a lot cheaper than installing control wiring. You can have it work locally with no outside dependencies so don't be against it just because you don't like IoT - make it a LAN of Things.

author: H.O
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 03:58:57 pm
content: QuoteAs far as I'm aware every LED (as in the actual LED) is dimmable, question is if theDRIVERis. If you buy a flood light off the shelf it probaby comes with an integrated driver and you have to consult the documentation/box/information to determine if it's dimmable or not. You can most likely exchange or bypass the driver and use something else though. I've bought LED downlights from AliExpress, they came with one external driver each which, in my case, went straight to the bin. Then I connected a bunch of them in series and used a suitable CC DALI-dimmable driver instead.Honestly, no, I don't know for sure which would be the most efficient but I would GUESS that stacking a dimmer on top of a driver would be LESS efficent than a CC driver with dimmer functionallity built in.In my house I use both phase dimmer and CC drivers. Phase dimmer for outlets (outlets meant specifically for lights of course) and CC driver for all permanently installed LED lamps. For my outside lights I'm using Meanwell ELG-100 which claims <0.5W standby and 88-91% efficiency depending on which model you select.Can you tell us a bit more about what sort of flood lights you're taling about? What sort of power levels are we talking about?

author: onesixright
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 08:12:19 am
content: Quote from: H.O on August 30, 2020, 03:58:57 pmOf courseI bought a 30 WATT LED from Amazon.(de) Now they all look alike :/ This one is called "Natur". Just needed to see how much light 30 watts would output.The situation is as follows.I planned to put these lights under the roof, basically in all directions. While playing with this 30 watt light, I quickly discovered it would be much better to be able to dim them, so I can set the correct light level. I think 30 watts is not enough, and ~ 100-150 watt would be more suited. Especially when I can dim them. I need ~ 6 of them.The problem is, AFAIK not all vendors are clear whats used inside.Wireless is no option, and I already started with KNX + DALI inside. Might take it outside as-wellMy house is on the forest line, so animals all around and it would be great if you can light up the place in case of trouble.Thanks!

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 04:53:01 pm
content: Pretty sure it would be easy to bridge DALI to wifi with a cheap wifi micro like es32 or similar if you have wifi at the light source. Same for BT. You could still use your DALI controller setup. NiHaoMike's point is why pull wires when you don't have to. I have a RadioRA setup that works great, no wires were pulled in that production. Can't imagine going back to wired control.Last time I pulled wires, I swore I'd never do it again. but now I have a faraday cage (er, concrete garage with tons of steel rebar) that I need to pull wires to. We call it the bunker for good reason...

author: onesixright
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 06:03:23 pm
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on September 01, 2020, 04:53:01 pmThanks for the suggestion. Wireless is no option for me, simply because I have zero faith in the security, thats also why I choose KNX for the HA.If it was all existing I would consider wireless, since pulling wires can be a nightmareI have some zigbee stuff running and can't say it works flawless (its good, but not 100%).For me pulling the wires is no problem, everything is open at this point. Indoor will also be DALI.