LEDucation 2021 hosted a virtual conference on March 16th-17th. The conference highlighted the rapidly growing smart lighting sector, importance of color consistency, dimming options, lighting design essentials for architects and industry standardizations. If you missed it, you can watch the sessions on demand here.
An important session we would like to focus on was the panel discussion “Standardizing Lighting Controls and Sensors for Upgradeability” with speakers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The session touched on how the lack of standardization limited interoperability and the opportunity to accommodate future upgrades.
There are numerous advantages to IoT such as asset tracking, system integration, contact tracing, maintenance optimization, etc. The more these features are supports through upgradeability and standardization, the less risk users face when installing them into projects. In outdoor applications, standardization is more developed with standards from ANSI and Zhaga which are leveraging work from the DALI Alliance. The indoor market is a work in process and efforts are underway through DALI Alliance D4i, NEMA, ANSI and Zhaga to standardize applications.
The LED driver is a main component that helps the system work seamlessly. The most common communication protocol for drivers is 0-10V which is an analog one-way communication. There are many benefits such as low-cost implementation and design flexibility. However, the challenge with these is ensuring the design is uniform, current is flowing the same way (sourcing vs. sinking) and output voltage is consistent. Browse Inventronics 0-10V Controls-Ready drivers here.
Another option is with digital dimming which is addressable and provides two-way communication. This is standardized through DALI-2 D4i and ANSI. The system data is standardized and includes protocol for energy reporting, diagnostics and control devices. These drivers focus on the system inside the luminaire with multiple choices for communication networks which allows for design flexibility. Browse Inventronics DALI-2 D4i drivers here.
Whether you decide to use 0-10V or DALI-2 D4i for your smart lighting system, Inventronics can offer expertise and support to ensure you choose the correct driver for your project. We continue to offer a large portfolio of Controls-Ready drivers and work with strategic controls companies to develop new solutions.
To learn more about Inventronics, visit our website or reach out to your local sales representative or distributor.
