1. DALI Basics Course

2. Introduction - Overview
• DALI Basics Course – for new comers to the DALI world
• Presentation Overview –
1.DALI – What, Where & Why?
2.Topology: rules for wiring and power supply’s.
3.Design networks
4.Commissioning / testing / trouble shooting
5.Working with other systems
6.DALI device types
7.The DALI standard
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DALI – What, Where & Why?
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• DALI replaces analogue 1-10V as well as digital DSI control technology and surpasses them in terms of
flexibility and individuality. DALI can be used as autonomous light management system, as well as
connected to building automation systems
• . Now days we see DALI in all projects, its well known, its standardized, and easy for lighting manufactures
to ensure correct dimming and control of their fittings
• Recently, advancements in DALI can control colour – Human centric lighting, exit and emergency test and
supervision, as well as fault and maintenance monitoring, and even wireless protocol
• DALI - Digital addressable lighting interface, is an open and now standardized, digital communication technology for
control of primarily, lighting devices ( ballast ) to interact with input devices ( sensors and switches ) and other control
systems ( KNX ) .
• It’s a smart and flexible way to control lights, through a 2-wire bus
• The DALI Alliance (also known as the Digital Illumination Interface Alliance, or DiiA) is the global industry organization for
DALI lighting control.
• DALI originally was introduced in commercial building, as a cheap and economic way for retro fitting offices lighting. Whereby the
lights could generally stay in position and wall would move to cater for the changes by the tenants, this was a great advancement for
lowering cost, as now no more rewiring, just a programmer re grouping of lights to suit
• In the late 1990 to develop a better digital lighting technology to meet the needs of the lighting market, Tridonic and other well-
known Euro well-known equipment manufacturers Helvar, Osram, Philips and other well-known lighting have jointly developed the
digital addressable lighting interface protocol (DALI)

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Topology: rules for wiring and power supply’s
• 2 wire bus system
• Wiring can be any topology:
• Star
• Daisy chain (Bus)
• Combination
• Ring is discouraged.
• cable length of up to 300m (1.5mm2 wire cross
section), as a result of the maximum voltage drop of
2V on the DALI-line and the system current
• Dali needs a power supply –
• DALI bus voltage: 12V-22.5V (typical 16V)
• DALI system current: Max <250mA
• Low Speed - data transfer speed: 1200Baud or 1.2Kbs
• Non polarity conscious
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Design networks
• Up to 64 addressable DALI operating devices (recommended no more than 50 - 55 devices per
network, this leaves room for future requirements, and mitigate and speed issue for the bus )
• 16 DALI groups
• 16 DALI scenes
• Requires a master or multi master
• Take into consideration –
• Size of the area and required equipment
• Function and require features ( device types - tuneable white, RGBW,
fault reporting DALI or DALI 2 )( DALI 1 can run on DALI 2 but in the other
way around )
• Gateways or system connecting too
• Exit and emergency’s and testing
• Sensors or inputs
• Trade mark, certified equipment product data base https://www.dali-
alliance.org/products
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Commissioning / testing / trouble shooting
• Control gear may draw up to 2 mA from DALI. Careful: Some Control Gear draws more! Check your
products! (This means those devices do not comply with the standard)
• Double address – When you have multiple circuits feeding a DALI universe, getting turn off when auto address
commissioning. You need to reset the ballast, depending on the commissioning software Or remove it and change
the existing address.
• Default device configuration of ballast - 100% lights on when no DALI comms available
• Is the wiring correct – no loops
• Is the voltage correct?
• Is there mixed DALI universes?
• Can you send a broadcast command ( masters with broadcast functionality )
• Commissioning and testing software is connected to the DALI bus to a testing device, usually a PC
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Working with other systems
If we consider DALI to be a way to talk to light fitting, then we really need to look at control
systems that work with DALI to achieve control in buildings.
Some of the system and protocols we find in buildings generally have a interface and gateway to
interact with a DALI system.
A lot of the manufacturers of the systems, including KNX are members of both: KNX and DALI
associations, and a lot of thought into how best the system compliment each other and work
together.
Generally the each manufacture has a DALI commission and testing tool,
Some tools are product specific and others are generic. Its advised that specific tools are used
where available.
If your using generic tools in conjunction with specific tool, its best suggested that you know the
idiosyncrasies of each to mitigate problems.
Some of the more popular KNX and generic tools are :
• ABB I-bus tool – Advantage of using the KNX bus to connect, can be remote
• Theben ETS plug in - – Advantage of using the KNX bus to connect, can be remote
• Rapix tool - Advantage of using smart device to commission
• Master configurator – original, in depth information available
Lets have a live look
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Dali device types
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Part Type of control gear Device type number
201 Fluorescent lamp control gear Device Type 0 (DT0)
202 Self-contained emergency control gear Device Type 1 (DT1)
203 Discharge (HID) lamp control gear Device Type 2 (DT2)
204 Low-voltage halogen lamp control gear Device Type 3 (DT3)
205 Incandescent lamp dimmer Device Type 4 (DT4)
206 Conversion to D.C. voltage (1-10V, 0-10V converter) Device Type 5 (DT5)
207 LED lamp control gear Device Type 6 (DT6)
208 Switching (relay) control gear Device Type 7 (DT7)
209 Colour control gear Device Type 8 (DT8)
It’s important to understand that there are different DALI device
types.
These device types are expressed through the standard, and
they specify what functionality the DALI devices have.
It’s critical when you’re designing or commissioning DALI
network that you have compatibility and support for these device
types from controllers, gateways, ballasts, sensors and
switches.
If a device is truly compatible, they will require to have the
trademark logo, with supporting documentation on what DALI
types are supported.
Remember the logo and data base are you guarantee these
have been tested to the standard.
Those inferior product without don’t and are usually the culprit
with problems

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The DALI standard
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DALI-2 and IEC 62386
DALI is an industry-standardized protocol, and is specified in the multi-part
international standard IEC 62386, as well as by new specifications written by
DiiA.
DALI-2 is the certification program which is based on the latest version of the
DALI protocol, and is developed and maintained by the DALI Alliance.
The IEC 62386 standard was restructured in late 2014 for ease of use and to
faciliate the development of DALI-2. Many improvements were made to the
standard including the addition of new commands and features. One of the
most significant changes was the addition of control devices(including
application controllers and input devices), which were not included at all in the
original version of the standard.
DALI-2 also includes much more comprehensive testing than DALI version-1,
with a strong focus on device interoperability. DALI-2 test results are
independently verified by the DALI Alliance before certification is granted.
For more information, please visit
https://www.dali-alliance.org

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Not Just KNX
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Introducing Theben's DALI-2 Room Solution
The DALI-2 Room Solution is a DALI-2 single room solution handling all aspects of lighting control:
• HCL function.
• TW/RGB functionality.
• Time-controlled functions and more.
For the single room solution, all key components (presence detector, presence sensor, switch actuator, push button interface) as well as the app for start-up are
available from one single source. As well as being full DALI 2 certified and compliant.
We believe it’s the best solution for but limited too:
• Offices, large offices, and conference rooms.
• Classrooms and lecture halls.
• Care homes and hospitals.
We also have full range of products existing on the one Dali line with the following ability:
• All components from one source, with sensors, relays, switch inputs
• Simple start-up and operation via app even the
• HCL colour temperature control
• RGB functionality
• Time-controlled actions
• Creating scenes with any DALI EBs and calling them up via push button
• Flexible assignment of up to 4 lighting groups
• Additionally, up to 4 switch and 2 presence groups
• Open DALI system based on DALI 2.0
Best of all, save time with the easy to program and schedule the lighting through an intuitive app on any tablet.

11. Thank you for your time