LTECH - FAQ

DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a widely used communication protocol to control lighting. The protocol operates in accordance with an international standard (IEC 62386) which makes it possible to arrange light digitally. DALI is an intelligent system with components that communicate with each other. Although the components may be derived from different manufacturers, they would still work in one system.

Using DALI brings some advantages. An example is the flexibility in the manner in which the devices can be addressed. At the simplest level, all DALI controlled devices are set to the same address, this is called broadcast mode. It allows you to control all devices at once. With the single mode DALI devices can receive one of the 62 short addresses. This makes it possible to control each DALI device individually. With the group mode it is also possible to control groups. This can count up to a total of 16 groups, in various combinations.

DALI is designed for the control of light, but today it is a standard for entire installations. With various converters and drivers DALI can easily be linked to building management systems. DALI controllers in our product portfolio work well with well-known systems such as Lutron, Tridonic, Schneider, Clipsal, Osram, Philips, ABB, etc.

DMX (Digital Multiplex) is a widely used technique in the management of professional lighting. The DMX512 protocol is designed as a common communication standard between intelligent light sources and dimmer / switch panels from different manufacturers.

The 512 represents the number of channels in one network segment, also known as universe. The idea of DMX is that you can send data to multiple channels over a single cable. The DMX control-panel sends multiple channels (in mixed signals) over a single cable. The controller is able to divide the mixed signals and send the correct signals to the correct location. DMX controller must be set to the right address eg. 001, so that the controller can operate the right light source from all the different signals. This is done with a dip switch or LED / LCD display. If a controller has four channels, then you only have to set the first channel in the range eg. 005. The decoder automatically knows that 006, 007 and 008 will follow. Each channel has a value from 0 to 255; where 0 means light off and 255 means light fully on.

0-10V is one of the most simple electronic systems. In case of 0-10V LED control, the LED 0-10V - PWM controller is connected to a voltage dimmer or rheostat. The control signal is a DC voltage that varies between 0 and 10 volts. wherein the light is of between 0 and 1 volt and fully on at 10 volt. Our range of 0-10V LED controllers offers solutions for LED strips with both constant voltage and constant current.

When you use a LED controller, you are almost always limited to a certain capacity of the controller. If the controller does not provide sufficient capacity and you still want to control more LEDs on the controller, you can use the Power Repeater. The Power Repeater may be applied at any point in the LED system. The input of the Power Repeater can be derived directly from the output of the LED controller, but can also be drained from the end of the LED strip. A Power Repeater can also be installed remote from the LED controller and connected by a long cable. Although you might use a long cable, with the Power Repeater you do not have to worry about a loss of power.

Each Power Repeater must be connected to a power supply. That means that at the location of the power repeater a power supply needs to be installed too. In case the Power Repeater is installed close to the LED controller, a heavier power supply is needed to supply both the LED controller and the Power Repeater.

Because we offer various Power Repeaters, even if you use different LED products such as LED strips, Wall Washers, Power LEDs or pixels, you can still link them. It is possible to connect a 350mA and a 700mA Power Repeater, in order to control three different types of LED in the same single color, by using one constant voltage LED controller and one power supply. This is because the input signal of the Power Repeaters are the same.

Constant Current LEDs (CC) are LEDs with a constant current that is specified as 350mA or 700mA. The voltage is dependent on the total number of LEDs connected in series. Constant Current usually occurs in LED panels. Constant Voltage LEDs (CV) are LEDs with a constant power supply that is indicated as 12 or 22V. The amperage is dependent on the total number of parallel connected LEDs. Constant Voltage usually occurs in LED strips.

The infrared remote (IR) is the simple version. Infrared rays are invisible to the human eye. The infrared rays are sent as a straight line and bounce slightly off when they encounter something. That is why you have to point the remote at the eye of the receiver, which is connected with the LEDs. Radio frequency remote control (RF) is the new, more advanced version. Radio frequency is based on radio waves. It is a technology to remotely store and read information from so called RFID "tags" that are installed in or on objects. A big advantage of the radio frequency remote control is that you do not need to create a straight line of sight / transmission line to the eye of the LED lights. From anywhere in the room or even from another room, you can determine the color of the LED lights.