What are the different variation techniques?

There are different ways to vary the lighting. These variation techniques are subdivided into three groups:

• Dimming via power component (power reduction): phase cut front and rear
• Vary via control signal (analog): 0-10V, 1-10V
• Vary via control signal (digital): DALI

Front and rear phase cut-off

Front and rear phase cutoff is a wire-based dimming technique often used for halogen lamps and incandescent bulbs. It cuts part of the sinusoidal curve of the alternating current to attenuate the light.

1-10 V

For the 1-10 V dimming technique, a signal between 1 V and 10 V is supplied. 10 V is the maximum level (100%) and 1 V is the minimum level of 10%.

0-10 V

Gives a signal between 0 and 10 V. The diffusion of the lamp is modulated so that at a voltage of 10 V, there is a light intensity of 100%, and at 0 V the minimum light intensity.

DALI

DALI is the abbreviation for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface. This is an international standard that specifies how a lighting installation should communicate with regulation and control systems.

It is important to know that DALI is independent from the manufacturers. It is therefore possible to use components of different brands in the same system.

Each system includes a controller and max. 64 lighting components, such as a ballast. Each of these components receives a unique address. The controller can drive these components because the DALI system is able to send and receive data.

DALI can be varied from 0 to 100%.

Integrated dimmers

There are two types of integrated dimmers: rotary button or push button.

On a rotary button dimmer, you push to turn the lighting on or off, and you turn to adjust the light intensity.

A push button works according to the same on / off principle. But to adapt the light intensity, you must keep the button pressed. Some push-button dimmers are alternating (increase in light intensity during the first prolonged pressure, reduction during the second prolonged pressure), others go up to a determined percentage (increase in light intensity until reaching an intensity of X%, then reduction again).