Control Unit for DALI Drivers (CU-4D-FM) FAQ

Questions

• Do Enlighted DALI Control Units (CU-4D) support color tuning on a two-channel DALI Driver?
• Is DALI CU compatible with DALI 2, DALI Type 8 (DT8), or both?

• Do the DALI-CUs support single-channel intensity control (dimming and on/off)?

• Do the DALI-CUs support DT8?
• When using the Enlighted Control Unit (CU-4D-FM) with DALI drivers, can the DALI drivers be connected directly to the mains and not through the Control Unit (CU), since we will be able to connect to 50 DALI drivers to the Control Unit. Will the sensor work in these conditions? How much of the sensor functionality will be lost?

Do Enlighted DALI Control Units (CU-4D) support color tuning on a two-channel DALI Driver?

• No. The CU-4D supports up to four DALI drivers with only a single dimming control. See Control Unit Spec Sheets.

Is DALI CU compatible with DALI 2, DALI Type 8 (DT8), or both?

• DALI 2,  the latest revision of the popular DALI standard, introduced additional optional capabilities.  The DALI CU supports none of those additional capabilities.  A DALI 2 driver will work with a DALI-CU, but it will only perform the dimming, ON/OFF, and energy metering functions as would have occurred with any DALI driver.  DALI Type 8 (DT8) is not new to DALI.  DT8 is a method for controlling a Tunable White source, and it has been available for many years, and many DALI drivers support it.  The DALI-CU does not support DT8. However, the Enlighted system DOES support DT8 when using any of the 5^th generation 2-wire sensors (SU-5x-2W or KIT-SU-5E-D).  In the case where 2-wire sensors are used, no DALI-CU is required.

Do the DALI-CUs support single-channel intensity control (dimming and on/off)?

• The DALI-CU supports single-channel intensity control (dimming and on/off) only of DALI 1 and DALI 2 drivers.

Do the DALI-CUs support DT8?

• The DALI-CU (CU-4D) does NOT support DT8 (Tunable White). However, the Enlighted system DOES support DT8 when using any of the 5^th generation 2-wire sensors (SU-5x-2W or KIT-SU-5E-D).  In the case where 2-wire sensors are used, no DALI-CU is required.

When using the Enlighted Control Unit (CU-4D-FM) with DALI drivers, can the DALI drivers be connected directly to the mains and not through the Control Unit (CU), since we will be able to connect to 50 DALI drivers to the Control Unit. Will the sensor work in these conditions? How much of the sensor functionality will be lost?

• As a rule, Enlighted recommends one sensor per fixture.  In cases where one fixture may have multiple drivers, you can connect multiple drivers to a single sensor per Control Unit (CU).  When multiple fixtures exist in close physical proximity (for example, track lights, downlights, wall scones), you can have multiple drivers or fixtures connected to a single sensor per CU. In these cases, the number of drivers ranges between 1 to 6, and the physical distance of the connection from the CU to the driver is less than 10 meters.   

Connecting 50 DALI drivers is multiple fixtures likely dispersed in a large physical area (many tens or hundreds of square meters).  The use of the Enlighted system with such low ‘sensor density’ (number of sensors per square meter, number of fixtures per sensor) can result in operational issues, such as poor sensor network communication, and is not recommended. Enlighted does not approve the use of its sensors or Control Units in this configuration.  Connecting the DALI drivers directly to the mains (and not through the CU) will not measure driver power consumption and could result in incorrect wiring test results and, hence, is not recommended.