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Control Unit FAQ

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Control Unit (CU-4E-NME/NMI) FAQ

Questions:

Are any of the control units Plenum-rated?

Yes, the “Nipple Mount” CU, (CU-4E-NMI and CU-4E-NME) are both Plenum-rated and may be used in air handling spaces.

Are any of the control units IP or outdoor use rated?

 Yes, the “Nipple Mount” CU, CU-4E-NMI is IP65 rated and may be used in outdoor or wet locations or locations requiring a NEMA Type 4 rating.

What is the maximum current ratings of the AC outputs provided by CU-4ENME/NMI?

The maximum current ratings of the AC outputs are:

  • For Switched Output port, the maximum current limit is 5A

  • For Un-switched Output port, the maximum current limit is 15A

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?

  • 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 5th 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 5th 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.

 

Control Unit (CU-4E-FMH) FAQ

Questions:

How many models of Control units are there, and what is the difference between them?

Enlighted provides three different models of the CU-4E control unit. 

  • CU-4E-FMH: The CU-4E-FMH is for mounting inside of a fixture.
  • CU-4E-NMI and NME: These are intended to be mounted on the outside of a fixture or J-Box.  The CU-4E-NMI is for fixtures that have sensors mounted INTERNALLY (i.e., within the fixture) or for outdoor locations where weather tightness is needed. The CU-4E-NME is intended to be used with fixtures with sensors mounted EXTERNALLY (i.e., outside of the fixture), such as ceiling-mounted downlights that may have a sensor next to the fixture or in the center of a group of fixtures.

How many control units can I connect to one sensor?

One sensor can control only one Control Unit.            

Why are there two 0-10v channels on the CU-4E?

The CU-4E supports dual 0-10V connections for fixtures with two separate dimming channels.  Examples of fixtures that require two dimming channels are Tunable White fixtures or up-light/down-light fixtures.  

Why do the Enlighted Control Units not work with all Bodine-based Emergency LED Drivers?

Some Bodine emergency solutions support only 2-wire/DALI LED drivers, which do not require a CU.  Some Bodine emergency drivers are compatible with Control Units and 0-10V drivers.  Contact Enlighted Support for more information.      

What's the difference between earlier versions of the Control Unit and the new CU-4E?

The CU-4E is backward compatible with the CU-3E. The CU-4E supports the dual dimming channel capabilities of SU-5 sensors and has a higher load rating than the CU-3E.   

The CU-4E is a direct replacement for the CU-3E when it is used with Gen 5 sensors, but when Gen 4 or earlier sensors are installed, additional requirements including adapter cables are needed.

To use the CU-4E with a Gen 4 or earlier sensor, you must use an adapter cable (CBL-CU4-CPL) since the CU-4E has an 8-pin RJ-45 connector with a different pinout than the 6-pin RJ-12 connector used on the CU-3E.  An RJ-45 to RJ-45 coupler is also required to correct the gender for the old cable to be plugged in.  The coupler is included as part of this same product code.  The 6-pin RJ-12 connector is to be plugged into the 8-pin coupler – it will fit.  There is no ‘polarity’ to the adapter cable, it can be installed in either direction.

In addition, since the CU-4E does not have ‘fly wire’ cables, the electrician might have to splice some new conductors to be inserted into the CU-4E terminal blocks.  Those can even be the old wires cut off of the  CU-3E it is replacing.

Refer to the  following articles for details:

How can I dim incandescent fixtures with Enlighted CU?

The CU supports 0-10V dimming only.  The following types of devices can be used to dim incandescent fixtures:  http://digitallighting.com/animationfolder/pd%20Analog%20dimmers.html.

If we replace CUs, do you need to program the sensor?

The CU can be replaced without reprogramming the sensor.

Why does not Enlighted manufacture their own Emergency Control Unit?

Enlighted partners with several manufacturers who make UL924 relays for emergency lighting rather than manufacture this product ourselves. Wiring diagrams and specification sheets are available for all supported devices. Contact Enlighted support for further information. 

Does the emergency control unit CU-3E work with fixtures provided with an integral battery pack or just with an emergency system supply such as a generator/inverter?  Is there any additional control wiring to connect the emergency control unit to sense loss of power? 

After upgrading to CU-4E, Enlighted no longer has an Emergency version of the Control Unit. A separate UL942 device or UL924 driver with integral battery backup is required for all Emergency Fixtures. Enlighted has published the list of approved UL924 devices that can be used with CU-4E.  There are devices from several different vendors that support any of the emergency lighting strategies to choose from. Refer to the Line diagrams and manufacturer datasheets for all approved devices in the article Emergency Lighting Solutions.

What is the power output voltage for CU-4E?

  • Output voltage: 15.0 V
  • Output current: 150 mA

What is the power consumption of the CU-4E?

The CU-4E consumes a maximum of 1W.  For more information, refer to the article, Control Unit Power Consumption. 

What is the CU-4E power metering accuracy?

When wired correctly, the AC power to the entire fixture flows through the CU, and power consumption accuracy will be +/- 2% or 0.5W (whichever is greater) at nominal operating temperatures (+25°C) or +/- 4% or 1.0W (whichever is greater) over the entire operating range (-40°C to +85°C) of the CU.

Does the Control Unit (CU) output a linear or logarithmic 0-10v dimming?

The Enlighted sensor 0-10V dimming output is a linear dimming curve.  A 0-10V (analog) dimming driver (also referred to as a 1-10V dimming driver in some parts of the world) must have a linear dimming characteristic to work properly with the Enlighted system. The output terminals of the CU provides a wiring method to connect to the dimming signals. The sensor, not the CU, generates the actual signals.

Is there a standard J-box size to be used for the control of a CAN light circuit via a Control Unit (CU) and sensor?

The CU-4E-FMH control unit is 5” long, so it must go into a rectangular J-Box such as RACO 951 2-gang box (approximately 6.5” x 4.5”).  The CU-4E-NME “Nipple Mount CU with external sensor” is ideal for use with “Can lights,” as the CU can be mounted externally to a J-Box or the field wiring compartment of the light, and the sensor can be placed in the ceiling next to the light.

What are the distinguishing factors for using the Nipple Mount Control Unit (CU 4E-NME/NMI) versus the Fixture Mount Control Unit (CU-4E-FMH)?

The Nipple Mount Control Unit (CU-4E-NME/NMI) is rated for mounting outside of an enclosure, including air-handling spaces. In contrast, the Fixture Mount Control Unit (CU-4E-FMH) must be mounted inside an enclosure (fixture or J-box).  The Nipple Mount Control Unit can be mounted to a standard electrical box or fixture wiring compartment via the ½” KO of the box or fixture. It also fits completely inside a standard 4” square J-box as required in some jurisdictions. The Nipple Mount Control Unit is preferable for certain applications where the control unit will not fit in the luminaire, or modification of the luminaire is not possible, such as can lights, architectural lights, gutter lights, wall sconces, narrow pendant lights.

Is there any information for Control Unit possible alternate solutions that Enlighted is compatible with?

Refer to the article Enlighted IoT Ready Drivers and Power Controllers to view the Enlighted compatible drivers.

Can the CU-4E-FMH, control two separate 0-10V dimmable drivers controlled by the same circuit to achieve two different light levels? 

No. The CU and the sensor together form one controller unit and can control one “fixture” only

The one set of controls is: AC, Dim Channel A, and Dim Channel B  ß these are all built for one controlled unit (i.e. a single fixture) only.

Can we connect 4 sensors with just one CU-4E-NME or CU-4E-FM in a three-phase (WYE) connection?

No. One CU can work with only one sensor. If forced with multiple connections, the firmware will cease to work.

What is the functionality supported by Channel B on the CU?

The separate channels A and B in the Control Unit (CU-4E) helps you to connect to two dimming ballasts for “Tunable White” applications.

  • For single channel dimming driver use Channel A.
  • For dual channel dimming drivers (Tunable white application) follow the procedure below,
    • Step 1: Connect the violet wire (+) from the dimming ballast to Control Unit’s channel A violet Wago terminal. if required, repeat for channel B.
    • Step 2: Connect the gray wire (-) from the dimming ballast to Control Unit’s channel A gray Wago terminal on the Control Unit. if required, repeat for channel B.