DALI
Keyboard ShortcutsBy default this Mode is not available, but will become active if a DALI ballast or RIO D is added to the project.
Overview
The Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) is a digital serial control protocol for architectural lighting. Developed by Philips Lighting it has become a standard: IEC 60929. DALI differs from DMX in a number of important ways:
- Only 64 ballasts per DALI bus (interface)
- Only 16 groups per interface
- Only 16 scenes per interface
- Ballast configuration (including address), groups and scenes is uploaded to and stored in the ballasts themselves
- Topology-free DALI bus operates at very low data rates
- Command-based protocol, ballasts perform fades and maintain levels
- Only certain discrete fade values are permitted
As a result the DALI protocol is not suitable for rendering effects and media, programming is restricted purely to recalling lighting levels via the Set Level and DALI Scene presets, see DALI presets.
DALI Ballasts
DALI Ballasts are added to the project in the same way as DMX based fixtures, from the fixture library within Layout.
Ballasts are available that support DALI Type 0 (intensity control) and the following colour control modes from DALI Type 8:
- XY Colour Control
- Tc Colour Temperature Control
- RGBWAF Colour Control
These DALI Type 8 ballasts can be controlled within Pharos Scenes (as opposed to DALI Scenes).
The Fixture library also includes composite DALI fixture personalities which use multiple addresses to control different parameters e.g. Intensity and Colour Temperature. Each parameter can be individually patched to a DALI address.
DALI interfaces
Each RIO D or TPC with EXT added to the system supports one DALI bus (up to 64 ballasts) and is assigned to a DALI interface within Designer. Due to the nature of the DALI protocol, these DALI interfaces are insular affairs with each having its own unique set of ballasts and groups. Each interface must be configured and uploaded to individually.
When you add a RIO D or TPC with EXT you select which DALI interface it should be assigned to. Only one device can be assigned to each interface. Use the Add Interface button on the DALI toolbar to add another. Use Remove Interface to remove an unwanted one.
Up to 200 DALI interfaces can be added to a project, taking into account the remote device limits.
DALI addressing & grouping
Each DALI interface is configured separately, use the pull-down on the DALI toolbar to select an interface for configuration:
The Addressing table allows you to link DALI ballasts within the project with an address on the DALI bus. You are also able to set the address of the physical ballasts and assign them to groups. The device commands are available to manage the ballasts on each DALI interface.
Device commands
IMPORTANT: Designer must be connected to the Controllers with RIO Ds or EXT, the project file must have been uploaded at least once and the DALI ballasts must be active to perform these operations.
A DALI ballast internally stores its address, this is a number between 1 and 64. It is also possible that the ballast has never been addressed so it does not have an address. These commands are used to discover and address DALI ballasts:
Find addressed ballasts
This queries the ballasts attached to the device and reports all addressed ballasts found, an icon is added to each address cell when the corresponding ballast has been found.
Address ballasts
This finds all ballasts without an address and randomly assigns them a free address. It will not change the address of any already addressed ballasts.
Readdress all ballasts
This will clear the addresses of all ballasts and then assign every ballast a random address.
Resolve clash
It is possible that two ballasts can have the same short address. If that happens the ballasts clashing are shown with a red icon. The resolve clash button will move the clashing ballasts to a random address that is unused by any other ballast.
Identify emergency ballasts
Send all emergency ballasts a command to indicate their address on the multicoloured LEDs on the fixture. Whilst this is enabled the command will be sent every 10 seconds.
To manually readdress a DALI ballast:
- Select the ballast icon in the current address cell
- Drag it to the target (preferably empty) address cell
The ballast is readdressed to the target cell.
To highlight a ballast
Select an address cell (containing a ballast icon) and press Highlight to bring this ballast to full level, select another cell to highlight instead or press Highlight again to turn off.
Patching DALI fixtures
When you add DALI fixtures to your layout these "abstract" ballasts are assigned to the Unpatched DALI group in the Browser and must be mapped to real DALI interfaces and ballasts using this window.
Once you have discovered and addressed all the real DALI ballasts for each interface (if more than one) you can then patch your DALI fixtures to them simply by dragging them from the Unpatched DALI group onto the required interface and address cell. As each DALI interface is assigned DALI fixtures, the Browser refreshes to reflect these changes. The Unpatched DALI group will become empty once all the DALI fixtures in the project have been patched.
It is of course possible to patch your DALI fixtures blind in advance of being connected to the real ballasts. The patch is stored with the project data and not on the DALI ballasts.
DALI groups
Unlike other groups in Designer, DALI groups are a property of the real DALI interface not an abstract collection of fixtures, and there can only be 16 DALI groups per interface. The right-hand side of the addressing table allows you to add and define groups for each interface:
To add a DALI group:
- Press the New Group button
- You can give the group a name by typing in the pre-selected name field
- Select which ballasts are to be a member by clicking the fixture's address in the corresponding group column
The DALI group is added to the Browser and group configuration data ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
To delete a DALI group:
- Right-click on the group in the Browser
- Select Delete
The DALI group is removed and the group configuration data updated ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
If groups have already been programmed onto the DALI fixtures you can press the Discover Groups button to automatically populate group information from the fixtures on the interface.
DALI scenes
In Designer's implementation, DALI scenes are common across DALI interfaces, change the mode from Interfaces to Scenes (on the top left):
The Browser and Layout are displayed so that you can select the DALI fixtures and groups. On the right are the DALI scenes library and the Intensity controls.
There can be up to 16 DALI scenes which can contain programming for some or all of your DALI fixtures, even if spanning different DALI interfaces. In general you should include programming for all your DALI fixtures in each scene since you can determine when creating timelines which fixtures or groups should run the scene by dropping the DALI scene on the appropriate timeline row, the choice is yours though.
NOTE: DALI Type 8 ballasts can only be controlled in Scenes (not DALI Scenes)
To create a DALI scene:
- Press the
button next to a new scene to create the scene. - Name the new scene
- Select the DALI fixtures or groups
- Set the required level (0-254), the fixtures on the layout will simulate these levels
If DALI RGB Ballasts are being used, you will also be able to set the colour of the ballast.
The DALI scene is added to the folder and scene configuration data is ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
To delete a DALI scene:
- Press the
button next to the scene to be deleted
The DALI scene is removed and scene configuration data updated ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
To edit a DALI scene:
- Select the scene in the folder
- Select the DALI fixtures or groups
- Adjust the levels
The DALI scene is edited and scene configuration data updated ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
To remove a DALI fixture from a scene:
- Select the scene in the folder
- Select the fixture to remove
- Press the Knockout button to the right of the Intensity controls
The DALI scene is edited and scene configuration data updated ready to be uploaded into the ballasts.
Emergency Ballasts
Emergency DALI ballasts are set-up in the same way as standard DALI ballasts and support Highlight and Re-Addressing.
Emergency tests may be scheduled for all emergency ballasts in a project via the Emergency Ballast Tests tab on the right of the DALI window. You can override project settings on a per interface basis by using the emergency settings in the Interface Properties tab. Function and Duration tests can be scheduled independently of each other on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. The time of day that the tests run can also be specified. Choosing to test alternate ballasts will test every other patched ballast - the remaining ballasts will then be tested once the initial test is complete.
Test information is stored on the memory card of the controller responsible for that interface. This information can also be viewed via the web interface.
Upload configuration
Once you have configured all your DALI interfaces and programmed all your DALI scenes you must upload the configuration to each DALI interface in turn so that this data can be stored on the DALI ballasts themselves. Select an interface and press the Upload Configuration button, a progress bar will track this rather slow procedure.