> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.inels.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference/dali-tunable-white.md).

# DALI tunable white

Step by step - add a DALI-DMX-Unit-02 and control tunable white DALI lights (brightness and colour temperature).

A **tunable white** light can change both its **brightness** and its **colour temperature** — from warm white to cool white. In iDM3 you control these lights with the **DALI-DMX-Unit-02**.

One DALI-DMX-Unit-02 controls **two tunable white lights**, called **Unit I** and **Unit II**.

## Channel A and Channel B

Every tunable white light uses **two channels**:

| Channel       | In iDM3                           | What it does                                      | Range     |
| ------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| **Channel A** | `UnitI-chanelA`, `UnitII-chanelA` | **Brightness** – how bright the light is          | 0 – 100 % |
| **Channel B** | `UnitI-chanelB`, `UnitII-chanelB` | **Colour change** – from warm white to cool white | 0 – 100 % |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Channel A = brightness, Channel B = colour.** Wire them separately: one control for brightness and one for colour.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**In short:** add the DALI master, give each light a DALI address in the **Dali manager**, add a **DALI-DMX-Unit-02**, type the two addresses into the **unit's** parameters, then wire **Channel A** (brightness) and **Channel B** (colour) with Analog functions.
{% endhint %}

***

## What you need

| You need                            | Why                                                                                                                                                      |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A **CU3-09M** central unit          | It has the built-in DALI master (**Internal-DALI-Master**).                                                                                              |
| A **DALI bus power supply**         | The DALI bus is not powered from the iNELS BUS.                                                                                                          |
| **Tunable white DALI lights** (DT8) | Ordinary DALI lights can't change colour — use the [DALI unit](/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference/dali-unit.md) for those. |
| Lights with **DALI addresses**      | Each light needs one address (step 2).                                                                                                                   |

***

## How it looks in the project

```
CU3-09M
 └─ Internal-DALI-Master
     └─ DALI-DMX-Unit-02        ← address unit I = 4, address unit II = 5
         ├─ UnitI-chanelA       → light 1: Channel A = brightness
         ├─ UnitI-chanelB       → light 1: Channel B = colour
         ├─ UnitII-chanelA      → light 2: Channel A = brightness
         └─ UnitII-chanelB      → light 2: Channel B = colour
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
**The address is set on the unit, not on the channels.** This is different from the [DALI unit](/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference/dali-unit.md), where every channel has its own address.
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 1 — Add the DALI master (only once)

The Dali manager can only talk to a DALI master that is in your project. Skip this step if **Internal-DALI-Master** is already there.

1. **Project** ribbon tab → **Device manager**.
2. Select the **central unit** → **New unit** → **Internal-DALI-Master** → **OK**.
3. Close the Device manager and **save**.

***

## Step 2 — Address the lights in the Dali manager

New DALI lights come **without an address**, so give them one first. This is done in the **Dali manager**, while connected to the central unit.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Full reference:** the Dali manager is described in detail on the [DALI](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference) page — see [21.2 Getting to the Dali manager](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference#id-21.2-cu3-09m-getting-to-the-dali-manager), [21.3 The toolbar](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference#id-21.3-the-toolbar) and [21.4 Addressing](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference#id-21.4-addressing).
{% endhint %}

### Open the Dali manager

1. **Connect** iDM3 to the central unit.
2. **Managers** ribbon tab → **Dali manager**.
3. Select **Internal-DALI-Master** (double-click it, or select it and click **✓ OK**).

### Give the lights an address

| Situation                                    | Button to use | What happens                                           |
| -------------------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **First time** – no light has an address yet | **New DALI**  | Deletes all addresses and gives every light a new one. |
| **Adding lights** to a working installation  | **Add new**   | Addresses only the new lights. Existing ones stay.     |
| **Just checking** what is on the bus         | **Search**    | Reads the current addresses. Changes nothing.          |

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Never use New DALI on a working installation.** It gives every light a new, random address, so all your buttons will control the wrong lights. To add lights, use **Add new**.
{% endhint %}

### Find out which light is which

1. Press **Search**. The list on the left shows every light it found.
2. Select a light and press **TEST**. The physical light blinks.
3. Write down which address belongs to which light.

### Change an address (optional)

The addresses are given in random order. To make them easier to work with (for example, all lights in one room next to each other):

1. Select the light in the list.
2. Click its address (`DALI 0x..`) and type the new one.
3. Click **Change address**.
4. Press **Search** again to check.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**A red exclamation mark** next to a light means two lights have the same address. Select it, click **Delete address**, then give it a new one.
{% endhint %}

### Write down your address list

One tunable white light has **one** DALI address — Channel A and Channel B share it.

| DALI address | Light          | Unit in iDM3 |
| ------------ | -------------- | ------------ |
| 0x04 (4)     | Office light 1 | Unit I       |
| 0x05 (5)     | Office light 2 | Unit II      |

You will need this list in the next steps — and the next time someone changes a light.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**The Dali manager shows addresses in hexadecimal** (`0x0A`). In iDM3 you type a **normal number** (`10`). See the [hex to decimal table](/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/idm3-dali-manager-reference/dali-unit.md).
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 3 — Add the tunable white unit

1. In the **Device manager**, select **Internal-DALI-Master**.
2. Click **New unit** → **DALI-DMX-Unit-02** → **OK**.
3. Give the unit a **Description**, for example `Office tunable lights`.

***

## Step 4 — Enter the addresses

1. Select the **DALI-DMX-Unit-02** itself (not a channel).
2. Fill in its two parameters:

| Parameter                    | Values | What to enter                             |
| ---------------------------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------- |
| **DALI/DMX address unit I**  | 0 – 63 | The DALI address of the **first** light.  |
| **DALI/DMX address unit II** | 0 – 63 | The DALI address of the **second** light. |

3. Give the channels clear names, for example `Office light 1 – brightness` (Channel A) and `Office light 1 – colour` (Channel B).
4. Close the Device manager and **save**.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Only one tunable light?** Set **unit I** and simply don't wire the **UnitII** channels. Unit II still points at address 0.
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 5 — Place the lights in the project

1. **Design** workspace tab → **Controls** ribbon tab → drag a dimmable light icon onto the plan.
2. Click it → **Connect** → double-click **UnitI-chanelA** (Channel A – brightness).
3. Add a second control for **UnitI-chanelB** (Channel B – colour).
4. Repeat for Unit II if you use it.

***

## Step 6 — Wire the brightness (Channel A)

**Channel A** is a normal dimmer. Use the **Analog** functions from [Tutorial 3 — dimming](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/tutorial-dimming-with-analog-functions):

| Button action | Function                   | Result                  |
| ------------- | -------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `Short down`  | `ANALOG_SWITCH`            | On / off                |
| `Long down`   | `ANALOG_LEVEL_UP`          | Brighter while you hold |
| `Long up`     | `ANALOG_STOP_LEVEL_CHANGE` | Stops when you let go   |

***

## Step 7 — Wire the colour (Channel B)

**Channel B** also works from 0 to 100 %. **0 % and 100 % are the two ends of the light's colour range** — warm white at one end, cool white at the other. Everything in between is a mix.

The easiest way to control colour is with fixed levels, using **Analog set level** (or **Analog set level w ramp** for a smooth change):

| Function (example) | Set up with                       | Result                     |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| `COLOUR_END_A`     | **Analog set level**, value `0`   | One end of the range       |
| `COLOUR_MIDDLE`    | **Analog set level**, value `50`  | Neutral white              |
| `COLOUR_END_B`     | **Analog set level**, value `100` | The other end of the range |

You can also let the user adjust the colour by holding a button — use `ANALOG_LEVEL_UP` / `ANALOG_LEVEL_DOWN` with `ANALOG_STOP_LEVEL_CHANGE`, just like brightness.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Check which end is warm.** After uploading, set Channel B to 0 % and then to 100 % and see which one is warm white. Name your functions to match (for example `COLOUR_WARM` and `COLOUR_COOL`).
{% endhint %}

***

## Step 8 — Make a scene (optional)

A scene sets brightness **and** colour with one press. Wire one button to both channels:

| Scene   | Channel A (brightness) | Channel B (colour) |
| ------- | ---------------------- | ------------------ |
| Morning | 100 %                  | cool end           |
| Work    | 80 %                   | middle             |
| Evening | 40 %                   | warm end           |

To control several tunable lights together, put all **Channel A** channels into one **Analog group** and all **Channel B** channels into another — see [Tutorial 4 — groups and scenes](https://wiki.inels.com/inels-bus/inels-design-manager-idm3/tutorial-groups-and-scenes).

***

## Step 9 — Upload and test

1. **Compile** and **upload** the project to the central unit.
2. Check that the brightness and the colour of **each** light change as expected.

***

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                         | What to check                                                                                                                              |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| The light doesn't respond                       | Check **DALI/DMX address unit I / II** on the unit. Did you type the hex value by mistake?                                                 |
| Brightness works, but the colour doesn't change | Check that the colour control is wired to **Channel B** (`chanelB`), not Channel A. The light may also not be a tunable white (DT8) light. |
| Warm and cool are the wrong way round           | Swap the levels in your colour functions (0 % ↔ 100 %).                                                                                    |
| The wrong light responds                        | Unit I and Unit II addresses may be swapped. Check with **TEST** in the Dali manager.                                                      |
| No DALI light responds at all                   | Check the **DALI bus power supply** and the DALI wiring.                                                                                   |
| Nothing changed after editing                   | **Compile and upload** the project.                                                                                                        |