Ctrlk
For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

DALI unit

Step by step - add a DALI-DMX-Unit to an iDM3 project and control DALI lights with it.

The DALI-DMX-Unit is how you control ordinary DALI lights (ballasts and LED drivers) from iNELS. One unit has 4 channels, and each channel controls one DALI light by its address.

In short: add the DALI master, give each light a DALI address in the Dali manager, add a DALI-DMX-Unit under the DALI master, type each address into a channel, then wire the channels like any dimmer.

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.

The central unit connected to iDM3

The Dali manager talks to the real lights.

Lights with DALI addresses

Each channel points at one address (step 2).

How it looks in the project

CU3-09M
 └─ Internal-DALI-Master
     └─ DALI-DMX-Unit
         ├─ ChannelA   → one DALI light (e.g. address 0)
         ├─ ChannelB   → one DALI light (e.g. address 1)
         ├─ ChannelC   → one DALI light (e.g. address 2)
         └─ ChannelD   → one DALI light (e.g. address 3)

Need more than 4 lights? Add another DALI-DMX-Unit. You can add up to 32 units under one master, but a DALI bus has only 64 addresses (0 – 63).

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.

Full reference: the Dali manager is described in detail on the DALI page — see 21.2 Getting to the Dali manager, 21.3 The toolbar and 21.4 Addressing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Write down your address list

DALI address
Light
Room

0x00 (0)

Downlight 1

Living room

0x01 (1)

Downlight 2

Living room

0x0A (10)

Pendant

Kitchen

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

The Dali manager shows addresses in hexadecimal (0x0A). In the unit's channels you type a normal number (10). See the conversion table below.

Step 3 — Add the DALI unit

  1. In the Device manager, select Internal-DALI-Master.

  2. Click New unit → DALI-DMX-Unit → OK.

  3. Give the unit a Description, for example Living room DALI.

The unit appears with its four channels: ChannelA, ChannelB, ChannelC and ChannelD.

Step 4 — Enter the address of each light

  1. Expand the unit and select ChannelA.

  2. In DALI and DMX address, type the address of the light (from your address list in step 2).

  3. Change the Description to the name of the light, for example Living room downlight 1.

  4. Repeat for ChannelB, ChannelC and ChannelD.

  5. Close the Device manager and save.

Parameter
Values
What to enter

DALI and DMX address

0 – 63

The DALI address of the light, as a normal number.

Every channel starts at address 0. A channel you have not set up still points at the light with address 0. Only wire the channels you have actually set.

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 the channel (for example ChannelA).

  3. Give it a clear name, for example Living room downlight 1.

Step 6 — Wire the lights

Each channel is a normal dimmer (0 – 100 %), so you use the Analog functions — exactly as in Tutorial 3 — dimming.

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

Short down

ANALOG_SET_LEVEL_50

Straight to 50 %

To control several DALI lights with one button, put the channels into an Analog group — see Tutorial 4 — groups and scenes.

Step 7 — Upload and test

  1. Compile and upload the project to the central unit.

  2. Press each button and check that the right light responds.

Hex to decimal

The Dali manager shows 0x.. addresses. Type the decimal number into the channel.

Dali manager
Type in channel

0x00

0

0x01

1

0x05

5

0x09

9

0x0A

10

0x0B

11

0x0F

15

0x10

16

0x14

20

0x1F

31

0x20

32

0x28

40

0x30

48

0x3F

63

Quick rule: the first digit × 16 + the second digit (A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15). Example: 0x2C = 2 × 16 + 12 = 44.

Troubleshooting

Problem
What to check

A light doesn't respond

Is the DALI and DMX address correct? Did you type the hex value (10 instead of 16 for 0x10)?

The wrong light responds

The address list is wrong. Check again with TEST in the Dali manager.

Two lights respond together

Two lights have the same address. Fix it in the Dali manager (Delete address, then reassign).

The light with address 0 reacts unexpectedly

A channel that was never set up is still at address 0 and is wired.

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.

PreviousDALI
NextDALI tunable white