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Recommended terms

The table below lists many terms related to DALI lighting control systems. Where terms have more than one meaning, the recommended usage is given. The list also describes some terms as not recommended, for example where the meaning is ambiguous.

Term

Description/recommended usage

Relevant parts of IEC 62386, or other standards
Bus power supply (BPS) Provides power to the DALI bus. Can be stand-alone or integrated in a DALI control device or DALI control gear. Capable to provide at least the "guaranteed supply current" and will not provide more than "maximum supply current". These two figures are used to determine if there is enough available bus current to supply all devices, and if the total of all maximum currents is within the permitted maximum of 250mA. 101
Control gear Typically directly operate the lamp(s), controlling the light output. Examples include drivers, ballasts, converters and relay switching devices. Some control gear, such as converters to 0/1-10V, indirectly operate the lamp(s). 102
Driver Typically describes the control gear for LED lamps, but often used for other lamp types. 102
Ballast Often used to describe the control gear for fluorescent or other discharge lamps. NOTE: Historically used as a term for all control gear (not recommended - use "control gear" instead). 102
DT1 Device Type 1 - Control gear for self-contained emergency lighting (part 202). 202
DT6 Device Type 6 - Control gear for LED lamps (part 207). 207
DT8 Device Type 8 - Control gear - Colour control (part 209). 209
DT19 Device Type 19 - Control gear for centrally-supplied emergency lighting 220
Self-contained emergency control gear Control gear for emergency lighting where the battery for use during emergency situations is in or attached to the luminaire. Each emergency control gear having its own battery. See "DT1". 202
Type A emergency Self-contained emergency control gear (see "DT1") where the light level can be dimmed by DALI commands when the normal supply is present. Used in dimmable maintained emergency luminaires. 202
Type B emergency Self-contained emergency control gear (see "DT1") where the light level can be switched on or off by DALI commands when the normal supply is present. Used in switchable maintained emergency luminaires. 202
Type C emergency Self-contained emergency control gear (see "DT1") where the lamp is on when the normal supply is present or not. Some implementations include a switched-live input that allows the lamp to be switched on or off when the normal supply is present. Used in maintained emergency luminaires. 202
Type D emergency Self-contained emergency control gear (see "DT1") where the lamp is off when the normal supply is present. Used in non-maintained emergency luminaires. Can also be used with companion control gear in maintained emergency luminaires. 202
Maintained Emergency luminaire or control gear that maintains or allows control of light output when the normal supply is present, and provides light output when the normal supply is not present. Maintained luminaires could contain a single emergency type A, B or C control gear, or could contain a type D together with a companion gear that operates a lamp when the normal supply is present.
Non-maintained Emergency luminaire or control gear that provides light output when the normal supply is not present. Non-maintained luminaires usually contain a type D emergency control gear.
Centrally-supplied emergency Emergency lighting system where the power source for emergency operation is supplied from a central location, such as a central battery room or a back-up generator. Emergency mode can be triggered either by a supply change (AC to DC) or by the DALI bus going low for an extended period. See "DT19". 220
Converter Control gear that provides a control signal output, typically 0/1-10V, but could be other types such as PWM, DMX or even DALI. For a converter providing a DALI output, see expander. 102
Expander A converter that provides at least one DALI "output". On one interface it behaves as a control gear, and can be controlled by the usual 16-bit control gear commands. On the other interfaces (the "outputs") it behaves as an application controller, sending commands to control gear. Possible implementations could be to accept short addressed or group addressed commands on one interface, and broadcast out to all control gear connected to the other interface(s).
Switch Not a recommended term. Could mean a switch input device (part 302), or it could mean a switched output such as a control gear with a relay or solid-state relay output (part 208).
Switching control gear Control gear typically using a relay or solid-state relay to switch the output on or off. 208
Transformer Typically used to describe control gear for low-voltage halogen lamps. 204
AEELS Adaptive Emergency Escape Lighting System, comprising of emergency signage with controllable indicators used to re-enforce or block indications of emergency escape routes. 225
Power supply Generic term. Ambiguous, so not recommended when referring to DALI devices. Examples of usage include: A DALI bus power supply, a 24V DC power supply, or a DALI LED driver.
Control device An application controller or an input device, or a combination of these. 103
Input device A type of control device that reads or measures an input such as a push-button, occupancy sensor or light sensor, and provides the measurement or state information to application controllers through event messages or when polled (queried).
Application controller A type of control device that uses inputs or information from any sources, including other DALI devices, makes decisions and typically sends commands to control the lights. Can be considered the ""brains"" of the system. Some system architectures allow more than one application controller in the system. Other terms (not recommended) include: router, hub, controller. An example is an LCM that connects to an Ethernet or Wi-Fi backbone, with 4 DALI interfaces, each with an application controller. 103
Push-button device Also: "push-button panel". Typically an input device (part 301) that provides button press and release information for application controllers. Alternatively, could be an application controller with push-buttons. 103, 301
Push-button Also: "button". A single button on a push-button device. Sometimes used to refer to a push-button device (usage not recommended). 103, 301
Sensor Generic term, often referring to an input device for occupancy or light sensing. 30x
Switch input device An input device described in part 302, sensing and reporting the position of a switch. Switches can be on/off or could have more than two positions. 302
Occupancy sensor Typically an input device that provides occupancy information for application controllers. Occupancy sensors could also be built into application controllers. 103, 303
Movement sensor A type of occupancy sensor that derives the occupancy state by detecting movement. Examples include PIR, ultrasonic, microwave (doppler radar) sensors. 303
Presence sensor A type of occupancy sensor that directly determines the occupancy state by detecting presence. Examples include floor pressure sensors, and camera systems that track or count occupants. 303
Light sensor Typically an input device that provides light measurements for application controllers. Light sensors could also be built into application controllers. 103, 304
Luminaire-mounted control device, type A-D Control device intended for luminaire mounting. Types are defined in part 351. Briefly: Types A and B can be used together, with type A taking control in the case that a type B is also connected - typically outdoor applications. Types C and B can be used together, with type C taking control in the case that a type B is also connected. Type D is a single-master, so cannot be used in the presence of another enabled application controller. 351
Daylight regulation Functionality of an application controller where it uses light sensor measurements to influence the light output level of the luminaires. Can be used to compensate for daylight fluctuations or for ageing lamps. Could be open-loop regulation (e.g. daylight measurement) or closed-loop regulation (e.g. daylight+artifical light measurement). 103, 304
Daylight control Daylight regulation 103, 304
Daylight harvesting Daylight regulation 103, 304
Constant light control Daylight regulation, or compensation for variation in luminaire efficacy through time (closed loop control without influence from daylight). 103, 304
Device Generic term. Could be a control device, control gear, bus power supply or other types.
Interface DALI bus connection. For devices with another protocol such as Thread, Bluetooth Mesh or Zigbee, it can also refer to that interface.
Loads Sometimes used to describe control gear, but can also be used to describe lamps. Not recommended - use "control gear" or "lamps".
Master Best avoided. Sometimes used instead of "application controller".
LCM Lighting control module. These could contain an application controller, or control gear (such as relay switching) or could simply be a connection box with luminaire and mains supply connectors.
LCS Lighting control system. A system of connected DALI or DALI+ devices. Could also be multiple DALI or DALI+ systems connected into a larger lighting control system through a backbone. 101
NLC Networked Lighting Control(s) or Networked Lighting Controller. Used to describe either a system of lighting control devices, or an individual control device, especially an application controller. In some cases, such as outdoor luminaires in North America, an NLC is a specific control device with DALI connectivity within the luminaire and wireless connectivity beyond the luminaire. 103
Node A device on a network. Not recommended when referring to DALI devices.
Repeater DALI signal repeater. Allows an extension to the bus cable, and optionally provides isolation between its two interfaces. See parts 153 and 154. 153, 154
Isolator Repeater that provides electrical isolation between the DALI interfaces. 153, 154
Extender Repeater.
Gateway (parts 341, 342) A control device with a wired DALI interface and an interface to another eco-system such as Bluetooth Mesh or Zigbee. Gateways allow control of the wired DALI devices from the eco-system, and make data available from the wired DALI system to the eco-system. 341, 342
Bluetooth mesh gateway A gateway that allows Bluetooth mesh lighting devices to control light output and obtain information (feedback) from DALI-2 control gear. 341
Zigbee gateway A gateway that allows Zigbee lighting devices to control light output and obtain information (feedback) from DALI-2 control gear. 342
DALI-2 Trademark used to indicate completion of the certification process for wired DALI devices that meet the requirement for DALI-2.
D4i Trademark used to indicate completion of the certification process for wired DALI devices that meet the requirements for DALI-2 and the additional requirements for D4i. 25x, 351
DALI+ Trademark used to indicate completion of the certification process for DALI+ devices. DALI+ devices use a wireless or IP-based carrier instead of the 2-wire DALI bus. Initial certification is for "DALI+ with Thread", where Thread is a wireless protocol used to transport DALI frames between DALI+ with Thread devices. 104, Thread
Thread protocol A communications protocol implementing IPv6 over a wireless mesh network. Thread
Thread border router A Thread device that provides a connection between the wireless Thread IPv6 network and typically an Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi based IP-network. Thread
Bridge device (DALI+) A DALI+ device that includes a bridge function connecting the DALI+ network to a wired DALI network. This allows application controllers on the DALI+ side to control, configure or query the wired DALI devices, and allows wired DALI input devices such as sensors or push-buttons to provide their measurements through event messages to the DALI+ application controllers. 104
Scene A pre-configured level across a collection of control gear. For each scene, a control gear could have a level configured, or could be configured to ignore the scene, in which case it will not react to a command recalling the scene. For some control gear types, scenes can contain more than just a level - for example, a colour. 102
Fade Change in light output over time. DALI provides two methods: a fade time (fixed time between the start and end level) and a fade rate (constant rate in steps per second, regardless of the start and end levels).Typically, fade times are used when recalling scenes or levels and fade rates are used with up/down buttons. 102
Dimming curve The relationship between light output and the digital signal or value used to specify the desired light output. 102
Standard (logarithmic) dimming curve The default dimming curve, with a logarithmic response from 0.1% to 100% (also allowing 0%). Designed to provide a natural human-eye response over a configurable minimum to maximum range. 102
Linear Dimming Curve A dimming curve where the light output (or output signal) varies linearly with the supplied digital signal or level. 206, 207
Short address Address used within a control gear or a control device. Some devices have more than one short address, such as an LED driver with 2 lamps where these can be independently controlled through their respective short address.
Sub address Not recommended. Often used when "short address" is intended.
Group A collection of control gear or control devices. Control gear can be members of any combination of 16 groups. Control device grouping is more complicated, with device groups (the overall device) and instance groups (such as a single button). This term is also used more generically, such as a group of lights that may not correspond to a single DALI group. 102, 103
Zone Typically used to describe an area within a building, with common lighting control requirements. Sometimes used to mean group.
DALI subnet A single system of DALI devices connected on the same 2-wire bus, typically supporting up to 64 control gear and 64 control devices. Not recommended: loop, circuit, link. 101
DALI network DALI subnet 101
DALI system Ambiguous term - could mean a single DALI subnet, or a collection of DALI subnets within a lighting control system.
DALI bus The 2-wire bus used to connect devices in a DALI subnet.
Addressing The process of assigning DALI short addresses to control gear and control devices, part of a lighting control system commissioning activity.
Lighting control philosophy Description (functional specification) of the lighting control system during normal operation.
Commissioning The process of addressing and configuring DALI control gear and control devices to perform the desired lighting control philosophy.
RED Radio Equipment Directive. Directive 2014/53/EU, including any amendments. EU Document 32014L0053
CRA Cyber Resilience Act. Regulation (EU) 2024/2847. EU Document 52022PC0454
UK PS & TI UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, Part 1 (Product Security). UK Government, UK Public General Acts, 2022 c. 46, Part 1