Dim some Tridonic 24V LED strip

I have a couple of nice strip lights that I'd like to be able to dim, as they are have just under 50W of strip each, and in each place that I'd like to use them, that's a bit too much power at times. It is Tridonic 24V strip, and came (secondhand but quite new from a display) with non-dimmable Tridonic 24V constant voltage drivers for each light. I can't change the LED strip brand - I couldn't find any other 8mm 3000K with sufficient power/length. The local Tridonic agent I was talking to said that their LCA 60W dimmable driver is the right one, but that I'd need DALI to control it. When I read their specs for it
https://www.tridonic.com/com/en/products/led-driver-lca-60w-24v-one4all-sc-pre.asp
they mention DSI as well as DALI, which may be helpful - but I don't know.

Now for the other constraint. I have mostly Clipsal Iconic switches through the house (in Australia - Clipsal is a local company bought by Schneider), and picked up a Clipsal Iconic "universal" push button dimmer 41E300PBUD2SM.
https://updates.clipsal.com/ClipsalOnline/Files/Brochures/41E300PBUD2SM_VW.pdf
https://www.clipsal.com/products/detail?CatNo=41E300PBUD2SM&tab-document-1=1

So do I buy the Tridonic LCA driver, or is there something better to drive my lights and allow them to be dimmed? The wife tells me to just put up the non-dimmable driver and move on to the painting!

thanks in advance
Andrew

 

Hi Andrew,

I am a little unsure if you have a C-Bus system in your house or if you just are using the Iconic range of standard wall plates? From your listing of gear I am guessing you don't have a C-Bus system (Which is a Clipsal/Schneider Automation System) so I am going to answer that way, however if you do let us know and I can change the answer. Also this forum is for discussions around the C-Bus system so depending on your problem you may be better asking a local electrician.

But to answer your question for now, DALI/DSI isn't very handy without a control system, you can get wall controllers but if you want it to fit with your Iconic look then it might be hard to find a style that suits. There are many drivers that would work with the CV tape but as you have one selected I would go with that, however you would be paying for functionality you wouldn't be using in the DALI.

Personally I would install the Tridonic drivers and put in some bellpush buttons rather than the universal dimmers and use the switchDim function of the driver. The description of that function from the datasheet:

"5.2 switchDIM Integrated switchDIM function allows a direct connection of a pushbutton for dimming and switching. Brief push (< 0.6 s) switches LED control gear ON and OFF. The dimm level is saved at power-down and restored at power-up. When the pushbutton is held, LED modules are dimmed. After repush the LED modules are dimmed in the opposite direction. In installations with LED control gears with different dimming levels or opposite dimming directions (e.g. after a system extension), all LED control gears can be synchronized to 50 % dimming level by a 10 s push. Use of pushbutton with indicator lamp is not permitted."

 

You are right on the money. I don't have a C-Bus system. I don't particularly want to put in a full DALI system as we have a heritage-listed house with many constraints, and don't have either the usage or types of spaces that I think would benefit. I had been thinking that there was maybe the lightest DALI implementation possible that I could stretch to, but the switch is of course exactly what I needed.

So the switchDIM implementation leaves the power on to the driver all the time, and switching is done in the driver. I'll probably arrange a switch as well, as there may be extended periods we don't use the lights.

And yes I was aware that it was a C-Bus forum, but being Clipsal there would be some knowledge of the parts I mentioned, and also after a quick scan the advice given generally appeared to be practical and accurate, not a useless overseas fanboy forum!!

Many thanks.