Device search

Searching for DALI operating devices

During initial commissioning, the connected DALI operating devices of a DALI system must be searched for and identified. If the DALI Gateway has been commissioned at least once before, searching for operating devices is only necessary if new devices have been added to the DALI system or if changes have occurred in the existing DALI installation (e.g. electronic ballast replaced). At the end of DALI commissioning, the commissioning parameters (identified operating devices with long and short address, names of the operating devices, group/device assignment and device type) are written to the ETS database and are thus saved. The saved data is displayed when the DALI commissioning environment is started.

During initial commissioning, no DALI operating devices are displayed in the right display area (B). To continue commissioning, the operating devices connected to the DALI cable must first be searched for. The devices affected must be connected to the DALI cable and operational in order for the gateway to be able to find and identify all necessary DALI operating devices during the device search. In addition, the mains voltage supply of the gateway must be switched on.

Click on the "Search for devices" button (C) in the DALI commissioning environment.

The gateway searches for available DALI operating devices. In so doing, the gateway scans the DALI cable in stages and identifies the connected devices successively. Depending on the number of connected operating devices, the search operation may take some time.

During the search operation, the gateway tells the DALI operating devices to create a random long address internally. This only takes place for devices which were identified as "New devices found" at the beginning of the search operation. In addition, the gateway already assigns short addresses in the background during the search process, which are then adapted using group and device assignments in the course of commissioning and can thus be overwritten.

The DCA uses the long addresses to distinguish between the found operating devices being detected for the first time and those devices which were previously detected during commissioning. For this, the DCA compares the read-in long addresses with the entries saved in the ETS database. Previously unknown long addresses indicate newly found operating devices.
Taking this distinction into account, the DCA displays the newly found electronic ballasts in the search progress. During the first DALI commissioning, all operating devices found are counted under "New devices found'". In later commissioning operations, only those operating devices are indicated as newly found, which were added to the DALI system.

According to the DALI specification, all the DALI subscribers must save the long address permanently (e.g. even during mains voltage failures). Not all the DALI devices on the market support this requirement. If such operating devices are installed, compatibility mode should be activated. During a search operation, the gateway then identifies operating devices solely by means of the DALI short address (1...64) contained in the devices. This means that operating devices can be commissioned without accessing long addresses.

In the event of an installation error (display "Er" in the 7-segment display) or a short circuit, the gateway attempts to establish a DALI communication. If this does not succeed, the gateway aborts the process and displays an error message. DALI operating devices are not detected if there is a cable break, for example.

Example of search progress for a DALI control gear search (left) and finished search result (right)

After completion of the search operation, all the identified operating devices (both old and new) are listed in the right display area (H) of the commissioning environment.

If the gateway has not found any new participants when searching for operating devices, the DCA displays an error message as a result. A device search should only be carried out if further operating devices have been added to the DALI installation, existing devices have been replaced or removed from the installation.

Example of a device list after a search operation

(J)	Sequence number of the operating devices found (1...64)
(K)	Name of the operating devices found incl. symbol for device type
(L)	Assigned short addresses (for unassigned operating devices undefined "-")
(M)	Device type (digit of the DALI device type)
(N)	Status of the assignment

The identified DALI device types of the operating devices found are shown in the display window as digits (M) for reasons of space. The numbers are directly derived from the possible DALI device types. A combination of several device types is a multifunctional operating device that allows several uses.

DALI device type	Use
DT0	Ballast for fluorescent lamps
DT2	Ballast for discharge lamps
DT3	Ballast for LV halogen lamps
DT4	Ballast for Incandescent lamps
DT6	LED driver
DT7	only switchable ballast
DT8	Ballast for colour temperature or colour control
z. E.G. DT6.8	Multitype: e.g. use as LED driver or ballast for Colour-Control

The DCA displays the use of the device type in plain text when the mouse is moved to a digit.

The DCA shows the status of operating devices (N) found in the form of symbols in the display window. Devices can be assigned either to projected groups or single devices in the left display window. The symbols have the following meaning:

	Not assigned	The operating device is not yet assigned to a group or an single device. It can only be controlled via the DALI test of the DCA and cannot be operated via KNX communication objects.
	Commissioning not completed	The operating device is assigned to a group or an single device, but the DALI commissioning has not yet been completed. The operating device can only be controlled via the DALI test of the DCA and cannot be operated via KNX communication objects.
	Put into operation	The operating device is assigned to a group or an single device. The DALI commissioning has been fully completed. The operating device can be controlled via the DALI test of the DCA and, after programming the application program with the ETS, also via KNX communication objects.

The DCA displays the status in plain text when the mouse is moved over a symbol.

The status of the operating devices that have been assigned to a configured DALI group is indicated in the right-hand display area of the DALI devices found only if the "Allow multiple group assignment" checkbox has been selected in the context menu of the DALI commissioning dialogue. Otherwise (checkbox deselected - normal case), operating devices already assigned to the groups are hidden in the right-hand display area. Operating devices that have been assigned to configured single devices are generally not visible in the right-hand display area. "-" is displayed as the short address for all unassigned operating devices.

During a device search, all connected operating devices of a DALI system can switch on to minimum brightness. This makes it possible to determine whether the devices are actually functioning and react to the device search. If necessary, the automatic switch-on to minimum brightness can be switched off. This is useful, for example, if a DALI system is in operation and electronic ballasts that have already been installed and put into operation should not react to a device search.
The behaviour of the brightness during a device search can be set via the context menu of the DALI commissioning environment:

Select the "Brightness adjustment device search" checkbox (default setting)

The operating devices connected to the DALI system automatically switch to minimum brightness at the beginning of a device search. After a device search, the brightness can be changed again via the normal operating functions of the gateway.

Deselect the "Brightness adjustment device search" checkbox

The operating devices connected to the DALI system do not automatically switch to minimum brightness at the beginning of a device search. The devices remain in the last preset brightness state.