Additional functions - Operating devices

Partial DALI commissioning

In the context menu of the DALI commissioning environment, partial DALI commissioning can be activated and deactivated. The checkbox of the same name influences the DALI device search and also the finalisation process of the DALI commissioning.

A distinction is made between the two following cases depending on whether the checkbox is selected or deselected:

Operating devices that have been found cannot be removed from the configuration when using the partial commissioning (checkbox activated). It is only possible to remove operating devices that have already been found by switching back to the standard commissioning (checkbox deactivated) and by executing a new device search for which the previously found devices no longer respond. It should then be ensured that all other operating devices of the DALI system are connected to the DALI cable and are operational! Otherwise, devices will also be removed from the configuration, which should be retained.

When using the partial commissioning (checkbox activated) in conjunction with the compatibility mode, make sure that operating devices that should be partially searched for by a device search and newly added have not already been programmed with an invalid short address. This is the case, for example, if operating devices were already previously commissioned in another DALI system. Ideally, brand new operating devices partially in conjunction with the compatibility mode should only be commissioned. If this is not possible, it makes sense to carry out a DALI reset (resetting operating devices concerned to the delivery state). When doing so, make sure that the reset is only carried out if just the operating devices that should be newly added are connected to the DALI system. Otherwise, the operating devices that were already validly commissioned will be reset.

Compatibility mode

The gateway has a compatibility mode for supporting non-DALI-conformant operating devices. This means that the commissioning process can become distinctly more tolerant towards specific DALI commissioning parameters, which means that operating devices not fully compliant with the DALI specification can be commissioned, possibly subject to functional restrictions.

Compatibility mode is activated when the "Compatibility mode" checkbox is selected in the context menu of the DALI commissioning environment.

When compatibility mode is active, DALI operating devices in the system are no longer identified using their previously formed long address. Normally (when compatibility mode is deactivated), the Gateway uses the DALI long address to check if found operating devices were previously commissioned in a search operation (known device), or whether this is a newly-found operating device. DALI operating devices assign themselves long addresses automatically in the course of a search process according to a random principle. These long addresses are unique in a DALI system, which is why operating devices can be identified individually.

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, which is why difficulties may occur during the commissioning process. If long addresses are lost, the gateway will no longer be able to identify clearly whether found operating devices are known, i. e. already commissioned in previous commissioning operations, or whether they are newly-installed and are thus newly-found devices. In these cases, operating devices are simply identified as "newly-found". As a result, during the remainder of the commissioning process, the affected operating devices are treated like unprogrammed devices. Amongst other things, all the assignments to groups or single devices are removed.

If operating devices are installed in the DALI system, which do not comply with the DALI specification - as described - and do not save the long address correctly, 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). This address was either programmed during a previous commissioning operation by the gateway, in accordance to the project design, or was assigned automatically during a search operation (new electronic ballast).

The identification of operating devices becomes problematic if devices are added to the DALI installation at a later time, which were commissioned previously (e.g. in other systems) and thus have already been assigned with valid short addresses. Here, it may occur that different operating devices have the same short address. This state must be avoided when using compatibility mode, since short addresses may only occur once in a DALI installation. Otherwise, communication errors can be expected.

All the commissioning parameters transferred from the gateway are required for correct, fault-free operation of the DALI system and must correspond to the DALI specification. During DALI online commissioning, it may occur that all or some operating devices do not apply the commissioning parameters transferred from the Gateway partially or completely. In order to detect this, the gateway in normal operation checks (compatibility mode deactivated) each programmed change by reading it out and compares the return value of the operating devices with the specifications in the project design (DALI verify). If differences are detected here among short addresses or group assignments to be programmed, the DCA signals an commissioning error.

DALI operating devices that could only be programmed with errors during the DALI online commissioning can work according to their function after commissioning is complete. These DALI operating devices possibly do not comply or only partially comply with DALI, however.
If commissioning errors occur repeatedly, the compatibility mode can be activated on an experimental basis. In compatibility mode the gateway does not read back the programmed commissioning parameters during a DALI online commissioning. Operating devices which merely dispense with answering the gateway (DALI verify remains off / but the function is available), can be commissioned in this way without any error display and abort of the programming connection.

If short addresses of the operating devices change due to parameterisation or new assignments, the gateway reprograms the addresses in the existing devices in the DALI system. This reprogramming is done via the long address even if compatibility mode is activated, as otherwise there would be duplicate short addresses in the DALI system at the moment of programming. Operating devices that have not permanently stored the long address cannot then be reprogrammed to other short addresses without interference. In this case, a new device search must be carried out to completely recommission the affected operating devices.

Note on automatic device replacement

With the help of the automatic device replacement of the manual operation, the gateway is able to check a DALI system for completeness of the DALI operating devices that were previously put into operation. If, for example, a defective DALI operating device was removed by an installation engineer and replaced by a new one, the gateway is able to program the new electronic ballast with the programming data of the failed electronic ballast. This makes it possible to replace a failed DALI operating device by a simple operation on the device and without any modification work in the ETS.

The automatic device replacement updates the configuration data (long address) of the replaced DALI operating device initially only in the gateway. To ensure that the change of the DALI configuration is permanently adopted in the ETS configuration, a DALI device search should be carried out again in the ETS (DCA) after executing one or more operations of the automatic device replacement. Through this, although no new operating devices are found, the DCA compares the DALI project planning data between gateway and ETS and saves the change in the ETS project. Only then may new programming operations of the application program be carried out.

If the application program is programmed with the ETS after an automatic device replacement without a subsequent new DALI device search in the DCA, the changes brought about by the device replacement will be lost. In this case, the DCA will display newly found operating devices that are actually not new in future device searches.

Carry out DALI reset

A global reset of the selected DALI system can be carried out via the context menu of the DALI commissioning environment. With a DALI reset, all DALI operating devices of the DALI system are reset to the delivery state defined by the manufacturers. In this operation, all the assignments to groups and single devices in the electronic ballasts are removed. Furthermore, the long and short addresses in the gateway are deleted and the long addresses in the operating devices are reset. After executing the reset command , the right-hand display area no longer shows any devices found. A new search operation must then be restarted to be able to perform new DALI commissioning.

A reset should always be carried out with caution and then when previously commissioned electronic ballasts are integrated into DALI systems at a later date or if there are problems in DALI commissioning due to faulty commissioning steps (e.g. undesirable duplicate addresses, communication problems). The DALI reset creates a clean DALI environment as the basis for fault-free commissioning.

It is not possible to reset only individual or a special selection of operating devices within a DALI system.

After a reset of the DALI system, it is always necessary to reload the application program into the gateway with the help of the ETS.

If DALI sensors are integrated in the DALI system, they are not affected by the DALI reset during DALI device commissioning.