Search for DALI sensors

During initial sensor commissioning, the connected DALI sensors of a DALI system must be searched for and identified. If the DALI gateway has been commissioned at least once before, searching for sensors is only necessary if new sensors have been added to the DALI system or if changes have occurred in the existing DALI installation (e.g. sensor replaced).

When the first sensor commissioning is called up, no DALI sensors are displayed in the right-hand display area (H). To continue with sensor commissioning, the sensors connected to the DALI cable must first be searched for.
The sensors 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 sensors during the sensor search. In addition, the mains voltage supply of the gateway must be switched on.

  1. Click on the "Search for sensors" button (C) in the DALI commissioning environment.
  • The gateway searches for existing DALI sensors. In so doing, the gateway scans the DALI cable in stages and identifies the connected sensors successively. Depending on the number of connected sensors, the search operation may take some time.

During the search operation, the gateway tells the DALI sensors to create a random long address internally. This only takes place for sensors which were identified as "New sensors found" at the beginning of the search operation. In addition, the gateway already assigns short addresses in the background during the search process.

The DCA uses the long addresses to distinguish between the found sensors being detected for the first time and those sensors 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 sensors.
Taking this distinction into account, the DCA displays the newly found sensors in the search progress. During the first DALI commissioning, all sensors found are counted under "New sensors found'". In later commissioning operations, only those sensors are indicated as newly found, which were added to the DALI system.

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 sensors are not detected if there is a cable break, for example.

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

After completion of the search operation, all the identified sensors (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 sensors, the DCA displays an error message as a result. A sensor search should only be carried out if further sensors have been added to the DALI installation, existing sensors have been replaced or removed from the installation.

Example of sensor list after a search operation

(K)

Name of the sensors found including symbol for sensor type and existing sensor functions (instances)

(L)

Assigned short addresses and the corresponding instance number for sensor functions

(M)

Instance type of the sensor function

(N)

Status of the assignment

The identified DALI sensors are shown in the display window (K) with the name "Sensor" and a consecutive number that corresponds to the short address and cannot be changed. The name can be changed at any time and renamed to something more descriptive. The sensor functions (instances) available in the sensor are listed below each sensor. Each sensor function has its own instance number, which can be used to communicate with the DALI Gateway. When searching for sensors, only the instances that are also supported by the DALI Gateway are displayed. For example, the instance numbers may not be consecutive because the sensor still has instances that are not supported by the DALI Gateway.

The following instances are supported by the DALI Gateway:

Name of the function

Instance type

Description and standard reference

Manufacturer-specific

0

Generic input IEC 60386-103

Button

1

Push-button sensor IEC 60386-301

Value

2

Value transmitter absolute input devices IEC 60386-302

Movement

3

Presence detector IEC 60386-303

Brightness

4

Light sensor IEC 60386-304

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 sensors (N) found in the form of symbols in the display window. Sensor instances can be assigned to the configured sensor functions in the left-hand display window. The symbols have the following meaning:

Not assigned

The sensor instance is not yet assigned to a sensor function. Sensor evaluation via the DALI Gateway is not yet possible.

Partially assigned

The sensor contains more than one instance, although not all instances (sensor functions) have yet been assigned.

Assigned

An instance of the sensor is assigned to a function of a sensor channel. If all functions of a sensor channel have been assigned, the sensor channel is also labelled as assigned.

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