﻿A DALI system can address a maximum of 64 operating devices, although the gateway itself does not count as an operating device. Up to six different addressing types allow the group-orientated and individually addressed control of DALI lights by means of KNX telegrams. Depending on the configuration, up to 32 independent groups are available for group addressing. For alternative control, they can be supplemented with 64 individually addressable device channels, if necessary.

*Central*: With master control, all the connected DALI components are controlled by a broadcast command. This means that there is no need to commission DALI, meaning that lighting systems with few functions can be started up quickly and easily (simplified configuration without DALI commissioning). With central addressing, some functions are not available (no error status, no automatic device replacement).

*Groups 1...16*: During DALI commissioning, the max. 64 DALI operating devices are assigned to any different groups of the gateway. For this any number of DALI operating devices can be assigned to each group (1...16). On the DALI side, addressing takes place using group addresses, which the gateway configures invisibly for the user and manages on its own. During DALI commissioning, the operating devices concerned are automatically programmed accordingly. Through the use of group addresses (multicast), the reaction time of the DALI subscribers in this type of addressing is short - particularly in large-scale systems.

*Groups 1...32*: With this addressing type too, the max. 64 DALI operating devices are assigned to different groups of the gateway during DALI commissioning. For this, any number of DALI operating devices can be assigned to groups 1...16. On the DALI side, addressing takes place using group addresses, meaning that the reaction time of the DALI subscribers in groups 1...16 is short. In contrast, only up to five DALI operating devices can be assigned to groups 17...32. Since there are no DALI group addresses for these groups, DALI addressing takes place using the device short addresses, which means that the operating devices are addressed, and thus contacted, individually. In particular, in large systems with multiple devices addressed by a short address, the reaction time is slower than with group addressing, because addressing takes place separately and in sequence.

*Groups 1...16 + devices 1...64*: With this addressing type, the operating devices in groups 1...16 are controlled using DALI group addresses, as described above for group control. In addition, other DALI operating devices can be addressed individually as single devices. The addressing of these devices takes place individually using the device short addresses.

*Groups 1...32 + devices 1...64*: This addressing type behaves exactly like the addressing "groups 1...16 + devices 1...64", with the difference that the groups 17...32 are also available. Here too, groups 17...32 can be assigned only to up to five DALI operating devices. In this case too, as there are no DALI group addresses, DALI addressing takes place using the device short addresses, meaning that the operating devices are addressed, and thus contacted, individually.

*Devices 1...64*: This addressing type only allows the control of up to 64 single devices. DALI group addressing is not possible. As with the other addressing types with device control, the addressing of the devices takes place individually using the device short addresses. It is advisable to use this addressing type if all operating devices are to be controlled individually, for example, and group control is therefore not appropriate. 

