1. What is 0-10V?
In dynamic lighting control applications, “0-10” describes the use of an analog controller to adjust the voltage in a 2-wire bus connecting the controller to one or more LED drivers equipped with a 0-10VDC dimming input. That is one of the earliest and simplest electronic lighting control signaling systems; simply put, the control signal is a DC voltage that varies between zero and ten volts. At 0 volts, the light will dim to its minimum light level, though typically requires a switch to turn the lights completely off, and at 10 Volts the device will be operating at 100%. The picture below is a typical model of the 0-10V driver.
A 0-10V dimmer (controller) is an analog device. The 0-10V dimmers are shown below.
2. How 0-10V Drivers work?
The dimming signal, which is connected to the driver typically has a purple wire that represents +10 volts and a gray wire representing the signal common. When both wires are open, the dimming control output will be 10 volts. When they are touching, the dimming control output will be 0 volts. 0 volts represents its minimum level, and depending on the driver, the fixture will either go into sleep mode, turn off completely, or utilize a dimmer switch to turn off.
All 0-10VDC wiring should be done with shielded pair wiring with the shield grounded to earth at the controller. The pair does not need to be twisted. We particularly recommend this when low-end dimming performance is of high importance. Unshielded analog control wiring runs can act as antennae. Radiated emissions (from transformers, radio transmitters, motors, etc.) can be collected by the unshielded analog control wiring and then interpreted by the driver as changes in the control voltage which will result in a flicker effect.
3. 0-10V Dimming Troubleshooting
With more and more 0-10V dimming lighting in the application, The question of how to troubleshoot the 0-10v dimming comes up frequently, so here are the easy steps to determine if it is a wiring issue or driver issue.
(1)Take the grey and violet wires off the dimming circuit.
(2) With the power on, touch the grey and violet wires coming from the driver side together. This is causing a short and will cause the fixture to dim to minimal (which could look like off).
If the fixture dims when doing step all above, you most likely have a bad dimmer or a wiring fault in the line somewhere, so it is best to exchange the dimmer or examine wire at the dimming control and work through the line until you find the point where the issue is located.
If the fixture does not respond when doing this you most likely have a driver issue and will need to replacement driver.
4. Introduction of MOONS’ 0-10V drivers
MOONS’ CP series LED drivers are often provided standard (check spec sheets) and dim down to 7.5% at minimum light level (CLKS series LED drivers are 10%). Besides, those LED drivers are programmable with MSSL200 if you choose to set driver’s operating mode, minimal output current, and dimming plan to meet various dimming requirements.
Our 0-10V intelligent LED drivers are compatible with Lutron control systems and dim down to 0.1% at a minimum light level. MOONS’ intelligent LED drivers can be configured Smartkey or Touch Setting Tool (NFC function).
