0-10 dimming is one of the traditional mid-range dimming technologies. In short, when a 0-10V dimmer is set to 0V, light output is at minimum and when set to 10V, light output is at maximum.
However, “minimum” and “maximum” ranges vary as well as the dimming curves. The following compares (3) LED drivers outputs for 350mA and another (3) for 500mA outputs:
The following driver outputs compare (15) LED drivers from (6) different manufacturers with outputs ranging from 250mA to 1400mA:
There are two different standards that often create confusion. While some manufactures focus on 1-10V dimmers (as with fluorescents), others use 0-10V. If a 1-10V dimmer is used with a 0-10V driver, the minimum level achieved will not match the minimum level available on driver. On the flip side, when a 0-10V dimmer is used with a 1-10V driver, strobing or other low-end performance issues will likely happen.
The two types of 0-10V dimmers are current source and current sink. Current source dimmers are actively powered, providing current to the circuit. Current sink dimmers act as a passive resistive load, dissipating current from a powered source. In any given configuration, one of the two (dimmer or driver) needs to be source.
There are limitations on how many drivers can be placed on a single dimmer. The specifications for dimmer and driver, whether sinking and sourcing, are key. Below is an example showing driver quantities determined by amperage:
100mA Dimmer = 20 Drivers @ 5mA each Or 100mA Dimmer = 2 Drivers @ 50mA each
As long as the combined amperage of drivers does not exceed the dimmer amperage, dimming will go very low and very high. If amperage of combined drivers exceeds dimmer amperage, the range is compromised, increasing from the low-end and decreasing at the high-end.
Regardless of the standard (1-10V VS 0-10V) or the technology (current source VS sink), there is not a specific requirement for the “minimum” output. It’s common for a fixture to not be completely OFF when dimmer is set at it minimum. Some of the common minimum output values are: 10%, 5% or 1%. When a driver is labeled “Dim to Black” or “Dim to Off”, the driver has a 0% minimum.
Startup behavior is not often consistent if driver specs vary on one 0-10V line, dimming up at different speeds and dimming curves. In addition, startup time might not be the same when dimmer is set to a high level (ex: 80% or more) VS when its set at low levels (Ex: 20% or less). At low levels, startup time may be significantly higher.
When a 0-10V dimmer includes an ON/OFF relay and dimmer is set on low-end (ex: 5%), some drivers will have power starving issues, creating flickering or strobing when powering up.
Due to the low-voltage / low-current characteristics of these dimming technologies, performance can be affected by un-shielded wires being sensitive to electromagnetic and conductive interferences. These interferences could result on noise that would be quite visible on the very low-end of the dimming range and result in LED flickering when dimming very low.
Voltage drop is another known issue with 0-10V dimming due to being a low-voltage / low-current system. In some installations, wire gauge is very thin causing a significant wire resistance resulting in voltage drop. The result of this issue can cause luminaires closer to the 0-10V dimmer to be brighter than the luminaires located farthest away from the dimmer.
BubblyNet has several tools to mitigate these issues:
Dimming Range Each 0-10V controller has configurable maximum and minimum limits to adjust dimming range individually which increases compatibility between various drivers on the same circuit (0-10V, 1-10V, Dim to Black, etc..)
Transition Time In addition to dimming range, each 0-10V controller can configure transition time, also increasing compatibility with various drivers on same circuit.
Relay Function When using an LED driver that is not Dim to Black (or Dim to Off), the DC powered 0-10V controller would not turn fixture completely off. By including a 20mA Power Pack accessory, full off is available.
BubblyNet also offers a AC 0-10V Relay for drivers that dim only to 5% or 10%.
