---
title: "DALI config plugin 2.00"
canonical: "https://docs.cuesystem.com/space/CVCHELP/524157066/DALI%20config%20plugin%202.00"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (toc)
---
# Introduction
#### The “DALI Config” plugin serves three main tasks:
1. Create a complete configuration for the new installation of the DALI system
2. Make changes to the existing DALI system, including configuring newly added lights and ballasts.
3. Read configuration of already configured DALI system to get info about existing DALI addressing (- necessary for following CVC programming)
#### Important note:
The “DALI Config” plugin application is possible to use only if the DALI port of the controller is connected to a properly working DALI bus with a DALI power source!
The Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI), international standard IEC-60929, allows to control of up to 64 ballasts – sometimes called also DALI gears (with Short Addresses 0-63). The ballasts can be organized into up to 16 Groups (Group addresses 0-15) and in up to 16 scenes (Scene 0-15). Every ballast in the system shall be able to have 1 Short Address and 16 Group addresses and shall react to broadcast commands. Every ballast shall be able to store levels for 16 scenes, FADE RATE, FADE TIME, MIN LEVEL, MAX LEVEL, POWER-ON, and SYSTEM FAILURE levels. All these parameters can be set individually for each ballast using the “DALI Config” application. The Group setting is considered to be the most important part of the configuration as Group addressing is the most common way how the DALI systems are programmed.
The Short Addresses of all ballasts must be assigned first. All used Short Addresses in one system must be in the range 0-63 and must be unique. These Short Addresses are assigned during the so-called Commissioning process, based on the generation of 24-bit random numbers (Random addresses). Random addresses are then used to identify all ballasts in the system to assign or check their Short Address. It can sometimes happen -even if it is not much probable- that some manufacturer's method of random number generation is not “random enough” and so there could appear conflicts as the same Random addresses appear in the system. This conflict can lead to situations where some ballasts are not found. This appears seldom, but it is normal and could sometimes happen. In such a case, if the number of ballasts found by the application is not the same as the number of installed ballasts, then simply repeat the action. The new Random addresses will be generated, and so you could repeat the action until the number of ballast would be equivalent to the real number of ballasts in installation.
# Preparation
It is good practice prior to any attempt to set up a new DALI installation to make some basic checks:
1. Check the voltage on the DALI bus. It should be in the range of 9.5 V - 22.5 V, typically 16V (note that some DALI gears require the voltage at the top of the range for their proper function!) Some DALI power sources are equipped with signalization if the DALI bus power state is OK. This is always good to be checked as well.
2. Check that all the lights are connected to mains power by switching on the circuit breaker. All the DALI ballasts should go to the “Power-On-Level” (factory setting 100%)
3. Check that the DALI port of your controller is properly connected to the DALI bus (note that the polarity of DALI wires is not important)
4. start the DALI Config plugin: **Right-click the controller with the DALI port in CVC Configuration and then select the Plugging item from the menu**.
5. with the running application, the DALI LED on the controller should remain dark if the DALI bus state is OK. If all is OK and the controller is transmitting valid data onto the DALI bus, then DALI led blick with the GREEN light. If the DALI bus power state is not correct (bus disconnected, shorted, or failed power source), then the DALI led is RED. When the problem on the bus is corrected, the RED light is switched off immediately.
# Starting DALI Config
- make sure you went through the steps mentioned in the section Preparation
**Right-click the controller with the DALI port in CVC Configuration and then select the Plugging item from the menu**. (Providing that controller with DALI port is online and is connected to properly powered DALI bus!)
The DALI Config starts with an empty page and waits for the user to choose how the data will be obtained from the connected DALI system. At this point, the user must select if a completely new installation is to be configured – then the “New Installation” button should be used, or the existing configuration is to be read (either for the next editing or just to obtain configuration info). In this case, the “Scan DALI bus” should be used.
#### **Description **
#### Buttons
Scan DALI Bus
The function performs a complete scan of the connected DALI bus. It scans all 64 possible Short Addresses in the system. The found ballasts are displayed in the DALI table on the left side of the page. The function makes no change in any parameter of properly set ballast unless the check box Check&Repair is set.
In case when the check box Check&Repair is set, the scan operation continues with the Short Address collision test and with Search for not configured ballasts. In case these checks would find some improperly set ballast, the new values are assigned.
New Installation
The button is to be used when a new DALI installation is configured, or the setting of Short Addresses in the whole system is to be renewed. In case when the check box Reset All is set, the function would also reset all ballasts to their default state, including their Group membership and Scene levels.
#### Checkboxes
Check&Repair
If checked, the operation of “Scan DALI bus” would also perform the check for Short Address collisions and Search for ballasts with missing Short Address. In case these checks would find some improperly set ballast, the new values are assigned.
Reset All
If checked - then during “New Installation,” all parameters are set to their default values. All ballast individual parameters will be deleted, and all former ballast presets would be lost! If not checked, all properly set parameters remain unchanged except Short Address – meaning all presets like group membership, scene levels, etc. would be kept unchanged.
Auto Addressing
If checked and whenever the new Short Address is to be assigned, then its value is set automatically. This need for a new Short Address would appear if new ballast is found in the system or when the address collision is to be repaired.
If this check box is not checked, the user would be asked to choose a new value by himself. The appropriate light is blicking (with approx 1s period) while waiting for user selection. This blicking would last until the new address is set. This way, the user can identify which ballast needs the new Short Address. See the section **Assigning Short Address** **for new ballast** below.
#### ALL BALLASTS buttons
Min.Level
Max.Level
Off
This group of buttons is situated in the middle of the screen and serves to send basic commands Recall Min Level, Recall Max Level, and Off.
Note that these commands are sent to all ballasts in the system using the Broadcast address, so the buttons are operational even in the state when the system is not configured and even if short addresses are not assigned!
# Changing parameters
When the action started with “Scan DALI Bus” or “New Installation” is finished and ballasts are found on the DALI bus, then the ballast editing box appears. The DALI ballast table on the left side is filled with found ballasts.
Check the number of ballasts found now. If all is OK, it is possible to edit the ballast parameters. To choose the ballast, click the appropriate line in the table, and the ballast parameters should appear in the ballast editing box.
Note that by clicking the table column name, you can sort records ascending/descending either by Short Addresses or by Device type.
#### **Description of the ballast editing box **
All changeable parameters of the edited ballast are displayed in WHITE fields – you can change any of them by clicking this field - then an appropriate box for selecting a new value would appear, and you can select the new value for this parameter - see section **Parameter setting** below.
The checkboxes GROUPS 0-15 can be used for setting the ballast membership to groups.
Note that changed values are not valid immediately. The changed values are first displayed in RED color until the button Write is used. Then the parameter is written to ballast and as they became valid, they are displayed in BLACK again as valid values.
#### Buttons
Read
Reads immediately all actual values of parameters from the ballast and updates all the data on the page according to the actual state
Write
Writes all values to the ballast.
Test
The button causes the selected ballast to start switching between Max. Level and Min. Level with approx. 1 second period. The light blicking would last until the button is pressed again or any other action is selected.
Change Address
This button allows setting a different value for the Short Address. Pay attention to avoid a possible collision. The application is always displaying a warning if a collision appears. Note in this place that the collision could not be simply repaired in some cases unless “New Installation” is used! When the new selection of Short Address is confirmed, it is written immediately to the ballast! See the section **Changing Short Address** below.
Max. Level
Min. Level
Off
These buttons set the ballast light to the required state immediately.
#### Checkboxes
Groups
When checked, the ballast is set to a member of the selected Group. The Group setting is considered to be the most important part of the configuration as the Group addressing is the most common way how the DALI systems are programmed.
# Parameter setting
When ballast parameters are changed then prior to the Write button being used, the page could look like this. The parameters prepared to be changed are in RED. After using the Write button, the parameters became valid and BLACK again.
#### Level parameters
Selecting any “level” type of parameter by clicking its value in the WHITE field, the Level setting box would appear. For example, when selecting Scene 6 level of ballast with Short Address 1, it would look like this:
Using the slider, the new value can be set. Note that not all levels in the range 00.00% to 100.00% can be set by DALI exactly as the actual level is set in 255 levels (0-254) using a logarithmic scale. In such a case, the nearest possible DALI arc level is taken as the target level.
By Scene level, there is also a button for selecting if this ballast would be enabled or disabled for this particular Scene.
#### Fadetime parameter
This parameter is valid for the SetLevel command. It can be set to predefined values from the list.
#### Faderate parameter
This parameter is valid for Level changing commands like Up, Down, etc. It can be set to predefined values from the list.
# Assigning Short Address for new ballast
When AutoAdressing is not checked and new ballast is found, the user is asked to select the new Short Address.
The dropdown listbox allows setting a new value for Short Address. If a collided address was selected, the application would display a Warning.
Pay attention to avoid a possible collision. In some cases, the collision could not be simply repaired unless “New Installation” is used!
#### Buttons
OK
Serves for confirmation of selected value a new Short Address is written immediately to the ballast.
Cancel
Cancels the operation.
Auto Addressing
Pressing this button allows switching on the option AutoAddressing
# Changing Short Address
#### Change address button
When selecting the button “Change Address”, the Short Address setting box would appear:
The meaning of all parts is the same as in the section above except the button Delete ShortAddr.
#### Button
OK
Serves for confirmation of selected value a new Short Address is written immediately to the ballast.
Cancel
Cancels the operation.
Delete ShortAddr
Deletes current Short Address, and ballast remains as ballast with no assigned Short Address. Such ballast could be assigned again using either New Installation or Scan DALI bus with the Check&rRepare option.