0-10V dimmer

[S-V-K]

Hi all,

I'm building LED light and after everything has been connected and ready for test I have realised that I have purchased dimmable driver which requires 0-10V dimmer.

I knew that I'm buying dimmable driver I just didn't realise that 0-10V dimmer would be a pain in rear side.

Is there anyway to fool driver without need to buy expensive dimmer ?

This is the driver I got :
http://uk.futureelectronics.com/en/...les/Pages/2001241-LEDINTA0350C425DO.aspx?IM=0

Many thanks for all your help

 

[exploziv]

well, if you don;t need the dimming function just get a cheap 10 V DC power supply and connect that as "the dimmer". that will make the driver do 100% power. (for 80% you need 8 V and so on).
pay attention to the possitive and negative poles when connecting it.

 

[hempfield]

You don't need to 'dim' the light - just use it at the maximum feeding 10V (or 12V ) to the violet (positive) and gray (negative) wires of the driver.

It does not start at all with the dimming input left unconnected ?

It's easy to build a low current 10V DC source straight from 220V AC (for example : http://electroschematics.com/3623/ac-powered-white-led-lamp/). For a more stable voltage you should use a 10V Zener diode with reverse polarity connected on the driver dimming input.

ATTENTION: Do not ever touch any wire or components of the above mentioned power source with bare hands when connected to the 220V as electroshock hazard may occur.

Good luck !

 

[exploziv]

It does not start at all with the dimming input left unconnected ?

0 V should be "off".

 

[hempfield]

0 V should be "off".

Seen this on the datasheet already (http://www1.futureelectronics.com/d...0W_0.35A_425V_0-10V_INT_LEDINTA0350C425DO.pdf) but I was thinking that left open the input will cause the driver to give maximum current (because the input voltage is not 0V - is just unknown) and to shut off when the input is in short circuit ( which really mean 0V).

L.E.: In the datasheet I found this :

Dimming Method : 0-10V
Dimming Range(%): 100% ~ 10%

which probably mean that you need an input voltage over 10% to have maximum current.

 

[S-V-K]

Guys thank you very much for all responses

LEDs do not go on with dimming cables unconnected but voltage is going to the board-meassured with mulrimeter.

I do have exactly same driver(not dimmable) which I have just now connected and leds do not come on. This leads me to believe that issue is -->not enough LEDs in a circuit.

I have 36 WW+CW leds = 3.2V-3.6V
and 4 red leds = 2.1V

36x 3.2V = 115.2V
4 x 2.1V = 8.4V

115.2V + 8.4V = 123.6V (roughly)

Driver I'm using has a minimal output voltage 120Vdc.

 

[hempfield]

What is the measured output voltage of the driver ? Did you measured it ? Are you sure all of your LEDs are functional and none of them is wrong connected ?

If a single LED of your chain is dead, all of your LEDs will stay off.

Is better that the summarized forward voltage of your LEDs to be always grater than the minimum output voltage of the driver.

L.E. Should I mention that you must be also very careful when working with this driver ? 120V can kill you , even on DC, so be very very careful and try to insulate every wire and soldering point that cat be accidentally touched.

 

[S-V-K]

What is the measured output voltage of the driver ? Did you measured it ? Are you sure all of your LEDs are functional and none of them is wrong connected ?

If a single LED of your chain is dead, all of your LEDs will stay off.

Is better that the summarized forward voltage of your LEDs to be always grater than the minimum output voltage of the driver.

L.E. Should I mention that you must be also very careful when working with this driver ? 120V can kill you , even on DC, so be very very careful and try to insulate every wire and soldering point that cat be accidentally touched.

All leds are functional- what I have done is basicaly touched + and - with multimeter. Then I have tested them different way= 1st led + and second led - and all are working spot on.

460V is coming to mcpcb boards.

Before you say that it's too much- I have prototype running for 2 years with that driver and have 100 leds connected to it so I believe that once you meet required minimum voltage driver will supply only what is needed.

I thought that DC is harmless

I'm going to attach another small mcpcb with 18 leds and see what will happen, fingers cross

 

[S-V-K]

Finaly I have manged to connect another board with 20 leds to meet minimal driver requirments. Well result is not as expected:-(

Lights do not come on :-(

Leds when tested individualy are working(multimeter touching + and - of indivudual leds).

To test if links between individual leds are working I'm placing positive probe of multimeter on positive of LED #2 and negative probe of multimeter and negative of LED #1 = they all lite up.

Is there any other way to test if board is ok ? Power is coming to pcb from a driver.
(had spare driver which was able to power up one board - burned it out last night=idiot I'm)

Thanks for all your help

 

[hempfield]

If every pcb lane between leds is ok that mean the driver has some problems . Are you sure you connected the wires with right polarity ?

Conect the driver to PCB and then measure the voltage drop starting from positive wire, on each led and group of leds and then start from negative wire in reverse order.

 

[S-V-K]

Found the fault and I can be officially called idiot :-\
Many thanks for all help

 

[luvdemshrooms]

Perhaps if you reveal the issue, others may benefit.