Read Through a DALI Gateway
Connect to the gateway or controller over its BACnet, Modbus, KNX or MQTT interface and read luminaire and group status in one pass.
Protocol Support
DALI Integration
Read lamp and driver failures, energy, operating hours and emergency test results from DALI lighting through a DALI gateway or controller, in the same tag model as the rest of the building.
- Standard
- IEC 62386 (DALI Alliance, with DALI-2 and D4i certification)
- Medium
- Two-wire bus carrying power and data, read through a DALI gateway or controller
- Topology
- Bus, star or mixed wiring (loops not allowed), one bus power supply per line
- Data Model
- Control gear (drivers) and control devices (sensors, buttons), addressed by short address, group and scene
What DALI Is
DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is the international standard, IEC 62386, for digital lighting control. LED drivers and other control gear share a two-wire bus that carries both power and data, and each one can be addressed individually, in groups and in scenes. DALI-2 adds certified control devices such as sensors and application controllers, and D4i adds luminaire, energy and diagnostics data. The bus is slow, at 1200 bit/s, so a DALI gateway or controller acts as the bus master and IoTServa reads the lighting data from that gateway rather than from the bus itself.
Native Address
DALI line 2, short address 14
Group 3
LED driver (device type 6)
Read via a BACnet/IP gateway
Normalized Tag
site.office.level-3.zone-b.luminaire-14.dim-level
80%
How IoTServa Connects DALI
Lamp and Driver Failures
Raise an alert when a luminaire reports a lamp or driver failure, with the failing address and zone named.
Energy and Operating Hours
Where drivers support D4i energy and diagnostics data, read power, energy and operating hours per luminaire.
Emergency Lighting Test Results
Collect function and duration test results and battery status from DALI emergency gear, and keep them as dated records.
Typical Jobs
- Lamp and driver failure alerts by address
- Emergency lighting test records for audits
- Energy and operating hours per zone
- Occupancy and light-level data beside HVAC and energy
Plan for These
The DALI bus runs at 1200 bit/s. Read the gateway at a sensible interval instead of querying every address.
Only an application controller can command control gear. IoTServa reads from the gateway or controller and does not replace it.
Not every driver reports energy or diagnostics. Confirm D4i or Part 252 and 253 support per driver before promising those data points.
Works Alongside the Others
A site rarely runs a single protocol. The same project can read all eight.
DALI Questions
What is a DALI gateway?
A DALI gateway connects a DALI line to a building or IT network. It acts as the application controller on the bus and presents luminaires or groups to other systems, usually through BACnet, Modbus, KNX or MQTT. IoTServa reads that interface, so the lighting data joins the same tag model as meters, HVAC and sensors.
Does IoTServa replace the DALI controller?
No. The gateway or controller stays the bus master and the application controller, because only an application controller can command control gear. IoTServa reads from it, trends the data and raises alerts. Commands can be added later if you enable control for the site.
What is the difference between DALI and DALI-2?
DALI version 1 covered control gear only and relied on self-declared compliance. DALI-2 adds control devices such as sensors and application controllers, and requires independently verified certification. DALI-2 is designed to be backward compatible. D4i extends DALI-2 with luminaire, energy and diagnostics data.
How many devices fit on one DALI line?
The DALI Alliance gives 64 control gear and 64 control devices per DALI subnet, and basic DALI addresses control gear with short addresses 0 to 63. Total bus current must stay within the supply rating, typically 16 V and up to 250 mA, and one bus power supply serves each line.
Bring Your DALI Devices. We Will Read Them.
Tell us the make and model of what is on site. We will scope a pilot against your real equipment.