UL helps Advance LED Lighting Innovations

Digital Illumination Interface Alliance (DiiA) accredits UL Italian lighting laboratory for global LED drivers, control gear and device interoperability and compliance testing

UL, a leading global safety science company, announced that its lighting laboratory in Carugate, Italy, located in metro Milan, has received accreditation from the Digital Illumination Interface Alliance (DiiA) to be a Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol test house. As an international standard for a two-way communication system that brings digital technology to lighting, DALI defines the commands that LED drivers and ballasts need to recognize in order to communicate via controllers and computers equipped with appropriate software or building management systems.

With the DiiA accreditation, UL has now the ability to test control gears and devices, such as push-buttons and occupancy and light sensors, against the DALI standard.  DALI, as a recognized industry-standardized protocol, is specified in the international standard IEC 62386, as well as by new specifications written by DiiA, including DALI-2.  DALI-2 is the second-generation protocol based on the 2014 restructuring of the IEC 62386 standard that included the addition of application controllers and input devices.

With the DALI-1 registration requirements ending Dec. 31, 2019, new specifications in DALI-2, including bus timing and bus power, the interoperability between multiple vendors is improved. Other new DALI-2 specifications include polarity insensitivity that enables easier installation with less wiring needed for bus-powered units, an extended fade time – from 100ms to 16 minutes – that increases flexibility for the end user and a query of the light-source type that enables easier maintenance. UL DiiA-accredited tests are now accepted as part of the DALI-2 certification process that are required prior to DiiA certification, which helps ensure multiple vendor interoperability and ultimately increase user acceptance.

In addition to the new DALI-2 testing specifications, UL’s lighting laboratory in Carugate together with their UL colleagues from Basingstoke, England, which is a certified testing partner for Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth^® technologies, is now offering interoperability testing of wireless connectivity. Ahead of upcoming, anticipated DALI wireless specifications, the testing focuses on an application gateway solution to Zigbee and the use of Thread and Bluetooth^® as an underlying wireless carrier to establish a DALI-2 end-to-end communication.

Roberto Inclinati, global senior business development manager of UL’s Lighting division said, “UL is excited to be a key part of the growth and safe adoption of new LED innovations that help fuel the lighting industry globally. This new DiiA accreditation equips us better to support companies bringing new LED technologies to market and meet regulatory requirements that help fast-track their project fulfillment.”

UL helps create a better world by applying science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The Company empowers trust by enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. All the work is done, from independent research and standards development, to testing and certification, to provide analytical and digital solutions, helps improving global well-being. Businesses, industries, governments, regulatory authorities and the public put their trust in UL to make smarter decisions.

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