Lighting & Controls
Lighting Control Protocols
How 0-10V, DALI-2, DMX and wireless differ — and which one your building should actually be specified with.
The control protocol decision is made early, is expensive to reverse, and is frequently made by default rather than deliberately. It determines how granular your control can be, how much wiring the installation needs, and what you will be able to do with the system in ten years.
0-10V — the commercial default
An analog protocol: a low-voltage DC signal tells the driver how bright to be. It is inexpensive, universally supported by commercial LED drivers, and requires no specialist commissioning knowledge.
The limitation is architectural. 0-10V is one-way — the driver receives a level and reports nothing back. Every control zone needs its own physically separate wiring run, so changing the zoning later means changing the wiring. There is no fixture-level feedback, no addressing, and no way to know that a driver has failed.
For a building with simple, stable zoning and a tight budget, it remains the correct answer.
DALI-2 — addressable and bidirectional
DALI is a digital protocol standardised internationally as IEC 62386. Each device on the bus has its own address, so grouping and zoning are configured in software rather than in conduit. One DALI network addresses up to 64 control devices.
The important difference from 0-10V is that DALI-2 is bidirectional. Fixtures report status back — lamp failure, driver failure, energy consumption, sensor readings. That makes commissioning far easier and enables genuine maintenance reporting rather than waiting for someone to notice a dark fixture.
DALI-2 specifically added standardised control devices — sensors and input devices — with certification, which addressed the interoperability problems that dogged original DALI installations.
- Rezone in software, no rewiring
- Fixture-level status and fault reporting
- Standardised, certified sensor and input devices
- Higher material and commissioning cost than 0-10V
- 64 devices per network — larger buildings need multiple buses and a gateway
DMX — speed and colour
DMX came from theatrical lighting and remains the right protocol where you need fast changes and colour control. Architectural feature lighting, façade lighting, colour-changing installations and anything requiring instant scene transitions are DMX territory.
DMX with RDM adds bidirectional communication for automatic addressing during commissioning and device status reporting. For general building illumination DMX is the wrong tool — it is optimised for a problem general lighting does not have.
Wireless — retrofit economics
Wireless control systems eliminate control wiring entirely, which changes retrofit economics dramatically. In an occupied building with a finished ceiling, pulling control wire is frequently the largest line item in a controls project — and wireless removes it.
The trade-offs are real: battery replacement in sensors and switches, RF environment considerations in buildings with heavy structure or significant interference, and a wider spread in cybersecurity maturity between manufacturers. The DLC QPL is genuinely useful here, because it verifies cybersecurity and data access claims that are otherwise difficult to evaluate from a datasheet.
| Attribute | 0-10V | DALI-2 | DMX | Wireless |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal type | Analog | Digital | Digital | Digital RF |
| Addressable | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reports back | — | ✓ | ± | ✓ |
| Rezone in software | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Control wiring | Per zone | Shared bus | Daisy chain | None |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Higher | Higher | Varies |
| Best when | Stable zoning, budget-driven | Layouts change, maintenance data | Colour & fast scenes | Occupied retrofits |
How we choose
Stable zoning, cost-driven, new construction with conduit already planned: 0-10V. Buildings where layouts change, or where maintenance reporting has value: DALI-2. Colour or fast scene work: DMX. Occupied retrofit with finished ceilings: wireless, with the QPL cybersecurity entries actually read rather than assumed.
Mixed approaches are common and legitimate — DALI-2 in the office floors, 0-10V in the warehouse, DMX on the façade.
Common questions
Can I mix protocols in one building?
Yes, and it is often the economically correct answer. Different areas have genuinely different requirements. A head-end system or gateway can bring them under one interface where that matters.
Is DALI worth the extra cost over 0-10V?
It depends on whether your zoning will change. If the building layout is stable, 0-10V does the job for less. If you reconfigure space — most offices, most multi-tenant buildings — DALI pays for itself the first time you rezone in software instead of paying an electrician to rewire.
How many fixtures can one DALI network handle?
A single DALI network addresses up to 64 control devices. Larger installations use multiple networks joined through a gateway or controller, which is routine rather than a limitation.
Ready to talk about your project?
Tell us what you need and we will give you a straight answer on scope, schedule and cost. No obligation, and no pressure if it turns out we are not the right fit.