Version OneLED Lamps & Systems, Sept 2010

Philips MASTER LED Knowledge Document Set

Ref. Title Dated Applies to

KD01 ‘Amoeba’ Explained W2 2010 MR16 4W, 7W, 10W

KD02 Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps W2 2010 All MV Dimmable

KD03 Dimming Low Voltage Lamps W2 2010 MR16 4W, 7W, 10W

KD04 Enhanced Red Effect W2 2010 GU10 PF, Novallure, and 250lm/470lm Bulb

KD05 Active Cooling W1 2010 MR16 7W & 10W

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Mains Voltage lamps operate on standard Alternating Current (AC) power supply, with the waveform below left. Dimmers cause a reduction in light output by reducing the total power delivered to the lamps, by ‘trimming’ a section of waveform. Trimming is either done on the leading edge or the trailing edge of a waveform, and dimmers are designated by these two types.

They can also sometimes be classified by the type of load they are designed to dim:

So all dimmer types are suited to R type loads, but specific dimmers are required for Low Voltage applications.

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps

How Dimmers Work

Leading Edge Trailing Edge

Load Type ‘R’ Lad Type ‘C’ Load Type ‘L’

Eg. Mains Voltage Halogen or GLS Lamps

Low Voltage with Electronic

Transformer

Low Voltage with Magnetic

Transformer

Leading Edge Dimmer

R X

RL X X

Trailing Edge Dimmer

RC X X

Either Trailing or Leading Edge

RLC X X X

Increasing Cost $$$

Decreasing # of Installations

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Choosing the Right Dimmer

However, LED lamps are not a pure R type load, and the large variation in dimmer types and designs from different manufacturers means not all dimmers can be used with LED lamps.

Philips is an industry leader on designing driver electronics that ensure best-in-class dimmer compatibility.

Currently, Philips LED lamps work best with R & RL type dimmers, while installation with RC & RLC type dimmers is not recommended. Common phenomena when connecting LED lamps with the wrong type of dimmer are:

•Flickering of the light in certain dimmer positions•Audible noise emitted from the dimmer unit•Light level is not dim enough even in lowest dimmer position

Philips knows the dimmer market and ensures there are available dimmer options in your country that offer exceptional dimmer performance.

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

The complexity of LED lamp electronics mean that dimming behavior may not be ‘intuitive’ in some cases. The following are known phenomena when using Philips LED lamps with certain dimmers.

The relationship between the dimmer knob position and the light output, during turning, may differ when increasing the light level than when reducing the light level. This is due to the LED lamp requiring a certain level of ‘activation power’ to switch on.

A desired dimming level may be more easily achieved when ‘dimming down’ than ‘dimming up’ from lowest dimmer position.

Depending on the dimmer type, the dimmer may offer the best minimum light level (when the dimmer is in the lowest position) with only one or two lamps. Additional lamps on a single dimmer can cause the minimum light level to increase.

Therefore, for applications where very dim light is required, such as ambience setting, it is better to have a lower number of lamps in the system.

Assymetrical Dimming Curves

Dimmest Light Achieved with Fewest Lamps

Max Light Level Same Max Light Level Same

Good Dimming Level Worse Dimming Level

One Lamp Dimmer at Max

Dimmer at Min

Five Lamps

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Despite the great energy saving offered by LED Lamps, dimmers cannot be overloaded with too many low-power lamps at once. The Philips ‘Rule of Thumb’ is the ‘10% Rule’:

The LED Lamp loading limit is defined as the Max Dimmer Rating * 10%For example, the limit for a MASTER LEDspot GU10 7W, used with a Niko 09-013 Dimmer is determined as follows:

How Many Lamps per Dimmer? Mains Voltage Lamps

What About Specialist Dimmers?

Dimmer Rating * 10% = 300W * 10% =

30W

1 Lamp = 7W OK

2 Lamps = 14W OK

3 Lamps = 21W OK

4 Lamps = 28W OK

5 Lamp = 35W NO

Apart from the phase cutting (mainstream) dimmers, there are also few types of special dimmers available in the market:

Sinus dimmers: Adjust the amplitude of the AC mains voltage, used in theatres1-10 V dimming interface: Analog means of driving a dimming input on an electronic driverDALI: Digital communication for professional (office) lightingDMX512 (+RDM): High speed communication bus for dynamic (entertainment) lightingWireless remote controls: Based on IR (infra-red) or RF (radio frequency), many protocols

(e.g. RC5, Zigbee, Z-wave, ...)

Our dimmable LED lamps are not compatible with all above special dimmers !!!

4 Lamps Max

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Max loading for a Low Voltage LED lamp is different:The Philips MASTER LEDspot MR16 should be considered by its Halogen Equivalent, when determining how many lamps can be added to a system

Then, the following mehod should be applied:

( )

TransformerTransformerBRANCHMax

SYSTEM Max

Dimmer RatingEquivalent Halogen

( )Transformer RatingEquivalent Halogen

7W MasterLED MR16

(= 35W Halogen)

200Wmax Dimmer

150VAmax Transformer

200 / 35 = 5.7

5 lamps in system

150 / 35 = 4.3

4 lamps per trafo

BRANCHMax

SYSTEM Max

Branch Max not reached, but additional MR16 would exceed System Max

EXAMPLE

How Many Lamps per Dimmer? Low Voltage Lamps (MR16, MR11)

1. Determine the max loading of both your transformer(s) and your dimmer: either in Watts (W) or Volt-Amps (VA).

2. Use the ratios below to determine a ‘System Max’ and ‘Branch Max’

3. Limit total lamps you can install by ‘System Max’...

4. …and ensure transformer load is sufficient to allow for each individual ‘Branch’

Knowledge Document KD03: Dimming Low Voltage Lamps Dimmer selection and behaviour for Philips MR16 7W & 10W (W2 2010 version)

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems 77