8- & 16- channel DMX AC LED dimmers

DIM16-ACL and DIM8-ACL

Firmware V1.1 4 Feb 2022

Specifications
Model DIM8-ACL DIM16-ACL
Supply voltage 100-250VAC. 50Hz (Please enquire for 60Hz)
No-load power
1W max
consumption
500mA per channel (115W at 230V)
Output current 500mA per channel (115W at 230V) Limited by total device load to 250mA average
across all channels
Total load 4Amps (920W at 230V)
Dimming method Trailing edge / phase-cut
Overcurrent trip 5A RMS (7A peak) across all channels
Overcurrent trip time <50uS
Interface DMX512. Configurable as 8 or 16 bit per channel
Hardware dimming
10 bit / 1024 steps
resolution
Dimming curve Linear phase delay with adjustable minimum value. Please enquire for custom curves.
Internal fuse 5A fast-blow. 5x20mm ceramic (user replaceable)
106 w x 90 h x 33mm d excluding
160 w x 90 h x 33mm d
connectors.
Dimensions 130mm Height including connectors and space
130mm Height including connectors and
for wiring
space for wiring
Weight 170g 240g
 Warning

As mains voltages are involved, the dimmer must be installed and tested by suitably
competent persons.
It must be installed inside a suitable enclosure which prevents access to live terminals, and
provides fire protection according to local regulations.

Disconnect the mains supply before making or disconnecting any connections.

It is strongly recommended that each dimmer be protected from overcurrent with a suitable circuit
breaker in addition to RCD/GFCI (earth leakage) protection to protect against faults with insulation,
water ingress or accidental contact.
RCD protection is ESSENTIAL for any installation outdoors or where water ingress is a
possibility. For ease of troubleshooting it is recommended to use a separate RCD for each dimmer.

Suitable ratings would be 6 amp 'B' time characteristic for overcurrent and 30mA for the RCD.

Note that specifically for AC LED tape, which has an integral rectifier, the RCD protection device
must be a type A, not type AC. Type A RCBO/RCDs will trip on rectified DC fault currents, which
are likely to occur if there is a fault after the rectifier.

For best overall protection and ease of troubleshooting, an individual 6 amp

RCBO ( combined RCD and overcurrent breaker) on each dimmer provides a
compact solution for protection and can be fitted on the same DIN rail
alongside the dimmer.
Example device : https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BGCRB06A.html

The dimmer must be securely mounted, either using DIN rail, or the keyhole
slots on the rear.
Connections
The outputs switch the live side, from the incoming live to the output terminals.
Loads are connected between the Live outputs 1 to 8 or 16 and any neutral terminal. On the 16-
channel unit, neutral terminals need to be shared between two loads.
All the neutral terminals are connected together internally, and linked directly to the supply neutral
terminal.
Load neutrals may alternatively be connected to an externally-commoned neutral

8-way 5.08mm (0.2”) pitch for the channel outputs.

e.g. Rapid Electronics 21-2845
Note these are also available in 5mm, which will not fit!

2-way 7.62mm (0.3”) pitch for the mains input

e.g. Rapid electronics 21-3451

3-way 3.5mm pitch for the DMX input

e.g. Rapid Electronics 21-3035

It is strongly recommended that bootlace ferrules are used on all connections to avoid issues with
stray strands or cable strain due to flexing.
Double-entry ferrules should be used when connecting two wires into a single terminal to provide
good strain relief

DMX Input
Input is standard DMX512, via a galvanically isolated DMX interface. RDM is not supported.
It is essential that DMX Ground is used – do not use with a two-wire DMX transmitter.
The DMX line should be terminated at the end furthest from the sending device with a 120 ohm
resistor connected between D+ and D-.
The 8-channel unit only has one DMX connector, so for daisychaining, The In and Out cables need
to be connected to the same terminal.

8 and 16 bit DMX channel values are supported.

16 bit mode allows finer control, though note that only the uppermost two bits of the fine value are
currently used, giving 10 bits (1024 steps) of actual resolution. In 16 bit mode, the MSB/Coarse
channel is first, i.e. DMX 1 = channel 1 coarse, DMX 2 = channel 1 fine, DMX 3 = channel 2
coarse etc.
In 8 bit mode, a minimum brightness value may be configured to maximise the control range of the
DMX channel value range.
16 bit mode is enabled by setting DIP switch 7 to ON.
Note that all 16 DMX channels used by the dimmer must be sent even if not all output channels are
used. i.e. for a single dimmer at address 1, 16 channels must be sent in 8 bit mode, 32 channels in
16 bit mode. For the 8-channel unit, it is still necessary to send values for 16 channels.

Addressing
Addressing is in blocks of 8 channels rather than a DMX channel number. Note that on the 16-
channel version, the dimmer occupies two 8-channel blocks, so dimmers should be addressed in
steps of two blocks. A full list of DIP switch settings can be found in Appendix 1

Blanking on loss of data

If no DMX data is received for 5 seconds, the outputs will be automatically blanked. This can be
disabled via device configuration ( see later)

Smoothing
The dimmers incorporate an internal intensity-smoothing function, which can provide significant
improvement of the aesthetic appearance of a lighting installation, especially where the source
frame rate is low or erratic. It can also be used to “soften” the turn-on of LED lamps to give an
appearance more like tungsten lamps.

The smoothing is effectively a crossfade between successive DMX frames, the speed of this
crossfade being selectable, either from fixed values via the DIP switch, or by the control system via
an extra DMX channel. The latter is controlled globally across all dimmers from DMX channel
number 1 ( regardless of dimmer address). The crossfade uses the full 10-bit resolution of the
hardware.

The best way to determine the optimum smoothing value is visually on the final installation, as it is
a very subjective effect, and will be a tradeoff between smoothness and speed of fast changes. It
will usually be fairly obvious where the ‘sweet spot’ setting is with some experimentation.

Creative use of smoothing can also simplify the task of content creation and reduce data bandwidth
requirements. Content can be simplified as transitions as crude as a simple on/off can become a
smooth fade with a suitably high smoothing value.
Reduction of bandwith ( by reducing frame rate) can be useful in large installations to reduce
overall data processing workload, or where DMX data is passing through an IP network or wireless
link, which may have variable bandwidth or latency limitations. For slow-moving content, source
frame rates as low as 10 frames per second can produce perfectly fluid results with no visible
jerkiness with careful choice of smoothing value.

SW Equivalent DMX value Approximate time for 0-100% fade

10..8 in global-ch1 mode
0 No smoothing (instant)

192 150mS
214 250mS
240 500mS
245 750mS
251 1.5 Seconds
253 3 Seconds
Smoothing controlled globally by DMX channel 1
DMX address of dimmer channels in increased by 1 in this
mode, i.e. Ch.1 on dimmer 1 is DMX channel 2
Test functions
Inbuilt test functionality allows testing of wiring and fixtures with no data source. Any incoming
DMX data will be ignored when in test mode.

1) Channel test mode

This mode is enabled when SW1-7 are all OFF
In this mode, the outputs sequence through 9 or 17 steps for the 8 and 16 channel models
respectively.
On entry to test mode (DIP switch change or power on), the steps will sequence continuously once
per second. If the button is pressed, auto-stepping will stop and the steps will advance manually on
each button press. Any change in any DIP switch setting returns to auto-sequencing.

The current step is indicated by the colour and flash length on the LED :
Steps 1..8 are a short flash of red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, white, off
Steps 9..16 are a long flash of the same sequence

2) Brightness test mode

This mode is enabled when SW1-6 are OFF and SW7 is ON.
In this mode, all channels cycle from 0 to 100% brightness in 16 steps. Controls are as per channel
test mode above.

3) Lamp test
Press and hold the button for >0.25 seconds – all outputs will light at 50% for as long as the button
is held.

LED indications :
Dim white : Idle
Green flash : DMX frame received.
Red : Overcurrent condition detected
Magenta : Overheat condition
Cyan : Internal fuse blown
White or yellow flash at startup : firmware version, indicated by number of flashes.
V1.0 = 1 flash, V1.1 = 2 flashes
Yellow indicates that overcurrent detection is disabled (see configuration section later).

Configuration mode
This mode allows for some additional configuration of dimmer operation. The configuration is held
in internal nonvolatile memory.

To enter configuration mode , press the button repeatedly and rapidly (approx 4x per second) until
the LED colour changes to a slow flash. Note that configuration mode cannot be entered if the
dimmer is in test mode ( SW1-6 all off)

Once in configuration mode, the LED will blink slowly, the colour indicating the function to be
configured. Pressing the button briefly will advance to the next function.
Pressing and holding the button until the LED goes out (approx 4 seconds) activates the selected
configuration function.

Configuration mode is exited by changing any DIP switch setting, it will also time out after approx.
30 seconds.
The dimmer outputs continue to operate normally in configuration mode.

LED colour Configuration function

Red Reset minimum brightness values to factory default ( 0-100%)
Green Set minimum brightness value for each channel to current DMX channel value
Yellow Set minimum brightness value for all channels to DMX value of the dimmer's first
channel ( as configured by DIP switch)
Blue Set minimum brightness value for all channels to the binary value set on SW1-8
(SW1 = 1. SW2 = 2 … SW7 = 64, SW8=128).
Note one of SW1..6 must be on to avoid activating test mode. A value of 0 can be
set using the red configuration function.
Magenta Disable overcurrent cutout. Led will still flash red if overcurrent is detected, but
outputs will not be turned off.
Cyan Enable overcurrent cutout and loss-of-data timeout ( factory state)
White Disable loss-of-data timeout (Firmware V1.1+ only)

Minimum brightness setting modes

Many types of LED bulb have a “dead zone” at the lower end of their brightness range, for example
it may be that with a particular bulb type, DMX values below 64 ( 25%) give no output, and the
lamp only starts lighting at its minimum brightness above this.

To maximise the useful control range in 8-bit mode, a minimum value can be set ( per channel or
globally), and the full range of DMX values scaled to maximise the control range above the
minimum.
For example if the minimum is set to 25%, then DMX values 1 to 255 will output 25 to 100%.
DMX 0 always outputs 0%, to avoid unnecessary power draw when lamps are off.

Minimum brightness settings only operate in 8-bit mode, and are ignored by brightness test mode.

There are three ways to set the minimum brightness value, they all set the same value, but use
different methods to specify the minimum value, to suit different setups.

The dimmer outputs operate as normal in configuration mode, and will reflect the currently
configured minimum brighntess settings.

Examples :
1) to determine and set the required minimum brightness setting for a particular type of LED bulb to
be used on all channels :
First ensure that minimum brightness is set to the factory default using the Red config mode.
Adjust the bulb brightness using the first channel of your DMX source so that it is just below the
point where the bulb goes out.
Activate the yellow config function.
Check the dimming range, and repeat if necessary.

2) To determine and set the minimum brightness for different bulbs on each channel :
As (1), but set each channel as required, and use the Green config mode.
3) To set minimum brightness to 25%, without using DMX source.
Set SW7 and SW1 on, and all others off ( DMX value 65 )
Activate the blue config mode

Overcurrent protection
The dimmer continuously measures total load current, and if this exceeds 5 amps RMS ( 7A peak),
will instantly turn off all outputs until the next mains half-cycle. This is intended to protect the
dimmer from output short-circuits and excessive inrush current, though may not be able to prevent
damage under all fault scenarios.

The LED will flash red briefly if the protection is triggered.

It is possible that loads with high inrush current may trigger the protection briefly if turned on
suddenly – if this occurs, it is suggested to use the smoothing function to limit the turn-on rate.
If the overcurrent protection causes serious issues then it is possible to disable overcurrent
protection using configuration mode, however please contact the manufacturer for advice before
doing this.
Appendix 1 – DIP switch address settings

Note both 8 and 16 bit products use the same switch settings, so the 16-channel dimmer would
normally use only odd-numbered DIP switch values ( in bold below) to avoid channels overlapping
between dimmers.

DIP switch 1-6 setting DMX address ( 8 bit mode) DMX address ( 16 bit mode)
Add 1 for SM=7 Add 1 for SM=7
0 Test mode - channel Test mode - brightness
1 1 1
2 9 17
3 17 33
4 25 49
5 33 65
6 41 81
7 49 97
8 57 113
9 65 129
10 73 145
11 81 161
12 89 177
13 97 193
14 105 209
15 113 225
16 121 241
17 129 257
18 137 273
19 145 289
20 153 305
21 161 321
22 169 337
23 177 353
24 185 369
25 193 385
26 201 401
27 209 417
28 217 433
29 225 449
30 233 465
31 241 481
32 249
33 257
34 265
35 273
36 281
37 289
38 297
39 305
40 313
41 321
42 329
43 337
44 345 s
45 353
46 361
47 369
48 377
49 385
50 393
51 401
52 409
53 417
54 425
55 433
56 441
57 449
58 457
59 465
60 473
61 481
62 489
63
Appendix 2 - Notes on suitable lamp types

Dimmable LED lamps

LED lamps sold as “Dimmable” vary considerably from model to model, and testing will be
required to determine suitability for a particular application.
Typical issues that may be seen are :
Flicker or inconsistent lamp-to-lamp brightness at the bottom end
Significant dependence on mains voltage variations , most noticeable at the bottom end
Hysteresis – the power may need to be increased to a certain level before the lamp can be
subsequently dimmed below that turn-on brightness.
Delays in turning on.
Most lamps will have a “dead-zone” at the low end, i.e. unlike tungsten lamps, they will not light at
all until a certain power is reached.

Mains-voltage LED tape.

This type of LED tape, which has just a rectifier between the mains input and the tape works very
well, with a wide dimming range all the way down to zero.

Tungsten filament lamps

Although the dimmer can be used with tungsten lamps, be aware that a common failure mode of
these lamps at end of life, or if subjected to mechanical shock is to draw a very high current surge
briefly as the filament breaks and an arc is formed across the filament supports. The internal
overload protection will typically protect the dimmer but this can't be guaranteed in all situations,
and the dimmer's output channel may be damaged.
If tungsten lamps are used, it is strongly recommended to add per-channel fusing using fast blow
fuses of no more than twice the lamp's nominal rating.
Another issue with tungsten lamps, particularly halogen types is a high inrush current when a cold
filament is first lit. Again, this inrush current could be high enough to cause damage, so it is
recommended that the lamps be faded up rather than turned on at full power from zero.
The dimmer's smoothing function may be helpful to ensure a suitably slow turn-on time.

Non-dimmable LED lamps

As you would expect, dimming performance for non-dimmable lamps will be poor to non-existent,
but the dimmer can be used for simple on/off control of these lamps.

Incompatible loads
The dimmer is not compatible with the following, and erratic operation and/or damage may occur
CFL and fluorescent lamps.
Discharge lamps.
Any inductive load : fans, motors, relays, transformers etc.