Dimming LED strips - many possibilities
While incandescent bulbs can be dimmed relatively easily by reducing the voltage, this is no longer that easy with LED strips. LEDs are electronic components, so-called semiconductors, and require a certain voltage to light up. Nothing happens under this threshold value, and only at a certain voltage level the brightness does suddenly increase. It is done by current control, realized via other electronic components. These convert the input voltage into an analog current for the LEDs, so that the following dimming variants are possible.
Variant 1 - voltage variation
The operating device for e.g. 12V or 24V is reduced in the output voltage.
Variant 2 - PWM dimming
The operating voltage is switched on or off for different periods (Pulse Width Modulation).
The operating devices must be aligned accordingly, depending on the various control options on the user side.
Option 1 - The transformer itself is conventionally dimmable.
Special dimmable LED transformers can be used with commercial leading/ trailing edge dimmers. These are often already available. Here, the LED transformer is switched directly after the phase dimmer. The LED strips are then simply connected to the LED transformer. This solution is often used if only the existing three lines (L, N, PE) are available in the house installation. Disadvantage: limited dimming range.
Option 2 - Transformer can be dimmed via external control cable
Some manufacturers offer LED transformers with an additional control input. The output voltage can be changed or switched via a control voltage such as 1-10V, a potentiometer, a DALI signal or a PWM signal. The principles are different and depend on the respective type. This solution is also often combined with radio modules(e.g. Casambi)
Dimmable transformers are particularly suitable if the LED strips have only one light colour.
Option 3 - Fixed voltage transformer with additional PWM dimmer
This variant offers maximum flexibility and is also suitable for retrofitting in existing installations. The additional PWM dimmer is installed between the power supply and the LED strips. The desired degree of dimming can be set in many different ways (DALI, push-button, 1-10V, wireless, Bluetooth, WLAN with additional module). Not only single-colour but also multi-colored (DUAL-White, RGB, RGBW) LED strips can be controlled.
Option 4 - LED transformers with integrated PWM dimmer
These are LED transformers where the dimming level can be set directly via the DALI or DMX interface. The LED transformer is supplied directly with the power supply (230V). The LED strips are also connected to the LED transformer. The advantage here is that only one component is required for dimming. It is controlled via the integrated DALI or DMX interface.
Do not hesitate to contact our experts for LED strips. We will be happy to advise you. Or scroll down for more details on this page.