Specifications

Controlling LED Lighting18
In order to function properly, a lighting system must have an appropriate set of triggers to display the
light output when and how it’s needed. Triggering methods are determined by such concerns as the
type of lighting system, the level of automation required, how much local or user control the system
needs, security, and the physical layout of the space in which the lighting system is installed.
Triggering and integration
Small, stand-alone, or special-purpose lighting systems
often need only a single location and method of triggering.
A system for illuminating and accenting the bar area in a
restaurant, consisting of a few dozen color-changing linear
and wall-washing LED lighting fixtures, can be controlled
by a wall-mounted keypad that triggers a set of pre-set
scenes or light shows. A system for façade illumination,
consisting of several runs of LED floodlights, can be
automatically turned on and off at set times of day on a
schedule managed by a single controller.
Medium to large lighting systems, especially those that
perform several different functions in different zones
or locations, can use a mixture of different triggering
strategies and devices. Complex architectural and
entertainment lighting systems often require the services
of a systems integrator or value added reseller to create a
unified, functioning system that meets all of your needs.
For example, a color touchscreen located in a secure
area can serve as a primary controller to manage and
communicate with the entire system. The touchscreen
integrates with other controllers on the network to
combine and coordinate sound, video, interactivity
features, and special effects, or to integrate with building
automation systems.
Triggering devices offer varying degrees of automation and
control in different rooms or zones. Triggering strategies
include:
• Controller-managed timelines or schedules tailored to
the specific requirements of a zone
• Astronomical clocks that trigger lights based on
astronomical events, such as sunrise and sunset
• Occupancy sensors that dim or switch lights depending
on the occupancy of an area
• Daylight harvesting sensors that dim or switch lights
depending on the amount of daylight in an area
• Shade control systems that maximize energy efficiency
by automatically adjusting the brightness of lights in
coordination with motorized window shades
• Manual triggering using wall-mounted keypads installed
in accessible and convenient locations, or mobile
applications running on wireless hand-held devices, for
dimming lights, turning lights on and off, or triggering
pre-set scenes and light shows
• Manual triggering with the color touchscreen
incorporated into the Pharos Touch Panel Controller
(TPC), or touchscreen systems from companies such
as Philips Strand Lighting, Philips Dynalite, Crestron,
and AMX
DMX and Ethernet controllers from Philips Color Kinetics
and Pharos offer a variety of triggering strategies. The
software components of iPlayer 3, and Pharos LPC
controllers offer automated control through time-based
triggers and astronomical clocks. You can schedule one-
time events at a specific date and time, or recurring events
every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, or year.
Pharos controllers offer advanced conditional logic
for triggers and events through extensions to the Lua
embeddable scripting language.
Philips Color Kinetics and Pharos offer a range of lighting
system accessories, including keypads, contact-closure
devices, button panels, and mobile applications.