Command & control

We control our lives with our smartphones, so why should lighting be any different? Now, intelligent lighting is yours to command and at your fingertips. OSRAM offers simple, powerful solutions for app-controlled lighting. Installation, maintenance and configuration are made more convenient, efficient and user-friendly; thanks to the power we all have in our pockets.

Productive and creative work in professionally-illuminated environments is one of the most important factors in buildings for both companies and their employees. Too often, setting up and using these systems in the most beneficial ways are locked behind complex interfaces or complicated procedures. With this in mind, OSRAM has worked to make configuration and control easier, and now with mobile application control, it is.

App control is revolutionizing commercial lighting

An interview with Norbert Fuchs, Product Manager for LUXeye and Ursula Krüger, Product Manager for DALI ACU BT

OSRAM: What impact has digitalization had on lighting solutions and how do you interpret the potential of app-controlled lighting?

Norbert Fuchs: Digitalization occurred much faster than expected. Lighting has come a long way from incandescent lamps. With smartphone app control, there are unlimited possibilities. A lot of our customers – including installers, wholesalers and OEMs were unsure how to take advantage of these possibilities. We partner with them using IoT solutions to enable digitalization with app control, by providing the knowledge, infrastructure and products.

Ursula Krüger: Especially in Europe and other industrialized countries, light digitalization is already established and continues to evolve. Everyone has their smartphone at hand constantly, and it is obvious that the mobile phone is also used for lighting control.

OSRAM: How do your products help make installation and maintenance more efficient? What are the end-user benefits?

Norbert Fuchs: LUXeye is our energy efficient, autonomous compact light control with motion sensors and it’s an app interface. Customers can easily update the main parameters with a screwdriver, however they wanted greater flexibility and control, which they have with the smartphone app. The app adds transparency, and customers can also receive diagnostic information.

Ursula Krüger: It is important for the installer that everything is easy to install, without complex wiring. The DALI ACU BT is ideal if there is existing DALI lighting. There is nothing to configure, and existing configurations can be customized in the app with drag & drop and drop-down menus. This saves time and costs, with easy troubleshooting.

OSRAM: How does the app revolution apply to commercial lighting? What is the general idea behind app control?

Norbert Fuchs: App control gives commercial customers the ability to override autonomous lights. The customer can easily change the default settings. We created two apps, the commissioning app helps to minimize commissioning time. The other app is designed for the end-user – it’s a controller. In designing the apps, we learned from our previous experience with other products, to make everything more efficient.

Ursula Krüger: The trend to focus on people and their needs is clear. Human Centric Lighting is becoming more and more important, and our controller is ideally suited, together with the app. The installer can use the configuration menu intuitively, and the end-user can adjust lighting to individual preferences.

OSRAM: What challenges do commercial lighting professionals and their customers face in the current lighting landscape?

Norbert Fuchs: The demands of modern business have created many challenges. The need for easier commissioning by installers and greater control and ease of use by end-users, the ability to retrofit existing systems and to provide future-proofing. LUXeye addresses these challenges.

Ursula Krüger: Commercial lighting requirements vary greatly. From a small office, large office, to solutions for entire floors or entire office buildings. The challenge today is to give installers and end-users the opportunity to understand and then apply the new digital world. The advantage of our solution DALI ACU BT, is that it is simple, without the need for prior knowledge.

OSRAM: How can app control make the life of OEMs, architects and electricians easier?

Norbert Fuchs: The app provides total control. An electrician can simply connect the light to the LUXeye controller, then after aligning with the customer, finetune each setting using the smartphone app, creating an individual profile.

Ursula Krüger: OEM customers are increasingly demanding smart lighting. Our two controllers allow OEMs to make existing luminaires future-proof or smart- ready by replacing a component. Architects are strongly design- oriented, it is important that light is not consciously perceived, that it is part of the creative solution.

OSRAM: The benefits for end-users?

Norbert Fuchs: Over the last few years, end-users have had the ability to control their home lighting, and they have been asking for this in their working environment. We ensure our products are very human-focused and user- friendly. With app control, they can easily control the lighting to their personal preferences.

Ursula Krüger: A good example is a meeting room in a small office. At the beginning of a presentation, I can already save and activate a light mood on the app in my smartphone. After the presentation, when there is a discussion, I can call the next profile to adjust the light up again, repeatedly changing the color mood without having to touch the light switch.

OSRAM: Where do you see the future of app-controlled lighting?

Norbert Fuchs: It is an exciting time. As digitalization for commercial lighting becomes more and more advanced, we will develop new features for existing apps, as well as new products. App-controlled lighting is a living project.

Ursula Krüger: We are in the process of integrating what we like to call "mesh-ability", which means that the individual controllers can communicate with each other, so that larger groups can be formed, supporting more complex lighting scenarios in the office. Today you can control up to 32 lights with one controller, in the future you can form groups within the 32 lights and control them differently.

Why integrate app control into your lighting installations?

Save time, effort and labor.

App control can give you the ability to quickly install, configure and update DALIeco BT, DALI ACU BT, DALI PRO and LUXeye systems (individual systems vary in capabilities). Setup is faster and easier. Non-invasive maintenance is more efficient, meaning happier customers and less time spent on callouts. With app control you can reduce the number of specialized tools you need for on-site visits – a smartphone is a tool you always have by your side.

Depending on the chosen solution, app control offers:

• Faster and simpler commissioning
• Easy configuration and pre-configured devices
• Customizable user interfaces
• Retrofit options for existing systems
• Easy-to-update firmware over-the-air
• Diagnostics and status reporting
• Password protection

Why use apps to control your lighting?

The right light, at the right time, in the right location.

It’s possible with app control. With multiple intelligent lighting control features that ensure the light setting is perfect for the current use of the room, app control gives users an easy way to control their comfort. Switch all the lights on a floor on or off with a simple swipe, saving energy, and manage preferences without needing to access a maintenance panel or central control. Easily set lighting scenes to activate at certain times and on certain days, depending on your needs. With app control, professional lighting systems can now be easily controlled via smartphone. You can configure the app’s functions and override automated settings to suit your preferences.

Depending on the individual solution, app control offers:

• Comfortable switching and dimming
• Instant information from clearly-arranged room groupings
• The ability to activate/override daylight controls
• A selection of static lighting scenes and dynamic sequences
• Control elements for colored light (RGB)
• Control elements for color temperature adjustment (tunable white)

Increase the utility of your existing installations

Existing DALI-compatible installations can be app enabled by adding DALIeco BT, DALI ACU BT Control units, providing a state-of-the-art control of your current lighting system.

Find the right solution for your application

Keep it powerful, but simple

For small- to medium-sized rooms and single luminaires, consider the DALIeco BT and DALI ACU BT. Any space under 100m² with up to 32 luminaires is ideal:

• Offices: single and group workplaces
• Smaller conference rooms
• Staircases and foyers
• Toilets and washrooms
• Corridors in factories and warehouses

Choose the perfect design for each type of installation: DALIeco BT for linear lights, built directly in the luminaires, and DALI ACU BT for compact lights, which can be installed next to the light fixture in flush-mounted boxes. Both controllers also support tunable white. Another advantage of DALIeco BT or DALI ACU BT is better handling during configuration. Preferences can be set directly on the luminaire, without needing to go back to a central control system or physically accessing the unit. Compared to IR-based controls that need to be pointed directly at a receiver, users do not need a specialized controller. Everything is easily done using the control app, which gives users the power they need at their fingertips: intuitive light and color adjustment, saving individual light scenes and manually overwriting the automatic controls.

Automatic for the people

For areas with high, but intermittent traffic, LUXeye, the Bluetooth-enabled light management system for demand-based and energy-efficient lighting attachments, is perfect. With its integrated light and presence sensors, it’s great for small offices and meeting rooms.

Install LUXeye in areas with up to 20 luminaires like:

• Conference rooms
• Training rooms
• Offices
• Corridors

Choose from two versions. The dimmable LUXeye Sense DALI BT can control up to 20 luminaires via a DALI interface, while the LUXeye Sense 10A BT features a 10-amp switch relay. The basic functions: light level and delay time can be easily adjusted with a screwdriver, saving time. But for fine control, the LUXeye configuration app lets you adjust everything. With pre-defined profiles, you can select the best settings for different office applications, or create individual profiles according to the needs of your customers.

Proven flexibility, floor by floor

For larger spaces or whole floors with up to 1024 luminaires, a DALI PRO light management system is your best choice.

It’s perfect for installations that require more room:

• Industry halls and warehouses
• Schools and colleges
• Larger retail spaces
• Medium-sized office buildings
• Multi-room office areas
• Places with more sophisticated lighting requirements

With its four DALI lines (up to 256 luminaires* per controller), the DALI PROFESSIONAL light management system offers a solution for virtually all requirements for lighting control in modern buildings. Multiple rooms and larger office areas are easy to set up and manage.

Lighting preferences and configurations can be defined using smartphone Wi-Fi. DALI PRO can create up to 30 user profiles and 250 individual elements for highly intricate scenarios and controls each luminaire or group of luminaires in all rooms according to individual requirements: turn the lights on or off, dim them, change the light colors or adjust the color temperature. The integrated real-time clock allows to build up state of the art HCL solutions or integration of dynamic elements like facade lighting or cove lighting in meeting areas.

With the Wi-Fi enabled DALI PRO Control app, this flexible system can now be easily controlled via smartphone. The app’s functions can also be configured with a PC. Compared to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi increases the connectivity range of the app and allows parallel access to multiple users.

App control for tailor-made light management systems

Whether setting up a new lighting solution or upgrading an existing installation, you have a range of compatible products to choose from.