As the DiiA continues to update and expand the DALI certification program, staying informed about the latest developments is more important than ever.

DALI (IEC 62386) is the global standard for lighting control, shaping how DALI and DALI2 power and control systems operate across the entire lighting industry.

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Exploiting the best of the technology

The control system is key to maximizing any lighting application – especially as customers seek more advanced functionality and seamless technology integration.

To achieve the ideal balance of functionality and integration, a well-designed lighting control system is essential. It allows spaces to adapt dynamically, using features like automated dimming and colour control to adjust lighting based on the room’s purpose, time of day, natural light, occupancy, and more. These intelligent controls not only enhance the atmosphere but also significantly reduce energy consumption.

Connected lighting is increasingly being integrated into broader Internet of Things (IoT) applications, unlocking greater value from lighting infrastructure and controls. This article, however, focuses on a specific lighting control protocol—DALI—and its impact on targeted lighting applications. As DALI undergoes rapid updates to meet evolving user needs and technological advancements, we explore some of the latest developments shaping its future.

A well-lit cosmetics store interior with colourful ceiling lights powered by Bright Green Connect LED drivers. Displays showcase various beauty products, including perfume and makeup, organized neatly on shelves. The floor features a mix of white and gray tiles, enhancing the modern aesthetic.

What is DALI?

DIGITAL ADDRESSABLE LIGHTING INTERFACE

DALI is a standardised protocol for bi-directional communication between lighting control devices, using a 2-wire bus for both data and command transmission and, in some cases, power delivery.

Commands make it easy to control, configure, and monitor your devices. They can be sent to a single device, a selected group, or broadcast across the entire network. Scenes, on the other hand, provide a quick and efficient way to recall predefined settings for the whole system.

The DALI protocol was first developed in the late 1990s by the Digital Illumination Interface Alliance (DiiA), now known as the DALI Alliance — the global industry body for DALI lighting control. Since then, it has evolved through multiple revisions, leading to today’s DALI-2 standard (IEC 62386, version 2).

At its core, DALI and DALI2 are built on the principle of interoperability. DALI-2 strengthens this foundation by addressing gaps in the original standard, ensuring greater compatibility and reliability across devices.

Diagram of a DALI system showing a bus power supply, DALI-2 sensor, DALI-2 switch, application controller, bus line, and control gear components, with corresponding IEC standards labeled.

Why DALI?

DALI is a standardized protocol that enables two-way communication between lighting control products. Using a simple 2-wire bus, it carries both commands and data — and, in some cases, also provides power to connected devices.

Diagram showing a cloud-based control system connected to a DALI Gateway and DALI Bus, linking bus power supply, dimmer, sensor, DALI-2 drivers, and various LED lights, including tunable LED light sheets.

Each DALI device can be assigned its own address and can also be programmed to operate within groups. This flexibility allows lighting systems to be easily reconfigured through simple software updates and reprogramming, without the need for physical rewiring.

Because DALI is digital, it enables two-way communication — devices can report failures, share status updates, and provide other key information. The wiring is straightforward too: both power and data run over the same pair of wires, eliminating the need for a separate bus cable.

Diagram showing four allowed wiring types: Bus Wiring, Star Wiring, Tree Wiring, and Line Wiring, each represented with simple blue and black line-and-circle network diagrams.

DALI compliant vs DALI compatible

Many DALI devices on the market today may only be DALI compatible and not DALI compliant.

DALI compatible means the manufacturer has incorporated certain elements of the DALI standard into their product, but the device has not been officially tested or certified against the standard. In many cases, these manufacturers are also not members of the DALI Alliance (DiiA).

DALI compatibility does not guarantee full DALI functionality or interoperability. Since implementation varies by manufacturer, DALI compatible products may not work reliably or correctly with fully DALI-compliant devices, depending on which parts of the standard were (or were not) followed.

A white electronic device with a label showing technical specifications and certification symbols, with a green line pointing to the DALI-2 logo in the top right corner.
A comparison chart showing "DALI compatible" with some check marks and some gray question marks, whereas "DALI compliant" has all green check marks for six listed product features.

Genuine DALI compliant devices carry the official DALI logo. To verify authenticity, you can search for the manufacturer on the DiiA website. All companies using the DALI logo must be DiiA members, and for DALI-2, their certified products must be listed on the site. If a product displays the logo but the manufacturer is not listed, it may only be DALI compatible which can potentially lead to partial functionality or hidden issues within your DALI system.

DALI-2 logo and certified checklist icon with text: "DALI-2 certification supports interoperability and sustainable lighting.

DALI and DALI2

The true potential of any lighting setup lies in its control system — especially as customers increasingly expect advanced functionality and seamless technology integration.

Diagram showing the DALI logo plus four improvements—fixing errors, new features, control standardization, and compulsory certification—resulting in the updated DALI-2 logo.

DALI-2 refers to version 2 of IEC 62386, the international DALI standard. While not all parts of the standard have yet been updated to version 2, one major advancement is the inclusion of control devices. Unlike the long-used version 1, DALI-2 incorporates application controllers and a variety of input devices, enabling greater functionality and system flexibility.

The first sections of the DALI-2 standard were published some time ago, with new parts continuing to be added. Today, the DiiA’s DALI-2 certification program is fully operational, enabling manufacturers to have their products officially tested and approved as DALI-2 certified.

The original DALI logo is widely used in the lighting industry to identify products compliant with version 1 of the standard, and its use will continue for now. However, compliance testing for DALI version 1 relies on manufacturers’ self-declaration rather than independent verification. As a result, interoperability issues can arise when products from different manufacturers are combined.

In contrast, DALI-2 certification includes an independent verification step. Test results are reviewed to ensure the correct procedures have been followed and that all outcomes meet the required standards.

Compatibility of DALI and DALI-2

DALI-2 devices use the same command set as DALI, making them fully backwards compatible and easy to integrate into existing DALI systems.

Likewise, conventional DALI devices can be used within new DALI-2 systems — though without access to the enhanced functions introduced in DALI-2.

Comparison chart of DALI and DALI-2 lighting control systems showing DALI with limited or unsupported features and DALI-2 with improved, fully supported, and optimized performance.
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Interoperability

DALI-2 certification ensures far greater interoperability, allowing devices from different manufacturers to work together more reliably and seamlessly.

DALI-2 test sequences — the parameters used with approved test equipment — are far more detailed than in previous versions. By addressing gaps that previously led to interoperability issues, they provide a stronger foundation for reliable system performance.

Thanks to improved interoperability, DALI-2 certified products deliver more consistent quality, enhanced functionality, and significantly fewer compatibility issues across a system.

Every device bearing the DALI-2 logo has been tested for compatibility using standardized test equipment and certified by the DiiA. Verified products are listed in the DiiA’s product database, allowing you to easily search for and identify all certified DALI-2 devices:

digitalilluminationinterface.org/products

A laptop displays a product database webpage with search filters on the left and a table listing products, brands, and certification details on the right. The site header shows the DALI Alliance logo and navigation menu.

Parts of the standard and test sequences

This is quite an important factor in the latest generation of DALI products.

DALI-2 refers to version 2 of IEC 62386, the international DALI standard. While not all parts of the standard have yet been updated to version 2, a key advancement in DALI-2 is the inclusion of control devices, such as application controllers and various input devices, expanding the system’s capabilities compared to the long-used version 1.

The first sections of the DALI-2 standard were published some time ago, with new parts continually being added. Meanwhile, the DiiA’s DALI-2 certification program is now fully operational, approving the first wave of certified DALI-2 products.

The original DALI logo is widely used in the lighting industry to identify products compliant with version 1 of the standard, and its use will continue in the short term. However, version-1 compliance relies on manufacturers’ self-declaration rather than independent verification, which can lead to interoperability issues when combining products from different manufacturers.

In contrast, DALI-2 certification includes an independent verification step. Test results are reviewed to ensure that the correct procedures were followed and that all outcomes meet the required standards.

DALI-2 Certification: Overview

A flowchart showing the certification process: obtain test sequences, test for compliance, analyze results if needed, purchase credits, submit results, verification, and display of certified products in an online database.

Control Devices

For the first time, DALI-2 includes control devices (Part 103 and Parts 3xx). Test sequences for Part 103, which covers general requirements for control devices, are currently under development.

Upcoming parts 301–304 of the DALI-2 standard will enable certification for a variety of input devices. For example, part 303 covers occupancy sensors, while part 304 covers light sensors. Future parts, such as part 305, are planned for color sensing devices.

Control devices are divided into application controllers and input devices, though both can be integrated into a single product. Application controllers act as the ‘brains’ of a DALI system, gathering information, making decisions, and sending commands to control gear and other devices. They can function as single masters — where only one controller is allowed on the DALI bus — or as multi-masters, supporting multiple controllers on the same network.

Input devices supply information to the DALI system, typically by sending messages on the DALI bus to indicate a change in state or a measured value. All input devices operate as multi-masters, allowing multiple devices to communicate on the same bus. Common examples include push-buttons, light sensors, and occupancy sensors.

A collection of white electronic lighting control devices, including sensors with dome-shaped lenses and small rectangular modules with wiring terminals and labels, arranged on a white background.

Colour Control

Colour control of lamps and luminaires has a wide range of applications. In offices, commercial, and public spaces, it enables optimization of white lighting’s colour temperature, supporting concepts like human-centric lighting.

A futuristic ceiling with glowing hexagon patterns is seen from below, above metal handrails and stairs in a modern, industrial-style interior with dark surfaces and bright accent lighting.

In high-end architectural or retail projects, DALI can be used for mood lighting, scene-setting, or to support promotional and marketing efforts. DALI colour control is currently defined in part 209 of IEC 62386, which covers four colour types. The IEC plans to split the two most popular types into separate parts to simplify implementation.

The two most commonly used colour types are XY chromaticity, which allows selection of a colour within the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram, and colour temperature (Tc), which enables selection of the correlated colour temperature based on the black-body line.

Often called DT8 DALI drivers, these LED drivers comply with part 209 (color control) and feature between 2 and 6 color channels, enabling precise color management according to the standard’s part 209 structure.

Wireless DALI

The IEC has recently released a pre-release version of part 104 of IEC 62386, which updates the lower layers of the protocol stack currently described in part 101. Part 104 allows the selection of one of four different underlying communication protocols.

Diagram showing the DALI-2 logo above a grid of 12 blue wireless symbols connected by dotted lines, representing a network or communication system.

The four communication protocols included in part 104 are:

  • Bluetooth Mesh and VEmesh – wireless protocols that provide mesh connectivity. VEmesh is a proprietary technology from Virtual Extension (a DiiA member) and is licensed to other companies.

  • DPB – a proprietary form of Power Line Communication (PLC) that uses existing electrical wiring to transmit signals.

  • UDP – related to Internet Protocol (IP), which can operate over wired connections like Ethernet or wirelessly via WiFi, among other options.

Two rectangular electronic devices with labeled white casings, featuring multiple certification symbols and technical information on their surfaces, shown side by side against a white background.

Conclusion

For lighting designers, the new DALI features provide enhanced support for colour control, including both RGB and colour temperature adjustments.

This expanded colour control gives designers greater flexibility to create lighting that is more efficient, visually appealing, and impactful.

For systems integrators, DALI-2 ensures interoperability and enables efficient system design, with standardised quality and performance across devices from different manufacturers.

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DALI-2 also offers simplified commissioning, easier maintenance, and streamlined system modifications.

Arguably, the greatest benefit of the evolving DALI standard is enjoyed by the end user.

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A properly specified and installed DALI control system enables better integration of lighting technology, providing greater control and real-time feedback from the system.

Finally, it gives end users greater access to performance and customisation options, unlocking the full potential of both current and emerging lighting innovations.