As miniaturised light sources, LEDs offer great design freedom to luminaire manufacturers. So far, LED drivers which are essential and need a lot more space than the light sources themselves have placed restrictions on the design. With the TALEXXengine DC String, Tridonic is now offering an LED solution which makes AC/DC converters and DC/DC components go their separate ways, creating space for new design ideas.

Tridonic DC String LED solution. (Tridonic/LEDinside)

Tridonic has reached a milestone in lighting design with its DC String LED solution. The system supports the trend towards the miniaturisation of LED luminaires, increasing freedom of design and making installation easier at the same time. In present LED lighting solutions, each LED light source needs an LED driver which contains an AC/DC converter and a DC/DC component. The AC/DC converter takes up most space in the LED driver, defining the component's minimum size at the same time. This structure is therefore an obstacle to further miniaturising LED luminaires and to increasing freedom of design even more.
 

In the DC String LED solution, the AC/DC converter, which takes up a lot of space, is separated from the conventional LED Driver and is installed at a higher-ranking central location, from where it can supply LED light sources with a total output of up to 150 W in an energy-efficient way. If installed downstream, the lighting system works as a low-voltage DC LED system. The individual light sources, or luminaires, are now only equipped with a low-profile, compact DC/DC module, or the module has already been integrated into the light source, eliminating the limitations that AC/DC converters have created so far. Luminaire manufacturers have the opportunity of further miniaturising LED luminaires and developing even smaller lighting solutions, which blend discreetly into the room and offer impressive high system efficiency.
 

Tridonic small DC String LED solution. (Tridonic/LEDinside)

DALI modules are centrally connected – no wiring needed

DALI and emergency lighting components will also be centrally connected to the AC/DC converter, eliminating the need for connecting them to the individual LED light sources. DALI dimming commands are converted to digital power line signals for the DC/DC modules by the DALI converter. The system still remains DALI-compliant, with each light source appearing separately as a standalone address, and working in an identical way. That way the lighting system only requires one DALI converter, and emergency lighting components can now also be upgraded from a central location without any additional wiring. The central system gives architects and lighting designers more flexibility for placing luminaires in a room in an aesthetic way, meeting specific demands. Installers benefit from easy installation at reduced cost, with maintenance decreasing too.

Upgrading existing lighting systems is equally simple, for example upgrading a non-dimmable lighting system to a dimmable lighting solution. It's enough to replace the existing light sources with light sources with a DC/DC module, and to connect a higher-ranking central AC/DC converter, as well as DALI and emergency lighting components, if required.

Zumtobel's Supersystem – a modular, multifunctional LED lighting system offering new angles for lighting design and for the flexibility of placing luminaires in a room – provides an insight into the potential of the new DC String LED lighting solution.