0-10V vs DALI: Choosing Analog or Digital Dimming
0-10V is simple, cheap, and zone-wide. DALI is individually addressable and reports back. Here's the honest framework for choosing between them — or bridging both.
How to decide in four steps
Define the control granularity you actually need
If every fixture in a zone can dim together, 0-10V is enough. If you need individual fixture control, scenes, or status feedback per driver, that's DALI's job (IEC 62386), not 0-10V's.
Check whether the driver is really 0-10V or 1-10V
0V on a compliant 0-10V driver switches the output fully off through the control line. 1-10V bottoms out at 1V — a low but non-zero output — and needs a separate mains switch or relay to go fully off. Many drivers marketed as '0-10V' behave like 1-10V in practice; always check the datasheet, never assume.
Match source and sink between dimmer and driver
The control pair carries current in one direction or the other, described as 'source' or 'sink' — a convention carried over from IEC 60929 fluorescent-ballast wiring. Dimmer and driver must use compatible types and correct polarity, or dimming won't behave correctly.
Plan zones at install time, not in software later
0-10V is analog and not individually addressable — every driver on the same control pair dims together as one zone. Independent zones need their own separate control-pair wiring decided during installation. Some projects bridge 0-10V zones and a DALI system through a DALI-to-0-10V gateway module.
What actually separates the two
switches a compliant 0-10V driver fully off
1-10V bottoms out at 1V instead — a low but non-zero output that still needs a mains switch or relay to go fully dark. Many '0-10V' drivers behave like 1-10V in practice; the datasheet decides, not the label.
What it is: an analog control pair, not a bus
0-10V and 1-10V are analog DC control signals for dimmable LED drivers and fluorescent ballasts (historically standardised for ballasts under IEC 60929) — a dedicated low-voltage wire pair, physically kept separate from mains wiring, where voltage level sets brightness.
0-10V vs 1-10V: full off vs a low floor
0V can dim a compliant 0-10V driver fully to off through the control line itself. 1-10V's usable range bottoms at 1V — low, not off — so a 1-10V-only fixture needs its own mains switch or relay to go dark. Check the driver datasheet; don't assume from the name.
Source vs sink: a wiring convention from IEC 60929
Source and sink describe which side of the control pair supplies the current — the dimmer or the driver. It's still on modern LED-driver datasheets. Get it wrong, or mismatch polarity, and dimming won't work correctly even though everything looks wired up.
Zone-level only — the honest contrast with DALI
0-10V has no per-driver address, no digital bus, no status feedback — every driver on the same pair dims together as one zone. DALI (IEC 62386) is digital, individually addressable, reports status, and needs its own addressing step. Neither is simply 'better' — it depends on whether the project needs individual or scene-level control per fixture.
Not a DMX competitor, and still very common
DMX targets dynamic, often fast-changing scenic lighting — a different job from 0-10V's stable, functional dimming. 0-10V itself remains widespread in office panel lighting, downlights, industrial fixtures, and fluorescent-ballast renovation projects, for good reason: it's cheap, simple, and robust.
What you get from PanelCraft
Whether your project calls for 0-10V, DALI, or a gateway between the two, we stock the panel-building components and back you with engineering support.
- {'t': 'Enclosures and DIN-rail layouts', 'd': 'Sized to fit 0-10V and DALI control gear in the same panel.'}
- {'t': 'Dimmers, controllers and gateway modules', 'd': 'Including DALI-to-0-10V interface modules for mixed-system projects.'}
- {'t': 'Panel-level protection and power supplies', 'd': 'For control electronics, matched to the installed load.'}
- {'t': 'Wiring guidance', 'd': 'On keeping the control pair separate from mains, matching source/sink types, and planning zones before install.'}
- {'t': 'Engineer-to-engineer advice', 'd': 'On choosing 0-10V, DALI, or both, before you spec the panel — not after.'}
Frequently asked questions
Is 0-10V the same as DALI?
No. 0-10V is an analog control signal — every driver on the same control pair dims together as one zone, with no individual addressing or status feedback. DALI (IEC 62386) is digital, individually addressable, reports status back to the controller, and needs its own commissioning step. Neither is simply 'better' — it depends on whether the project needs individual or scene-level control per fixture.
Is 0-10V the same as 1-10V?
Not quite. 0V on a compliant 0-10V driver switches the output fully off through the control line. 1-10V's usable range bottoms out at 1V — low but not off — so a 1-10V-only fixture needs a separate mains switch or relay to go fully dark. Many drivers marketed as '0-10V' actually behave like 1-10V in practice; always check the datasheet.
Can a project use both 0-10V and DALI?
Yes — a common pattern bridges the two through a DALI-to-0-10V gateway module, letting a DALI system drive one or more 0-10V zones alongside individually addressed DALI fixtures elsewhere.
How many drivers can go on one 0-10V control pair?
There's no fixed figure — it depends entirely on the dimmer's rated sink/source current and the driver's control-input current draw. Always check the dimmer and driver datasheets rather than assuming a number.
Is 0-10V the same as DMX?
No. DMX targets dynamic, often fast-changing scenic lighting with many channels per fixture. 0-10V targets stable, functional dimming at the zone level. They solve different problems and aren't really competing for the same job.
Not sure whether 0-10V or DALI fits your project?
Talk to our engineers before you spec the panel — we'll help you match the control method, and the components, to what the installation actually needs.