Helvar
DALI-2 Lighting Controllers and ActiveAhead Mesh — 100 Years of Lighting Intelligence
Helvar (Espoo, Finland, founded 1921) is one of Europe's oldest and most respected manufacturers of lighting control systems, with particular strength in DALI-2 control gear, intelligent luminaire controllers, and the Router series of DALI/KNX network controllers. Helvar products are widely specified for European commercial offices, educational buildings, healthcare facilities, and data centres requiring EN 50172-compliant emergency lighting and daylight-responsive control. The Router 950 with native KNX TP interface is the de facto standard for large DALI installations in KNX smart buildings.
Role in our panels
How we use Helvar
Router series: the Router 910 (single DALI line, 64 devices, Ethernet), Router 920 (dual DALI lines, 128 devices, Ethernet), and Router 950 (dual DALI lines, 128 devices, Ethernet + KNX TP) are Helvar's flagship network DALI controllers. All models run Imagine software for: DALI bus commissioning (short address assignment, group configuration, scene programming), EN 50172 emergency test scheduling (monthly function test, annual duration test), daylight-harvesting auto-dimming via integrated lux measurements from Helvar DIGIDIM sensors, and KNX group address mapping (Router 950 only). Each Router connects to the Helvar Imagine PC software via Ethernet — the Helvar network (multiple Routers) is visible from one Imagine session, enabling centralised commissioning of multiple floors from a single laptop. DIGIDIM ballasts and drivers: Helvar manufactures DALI-2 electronic ballasts (DIGIDIM 310, 316) and LED drivers (DIGIDIM 498, 499) for integration into custom luminaires. DIGIDIM 310 (1-10V DALI converter) bridges legacy 1-10V LED drivers to DALI-2, enabling DALI commissioning of older driver types. DIGIDIM 498 (12-50V, 20W): constant current LED driver for integrated ceiling luminaires, DALI-2 Part 6 colour temperature control (DT8) — dual-white tunable CCT with x,y chromaticity group commands. DALI-2 DT8: enables scene-based CCT programming directly in Helvar Imagine — Scene 0 = 6500K (cool white, morning alertness), Scene 8 = 3000K (warm white, late afternoon), Scene 15 = Off. ActiveAhead mesh sensors: Helvar's proprietary wireless mesh sensor network for presence-based lighting control without additional wiring. ActiveAhead nodes (ceiling-mounted PIR+lux sensors, 868 MHz mesh, 3-year battery) form a self-healing RF mesh, communicating presence and daylight data to a Router-connected ActiveAhead gateway. Router 950 receives ActiveAhead occupancy → triggers DALI group dim to setpoint → sends KNX presence telegram to GA (DPT 1.002) → KNX HVAC controller switches room from economy to comfort mode. ActiveAhead requires no KNX programming for basic presence control — DALI response is handled entirely within Helvar Imagine. KNX telegram is an optional parallel output for BMS integration. EN 50172 automated testing: the Router 950 supports fully automated EN 50172 emergency lighting test schedules. Monthly function test: Router 950 commands all emergency ECGs in Group 14 to emergency mode for 15 minutes at 03:00 on the 1st of each month. Result logged in Router 950 database: device address, pass/fail, battery voltage before/after. Annual duration test: 3-hour full discharge test scheduled for October. Failed device: Router 950 sends maintenance notification via KNX group address to BMS. Imagine software generates EN 50172 compliance PDF report — one click for full test history per luminaire with pass/fail record for building compliance audit.
The Router 950 maps DALI commands to KNX group addresses bidirectionally — KNX scene recall triggers DALI scene, DALI actual level feeds back to KNX status GA. ActiveAhead presence events publish to KNX binary inputs for HVAC zoning. Emergency test results publish to KNX maintenance alarm group address. No separate DALI-KNX gateway needed: Router 950 is programmed in ETS6 as a native KNX device.
Used in these project types
Helvar products
Key components we install
Router 950 dual-DALI KNX controller
Dual DALI lines (128 DALI devices total), native KNX TP bus coupler, Ethernet. Full ETS6 application program with KNX communication objects for DALI group ON/OFF, level setpoint and feedback, scene recall, emergency test trigger and result, and lux sensor value. Programmed via Helvar Imagine (DALI layer) and ETS6 (KNX layer) — complementary tools used in parallel. De facto standard for large DALI installations in KNX buildings.
Router 910 single-line DALI Ethernet controller
Single DALI line, 64 DALI devices, Ethernet. Runs same Helvar Imagine software as Router 950 — same commissioning workflow, same project file format. No KNX TP output. Used for smaller floors or zones where KNX integration is not required. Upgradeable path: replacing Router 910 with Router 950 later preserves all DALI programming in Imagine.
DIGIDIM 498 LED driver (DALI-2 Part 6 DT8, tunable white)
12-50V, 20W constant current LED driver for integrated ceiling luminaires. DALI-2 Part 6 colour temperature control (DT8) — dual-white tunable CCT with x,y chromaticity group commands. Scene-based CCT programming in Helvar Imagine: Scene 0 = 6500K cool white (morning alertness), Scene 8 = 3000K warm white (late afternoon), Scene 15 = Off. For circadian lighting in healthcare, offices, and hospitality.
ActiveAhead PIR mesh sensor
Ceiling-mounted PIR + lux sensor, 868 MHz self-healing mesh network, 3-year battery life. Forms wireless mesh to ActiveAhead gateway (Ethernet-connected to Router). No wiring beyond gateway required. Router 950 processes occupancy data: DALI dim on presence, DALI dim off on absence, optional KNX presence telegram (DPT 1.002) for HVAC zoning. No KNX programming needed for DALI response — handled entirely in Helvar Imagine.
Imagine 3.x commissioning software
Free Windows/Mac software for Helvar Router commissioning. Functions: DALI bus addressing (short address assignment), group configuration, scene programming, EN 50172 emergency test scheduling, daylight sensor calibration, and multi-Router project management. Single Imagine session can manage up to 127 Routers per network (up to 16,256 DALI devices). Generates EN 50172 PDF compliance reports for building audit.
Helvar FAQ
Does the Helvar Router 950 appear in ETS6 as a KNX device?
Yes. The Router 950 has an integrated KNX TP bus coupler with a full ETS6 application program — download the ETS6 product database entry from helvar.com or the KNX online catalog. In ETS6, the Router 950 appears as a KNX device with communication objects for: DALI group ON/OFF commands (per group), DALI group level setpoint and feedback, scene recall, emergency test trigger and result status, and lux sensor value. You assign the Router 950 a KNX individual address, program its parameters in ETS6, and download via standard KNX programming download. The DALI commissioning (short addresses, scenes) is done separately in Helvar Imagine software — these are two complementary configuration tools, not alternatives.
What is the maximum number of DALI devices the Router 950 can control?
The Router 950 has 2 DALI lines, each supporting a maximum of 64 DALI devices — 128 total. Each DALI device draws 2mA from the integrated DALI power supply (250mA capacity per line). For most commercial projects, 128 devices covers a medium office floor (600-800m²). For larger floors: additional Router 950 units are networked via Ethernet in the same Helvar Imagine project — Imagine supports up to 127 Routers per network, theoretically enabling 16,256 DALI devices in one project. Large hospital or airport installations may use 5-10 Router 950 units across floors, all managed from a single Imagine session on the commissioning laptop.
Can Helvar ActiveAhead sensors integrate with KNX without a Router 950?
No. ActiveAhead sensors communicate wirelessly on 868 MHz mesh to an ActiveAhead gateway, which connects to a Helvar Router (910, 920, or 950) via Ethernet. The Router processes ActiveAhead presence data and publishes it as KNX telegrams (Router 950 only has KNX TP). Without a Router 950, ActiveAhead presence data cannot reach the KNX bus. For standalone ActiveAhead without KNX: the Router 910 or 920 handles DALI-only response to ActiveAhead (DALI dim on presence, DALI dim off on absence). Adding a Router 950 later (replacing Router 910/920) enables KNX integration without re-commissioning the DALI layer — all DALI programming in Imagine is preserved.
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