Dynalite
Encyclopedia
Dynalite is a product range of Phillips lighting. Up until 2009 Dynalite was also the name of the company which manufactured and sold the product until it was bought by Phillips. Dynalite is commonly used for lighting control
, building automation
, home automation
and room automation applications and is sold worldwide.
The dimmers range anywhere from a single 240 V relay controller to leading and trailing edge dimmers and DALI / DSI controllers. They are on the side of the network which actually control lights, fans, louvers, etc.
Panels are typically standard sized (Australian or European standard size) wall switch plates, but instead of normal rocker switches, they have buttons of various designs, usually with an indicator LED inside.
Network connectors extend the range of the network, as well as providing integration with other technologies such as AMX, Crestron, etc.
For example, a house might have 3 rooms. Each room is called an Area. The kitchen may contain overhead lights, a range-hood fan and lights over the bench. These three are called Channels.
Those Areas and Channels are in states called Presets. In Preset 1, typically, all lights etc are fully on, in Preset 4, all of the lights are off. This is all customisable either by the programmer, or if it has been allowed, by the end user as well.
So, sending 'Area 3 Preset 4' will turn off the lights in Area 3 (room 3). Sending 'Area 3 Preset 2' will set the lights to a low level, which is customisable.
Channels can also be sent presets aside from the preset of the area to which they belong. 'Area 3 Preset 4' turns off the lights, then 'Area 3 Chanel 7 Preset 1' will turn that light back on.
DyNet 1 is the most commonly used protocol over the bus, being messages of 8 bytes of data, the 8th byte being a checksum. Commonly there are two types of message sent via DyNet 1: logical and physical. Logical messages talk to Areas and Channels, and physical messages talk directly to the devices. These 2 are typically called 1C and 5C messages, on account of the first byte of their message.
A 1C message is defined as such: [1C] [Area] [Data 1] [OppCode] [Data 2] [Data 3] [Join] [Checksum]
Area is the Logical Area the message is to control.
OppCode defines the Action to be taken on the Area.
Join is a bitswitch which can be used to filter out selected channels.
An OppCode of 00 to 03 means the action is to send the given area into preset 1 to 4 plus 8 times the value of Data 3 over the time specified by Data 1 and Data 2.
An OppCode of 0A to 0D means the action is to send the given area into preset 5 to 8 plus 8 times the value of Data 3 over the time specified by Data 1 and Data 2.
That gives a possibility of 8 * 255 presets. A usual job uses 4 to 8, and generally 4 are reserved to Off.
DyNet 2 is used mainly to upload data to devices on the network. It allows larger messages of data to be sent, significantly reducing lag time.
and follows the peer-to-peer
model, the main advantage of this is that there is no reliance on a single central controller, the system is capable of a high level of resilience
and therefore well suited to situations where total failure could be a safety issue, such as lighting systems in public places.
The 'Message on Change' system only sends a message every time a lighting state is to change, as opposed to DMX which is constantly streaming the entire data-map. This allows for much more devices on a single bus.
The simplicity and open source means that DyNet is easily integrated with third party devices.
The current Dynalite programming software (dLight 2) was built progressively from Windows 3.11 days, and there are many undocumented keyboard shortcuts which are necessary to program a system. One needs training (usually free) provided by Dynalite distributors. (Although the new software, due for release in September 2010 may be better written.)
Melbourne Arts Center
Lighting control system
A lighting control system consists of a device that controls electric lighting and devices, alone or as part of a daylight harvesting system, for a public, commercial, or residential building or property, or the theater...
, building automation
Building automation
Building automation describes the functionality provided by the control system of a building. A building automation system is an example of a distributed control system...
, home automation
Home automation
Home automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
and room automation applications and is sold worldwide.
System design
Dynalite products fall in to three categories: Dimmers / Controllers, Panels / Switches and network connectors.The dimmers range anywhere from a single 240 V relay controller to leading and trailing edge dimmers and DALI / DSI controllers. They are on the side of the network which actually control lights, fans, louvers, etc.
Panels are typically standard sized (Australian or European standard size) wall switch plates, but instead of normal rocker switches, they have buttons of various designs, usually with an indicator LED inside.
Network connectors extend the range of the network, as well as providing integration with other technologies such as AMX, Crestron, etc.
Areas and channels
The network is Dynalite designed as a system of Areas and Channels. Any given lighting, fan, louvre, and relay circuit is a Channel in an Area.For example, a house might have 3 rooms. Each room is called an Area. The kitchen may contain overhead lights, a range-hood fan and lights over the bench. These three are called Channels.
Those Areas and Channels are in states called Presets. In Preset 1, typically, all lights etc are fully on, in Preset 4, all of the lights are off. This is all customisable either by the programmer, or if it has been allowed, by the end user as well.
So, sending 'Area 3 Preset 4' will turn off the lights in Area 3 (room 3). Sending 'Area 3 Preset 2' will set the lights to a low level, which is customisable.
Channels can also be sent presets aside from the preset of the area to which they belong. 'Area 3 Preset 4' turns off the lights, then 'Area 3 Chanel 7 Preset 1' will turn that light back on.
Communications
Dynalite components communicate using DyNet, an open source modified RS-485 serial bus running along CAT5 cable, blue and blue/white carry the hot and cold signal respectively, orange and orange/white carry +12 V DC, green and green/white carry 0 V, Brown and Brown/white are unused.DyNet 1 is the most commonly used protocol over the bus, being messages of 8 bytes of data, the 8th byte being a checksum. Commonly there are two types of message sent via DyNet 1: logical and physical. Logical messages talk to Areas and Channels, and physical messages talk directly to the devices. These 2 are typically called 1C and 5C messages, on account of the first byte of their message.
A 1C message is defined as such: [1C] [Area] [Data 1] [OppCode] [Data 2] [Data 3] [Join] [Checksum]
Area is the Logical Area the message is to control.
OppCode defines the Action to be taken on the Area.
Join is a bitswitch which can be used to filter out selected channels.
An OppCode of 00 to 03 means the action is to send the given area into preset 1 to 4 plus 8 times the value of Data 3 over the time specified by Data 1 and Data 2.
An OppCode of 0A to 0D means the action is to send the given area into preset 5 to 8 plus 8 times the value of Data 3 over the time specified by Data 1 and Data 2.
That gives a possibility of 8 * 255 presets. A usual job uses 4 to 8, and generally 4 are reserved to Off.
DyNet 2 is used mainly to upload data to devices on the network. It allows larger messages of data to be sent, significantly reducing lag time.
Advantages
Each device contains its own programmable logic controllerProgrammable logic controller
A programmable logic controller or programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or light fixtures. PLCs are used in many industries and machines...
and follows the peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
model, the main advantage of this is that there is no reliance on a single central controller, the system is capable of a high level of resilience
Resilience (network)
In computer networking: “Resilience is the ability to provide and maintain an acceptable level of service in the face of faults and challenges to normal operation.”These services include:* supporting distributed processing* supporting networked storage...
and therefore well suited to situations where total failure could be a safety issue, such as lighting systems in public places.
The 'Message on Change' system only sends a message every time a lighting state is to change, as opposed to DMX which is constantly streaming the entire data-map. This allows for much more devices on a single bus.
The simplicity and open source means that DyNet is easily integrated with third party devices.
Disadvantages
If a message is missed, it is missed. It will not be sent a second time.The current Dynalite programming software (dLight 2) was built progressively from Windows 3.11 days, and there are many undocumented keyboard shortcuts which are necessary to program a system. One needs training (usually free) provided by Dynalite distributors. (Although the new software, due for release in September 2010 may be better written.)
Implementations
A selection of large scale installations of DyNet in buildings:- Burj Khalifa - World's tallest building
- Burswood Entertainment ComplexBurswood Entertainment ComplexThe Burswood Entertainment Complex is located on the Swan River near the city of Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by Crown Limited. The complex includes a 24-hour casino, seven restaurants, eight bars, a nightclub, two international hotels , a Convention Centre, Theatre and the Burswood Dome...
- Perth WA - Manolas Residence - Perth WA
- Perth Convention Exhibition CentrePerth Convention Exhibition CentreThe Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre is a convention centre located in Perth, Western Australia. It was opened in August 2004.-History:The Centre was built by Multiplex and it opened on the 24th August 2004....
- Perth WA - Grand HyattGrand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai is a hotel in the area of Zabeel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is one of the Hyatt hotels.The area is in the way between Dubai Airport and the new developments in Dubai which is usually referred to as "new Dubai". The ruler of Dubai owns the hotel and it was established in...
- Dubai hotel - Jin Mao BuildingJin Mao BuildingThe Jin Mao Tower is an 88-story landmark supertall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof...
- China's tallest building - Crown CasinoCrown CasinoCrown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a large casino and entertainment precinct located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited....
- Melbourne (AUS) Casino - Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition CentreGold Coast Convention and Exhibition CentreThe Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Gold Coast was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to Conrad Jupiters...
- Gold Coast QLD - Suncorp StadiumSuncorp StadiumLang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
- Australian Olympic venue - Te PapaMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaThe Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
- New Zealand museum - The RoundhouseThe RoundhouseThe Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
- London (UK) theatre - Trafford CentreTrafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
- Manchester (UK) shopping mall - WestfieldWestfield LondonWestfield London is a shopping centre in White City in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,...
- London (UK) shopping mall - National Museum of ScotlandNational Museum of ScotlandThe National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the Royal Museum next door, with collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world...
- Edinburgh Scotland (UK) Museum
See also
- Domotics
- Home automationHome automationHome automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
- Intelligent building
- Lighting control systemLighting control systemA lighting control system consists of a device that controls electric lighting and devices, alone or as part of a daylight harvesting system, for a public, commercial, or residential building or property, or the theater...
- Smart EnvironmentsSmart EnvironmentsSmart environments is a technological concept that, according to Mark Weiser is "a physical world that is richly and invisibly interwoven with sensors, actuators, displays, and computational elements, embedded seamlessly in the everyday objects of our lives, and connected through a continuous...
- Room automation
- touch panelTouchscreenA touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
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