Phantom products are compatible with all of the top lighting control systems on the market!
Phantom’s LED optical framing projectors and LED linear lighting control systems utilize tri-dimming (MLV forward phase, ELV reverse phase, 0-10V) electronic drivers, so they are inherently compatible with most of the lighting control systems and home automation systems available today. All of our products are also available with optional on-board 0-10V dimmer controls for customers who want traditional in-wall dimmer boxes.
How do dimmer controls work?
Modern dimmer controls use a transistor-like device called a TRIAC to switch the electricity on and off very rapidly – 120 times each second. One cycle of household 60 hertz or 60 cycle AC electrical power is shown in the figure to the left. (Hertz means cycles-per-second and AC means alternating current.) It’s called alternating current because, for one-half of the cycle (1/120 second) it’s positive and, the other half its negative or, half the time it’s flowing one way and half the other.
And, as you see from the curved shape, it doesn’t change suddenly – it rises and falls or, undulates. The yellow line indicates the point in each half-cycle that the dimmer switch turns on. It turns off each time it reverses direction/sign/polarity, that is, each time it crosses the horizontal line.
The rotating or sliding control on the switch moves the yellow line left and right. As the line moves to the left the light is on more of the time and thus, brighter. As the yellow line moves to the right, the light is on less and less of the time and therefore gets dimmer and dimmer. In other words, the area labeled “on” represents the total power/voltage going to the light and as the yellow line moves to the right this area gets smaller.
There are three basic types of loads exist in lighting circuits: capacitive loads, inductive loads and resistive loads. These differ in how they consume power in an alternating current (AC) setup. Capacitive, inductive and resistive load types correspond loosely to lighting, mechanical, and heating loads.
Benefits of Lighting Control Systems
The most common form of lighting control today is a wall switch or dimmer controlling a single light or group of lights. Wall box dimmers are considered a localized control since they operate the lights in a single room or area. When you think of the quantity of wall box dimmers and switches that you need to walk around turning on and off throughout the day, the convenience of a lighting control system makes a lot of sense. Lighting control systems create the ability for all of a home’s lighting to be controlled together or in zones.
For instance, one button press of a keypad can turn on multiple dimmers, each to the ideal brightness for the task at hand, whether it is relaxing with a book, watching a movie, or performing routine tasks. Imagine the time and effort that can be saved by hitting one button when you go to bed to turn the lights off rather than trudging around the house going from room to room manually turning off each dimmer or switch.
CONVENIENCE IS THE MOST OBVIOUS BENEFIT OF A LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM OVER A TRADITIONAL WALL BOX DIMMER CONTROL DESIGN, FOLLOWED BY AESTHETIC.
Having your lighting fixtures on a control system allows you to adjust the output levels with ease, giving you the ability to control the mood of the room. These days, lighting control systems are more robust than the traditional in-wall dimmer switches of the past. Now you can control not only the lighting fixtures in your home, but also the security system, climate, doorbells, and window treatments, all from your smartphone.
At Phantom, we know from experience that dimming LEDs, especially on older lighting control systems, can be tricky without compatible components, sufficient loads, or accessory resistors to create phantom loads (the electricity a device uses even when it’s turned off). Our products have all been designed to alleviate those challenges.
All of Phantom Lighting’s products are compatible with name brand wall-box dimmers and lighting control systems.
Here are five of the most popular and recognized manufacturers in the lighting control system industry:
Lutron – Lutron is the leader in the lighting control industry and offers a wide selection of energy saving dimmers and lighting control solutions for home or office. They manufacturer wall box dimmers (designer styles, traditional styles and architectural styles) as well as Grafik Eye and HomeWorks QS lighting control systems. | Compatible Systems: RA2 Select, RadioRA 2, HomeWorks, Athena, Vive, Quantom
Crestron – Crestron home automation is a truly integrated smart home system that allows you to control every aspect of your home with a single network. They manufacture wall box dimmers, single room lighting automation as well as integrated lighting solutions for large upscale residential and commercial applications. | Compatible Lighting Control Systems: Horizon
Vantage – Vantage Controls seamlessly combine aesthetics and technology, Vantage systems deliver unprecedented control of luxury living and work spaces—from extraordinary lighting scenes to effortless comfort. Wired or wireless formats provide the flexibility to include Vantage in new construction, expand a current Vantage system, or retrofit an existing luxury space to include Vantage. | Compatible Systems: Wireless Dimmer Station
Control 4 – Control4 is a leading provider of automation systems for homes and businesses, offering personalized control of lighting, audio, video, temperature, security, communications and similar functionalities into a unified home-automation solution that enhances the daily lives of its customers. Control4 unlocks the potential of connected devices, making entertainment systems easier to use, homes more comfortable and energy efficient, and families more secure. | Compatible Systems: Smart Lighting switches and dimmers
Leviton – Leviton lighting control solutions bring innovative design and next-generation features to residential and commercial applications. Choose from distributed controls, daylighting controls, wireless controls, dimmers, fan speed controls, occupancy/vacancy sensors, relay panels, timer switches and more. Our lighting controls provide precise, dependable control, and complement any residential or commercial application, while offering the potential for significant energy savings. | Compatible Systems: Decora Smart Systems
Why are Phantom Lighting products compatible with all dimmer controls?
Phantom lighting utilizes quality LED drivers from three of the world’s most recognized manufacturers in the lighting industry.
ERP Power – ERP precision power LED drivers are designed to work with a variety of dimming techniques and protocols, so they can be used in multiple lighting applications. These small, yet powerful TRIAC, ELV, and 0-10 V deliver broad compatibility with most dimming controls.
Hatch Lighting – Hatch has built a reputation for delivering technologically advanced, high quality electronic drivers and power supplies to the lighting industry. Hatch engineers put their products through intensive, on-site testing under all conceivable conditions ensure that they will function reliably no matter where they are installed.
Magnitude Lighting – Magnitude Lighting is an independent LED power company that focuses on LED drivers and transformers for Commercial, Industrial and Residential applications.
ERP and Hatch electronic drivers are standard on all Phantom™ LED contour framing projector models. ERP electronic drivers are auto-sensing and compatible with TRIAC (forward-phase or leading-edge), ELV (reverse-phase or trailing-edge) and 0-10 V dimmers. TRIAC and ELV dimming only at 120VAC and ELV dimming only at 230VAC. Hatch electronic drivers used to power the cooling fan are non-dimming. ERP and Hatch electronic drivers are Class 2 rated and comply with ENERGY STAR, DLC (Design Light Consortium) and CA Title 24 technical requirements.
Magnitude (MLV) magnetic low voltage drivers are standard for all Phantom™ Classic, Elite and Ultra LED low voltage strip lighting products. Magnitude manufactures the most compact magnetic core dimmable transformer on the market making it the perfect choice Phantom LED lighting applications. Encased in a high-quality metal enclosure, each unit is equipped with circuit breakers to protect both the driver and the load. All Magnitude magnetic transformers are phase dimmable with any standard leading edge MLV TRIAC dimmer and come in both Class 2 and higher power single channel options for your lighting control systems.
If you have any questions about a particular lighting control system and how Phantom lighting products can integrate with it, please don’t hesitate to give us a call toll-free at 800-863-1184 or request a quote using our online form.