When it comes to choosing LED controllers, you have a number of options. There are going to be two basic factors to consider in order to pick the LED controller that best suits your needs. The following are those two factors:
THE SIZE OF YOUR LED LIGHTING PROJECT
If you have a smaller scale LED lighting project, such as one that only requires a single transformer, then you should use an LED controller that you can use right away, such as an inline wired wall controller or an RF controller. If you have a larger scale lighting project, for example, a project that involves 20 LED light strips that uses a transformer for each single strip, then you’ll want to invest in LED controllers that are more suitable for managing multiple areas or zones. LED controllers that better suit such projects include 0-10v controllers, DALI controller systems (which are meant to control bigger buildings) and DMX control desks and laptop-based software. The following is a more in-depth description of these controllers:
- Inline LED controller – These controllers are wired between your LEDs and your transformer. They are better suited for smaller installations because they can’t be linked together to control more LEDs than a single control-unit can manage.
- DMX controller – DMX controllers were originally designed to be used in the theatre industry. It’s full name is the DMX 512 because it allows you to control upwards of 512 different channels. While they used to involve huge, bulky control units, they can now be implemented via wall controllers, touch screen panels or even smartphone apps, making them suitable for restaurants, hotels and even homes.
- DALI controller – DALI, or Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, controllers allow you to pre-program lights to turn on automatically at specific times and to even adjust brightness levels. They are typically used in hotels, offices and hotels.
THE TYPE OF LED CONTROLLER YOU WANT
There are a lot of different types of LED controllers to choose from once you’ve determined the scale of your LED lighting project. Basic options include wired LED controllers or wireless touch-button LED controllers. You can also go with glass touch controllers, single channel controllers and multi channel controllers. Keep in mind that a single channel controller means that all of the LED lights will be synchronized together, whereas a multi channel controller allows you to manage multiple zones or areas separately.