GTIN / Serial Numbers

Two recent additions to the DALI protocol were the additional Serial and GTIN numbers. These two features make identifying and displaying DALI devices on a control system much easier than before.

GTIN (GLOBAL TRADE ITEM NUMBER)

The GTIN allows control system manufacturers the ability to scan each device and read the GTIN from the device’s memory. The GTIN number can then be used to find and display the product’s real name when viewing the device from the controller. This ability saves the installer/commissioner the need to add this manually, reducing the installation cost and the room for human error.

The ability to display the device’s name, rather than a default description, reduces the step up complexity when looking at a list of 64 devices all with the same name. Also, each manufacturer of light fittings can add their own unique fitting GTIN to the DALI device, making it even easier to determine which fitting is being selected. Ektor provides software that can allow the OEM fitting manufacturers to easily add their own GTIN and serial number to their fittings.

SERIAL NUMBERS

The use of non-changeable serial numbers allows the control system to restore the device back to the recorded settings, should anything go wrong as the “serial number + the GTIN” provides a unique product key which will never be repeated. Secondly, the use of the manufacturer serial number can associate multiple ballasts in one fitting to the same physical product, making commissioning of devices with 2 or more DALI devices easier.

For example, a fitting containing a DALI ballast and a DALI emergency inverter could be assigned the same manufacturer serial number, allowing the control system to group the two devices in the one fitting.

An example of the two DALI devices in on Fitting can be seen below.