Can I configure dimmer to show as On/Off toggles?

[diversitie]

I found a short circuit problem on light switch from using non-dimmer driver, so I tried to change driver to dimmer driver then the issue was fixed. All loads are not over maximum wattage. I have no idea why it works.

May I configure dimmer to show as On/Off toggles on Control4 app? My point is to not make confusion to customer because those LEDs are not dimmer.

[Hardware]

demo_switch.c4i / demo_dimmer.c4i 

an experience button as previously suggested would also do the same if you wanted a different interface or UI location...

 

[CRE2000]

Yes you can do in programming but it is not recommended. It will decrease the life of the dimmer. I have been working with Lutron products for many  years and was always a  huge no no. Even at 0-100 the light(s) still dim Just food for thought. Plus are they 0-10V LED drivers or rope/strip type. You may get a flicker.

 

CR 

[Crustyloafer]

19 hours ago, diversitie said:

Can you suggest if I can disable dimming capabilities from the control interface on dimmable load driver as those loads are unable to be dimmed?

You can emulate switching capabilities on the dimmable load driver by setting the ramp times to their minimum setting of 250ms and the minimum on level to 100%:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uti0kvfpe5fye27/Screenshot 2018-05-06 10.46.55.png?dl=0

However, by doing this you may find that the short circuit error re-occurs as doing the above is pretty much the same as using the non-dimmable load driver.

[Crustyloafer]

19 hours ago, diversitie said:

Thanks Crustyloafer. That is new thing to me. I still wonder why the driver is available for non dimmable load.

I am unable to change non dimmable loads as they were installed before.

Can you suggest if I can disable dimming capabilities from the control interface on dimmable load driver as those loads are unable to be dimmed?

Yes, by binding a non-dimmable load driver to either one or both of the outputs on the dual load keypad dimmer it will only offer you a switching control option for that load in the control interface.

 

However, I must reiterate was I was saying before. It is not advisable to control any non-dimmable loads from the keypad dimmer modules. All that happens when you bind the keypad dimmer output  to a non-dimmable load driver is the it behaves "like" a switch. However because it is not actually a switch, it is in fact just ramping up and down from 0% to 100% very quickly, it os not quite the same as controlling the load from an actual switch which uses relays to instantly connect the power supply to the load. Because it is just dimming up and down at the fastest ramping rate it can, it is still technically dimming the load, but very quickly. Many non-dimmable loads output voltage feedback when dimmed, even if dimmed very fast, and this can cause the keypad dimmer to register a short circuit or other fault and then go into protection mode. Do this too many times and the MOSFETs in the keypad dimmer can fail and you will have to replace the whole unit. As stated above, the ability to bind a non-dimmable load driver to the keypad dimmer outputs is primarily to allow dimmable loads to be operated as a switching load only, it is not meant to allow the dimmer to control non-dimmable loads.

 

I would advise using a proper switching device for any non-dimmable loads. In cases where you have two loads, one dimmable and one non-dimmable, going to a single keypad location  I would advise using a single load keypad dimmer for the dimmable load and then a wireless puck switching unit for the non-dimmable load. The wireless puck switch can be located in a wall cabinet next to the keypad location or alternatively in the ceiling/wall just behind the first lamp on the circuit it is to control.

 

https://www.control4.com/docs/product/puck-dimmer/data-sheet/english/latest/puck-dimmer-data-sheet-rev-c.pdf

[diversitie]

6 hours ago, Crustyloafer said:

All loads connected to a dual load dimmers need to be capable of being dimmed. Non dimmable loads tend to cause the keypad to register a short circuit when controlling a non dimmable load. 

 

The ability to assign a non dimmable driver to one of the outputs on the dual load dimmer is to allow you to operate a dimmable load but with switching capabilities only, for example in a bathroom where the lamp itself may be capable of being dimmed but you would normally only ever want to switch it between full on/off like a switch. Using the non dimmable load driver just removes all dimming capabilities from the control interface for that load and will only present a toggle switch control. 

Thanks Crustyloafer. That is new thing to me. I still wonder why the driver is available for non dimmable load.

I am unable to change non dimmable loads as they were installed before.

Can you suggest if I can disable dimming capabilities from the control interface on dimmable load driver as those loads are unable to be dimmed?

[Crustyloafer]

16 hours ago, diversitie said:

Yes, I used square dual load keypad. You mean I can connect dimmer driver to non-dim light load?

All loads connected to a dual load dimmers need to be capable of being dimmed. Non dimmable loads tend to cause the keypad to register a short circuit when controlling a non dimmable load. 

 

The ability to assign a non dimmable driver to one of the outputs on the dual load dimmer is to allow you to operate a dimmable load but with switching capabilities only, for example in a bathroom where the lamp itself may be capable of being dimmed but you would normally only ever want to switch it between full on/off like a switch. Using the non dimmable load driver just removes all dimming capabilities from the control interface for that load and will only present a toggle switch control. 

[Dr. Venkman]

13 hours ago, Hardware said:

demo_switch.c4i / demo_dimmer.c4i 

an experience button as previously suggested would also do the same if you wanted a different interface or UI location...

 

Thanks!  I'll get him to install the driver, and then I'll program the switch/scene to follow each other (unless he can accomplish that with connections, which I was assuming was not possible).

 

[diversitie]

14 minutes ago, Crustyloafer said:

You can do what you want to do on the square dual load dimmers, they require separate light load drivers to be bound to them and you have the option to bind a non-dimmable loads to them too and they will show up as a switching light load on the GUI.

Yes, I used square dual load keypad. You mean I can connect dimmer driver to non-dim light load?

[Crustyloafer]

You can do what you want to do on the square dual load dimmers, they require separate light load drivers to be bound to them and you have the option to bind a non-dimmable loads to them too and they will show up as a switching light load on the GUI.

[jfh]

If you use Chowmain's generic IR light driver you can have the on off switch show in the C4 navigator and just hide the dimmer. 

Then under programming for the switch   if on, set <dimmer name> to 100%  if off, set to 0%. (Don't remember the the actual syntax, but that's the general idea)

 

Works well.

i did this after my original dealer put in a dimmer driver on loads that actually had switches.  (Since fixed)

 

23 hours ago, diversitie said:

May I configure dimmer to show as On/Off toggles on Control4 app? 

 

[Dr. Venkman]

Thanks. Do you know the name of the driver, so that I may point my dealer in the right direction?

[Hardware]

There is a "demo" (non supported) switch driver that does have a status toggle on it for related programming and bindings. Works reliably for both of these applications from what I have experienced. 

[Dr. Venkman]

Semi related:

I have a couple of lighting scenes that I would love to be able to show as on/off switches in the GUI, rather than as scenes.  Is there some way to do that? 

The only thing I could think of would be to have my dealer add a couple of dummy/virtual switch drivers and then I could program to turn the switches off/on based on scene activity (and vice versa), but that didn't seem like a particularly good idea.  Also, I wasn't sure if the switch driver would function if there was no switch paired with it.

[lippavisual]

Matt, FYI, he doesn't want the dimmer to show slider capability on the GUI.  At least that was what I was getting out of his post.

Your example wouldn't help with the GUI.

[Matt Lowe]

you can keep it as a dimmer. However you would want to program the dimmer that the minimum on level is 99% or 100% i think is possible.

 

this would mean no matter what you put the light at the dimmer will be at 100%

 

however if this load is not dimmable it is advisable to switch this to a switch as you could damage the dimmer or the load.

[lippavisual]

Haven't tried this but could possibly use the relay to light driver, which gives you ON/Off and in programming, when relay on= dimmer 100%, when relay off= dimmer 0%.

[ecschnei]

Can you create an experience button to do what you want?  Just have the experience button trigger a toggle and have the color indicate status

[twmoonly]

No you can not have a dimmer driver show as a on off toggle.