Zhaga-D4i offers a potential transformational change in the lighting world
The Zhaga Consortium, with over 600 member companies, develops specifications for standardized interfaces between luminaires and LED modules, intelligent sensors, communication modules and LED drivers. Together with the DALI Alliance, digital products certified to the Zhaga-D4i specifications by multiple vendors provide a platform supporting the needs of smart outdoor lighting systems in the circular economy. Our 24 regular member companies actively prepare the specifications, known as Books, that form the foundation of interoperability within the lighting system. Together with the associate members, more than 180 companies are eligible to certify products to the Zhaga Books.
The popular Zhaga Book 18, Edition 3 Smart Interface Between Outdoor Luminaires and Sensing/Communication Modules offers a hybrid architecture for classic cobra-head luminaires featuring a NEMA and one or two Zhaga 4-pin receptacles (see Figure 1). Zhaga worked with the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C136 to align the Book 18 specifications with the ANSI 136.41 standard for the NEMA receptacle. With these receptacles available on the same luminaire, the lighting system is ready to come alive with sensing and communication functions extending far beyond dimming. Functions such as environmental sensing (weather, air quality or smoke), area security monitoring (surveillance cameras, noise detection), vehicular and pedestrian traffic detection and control, emergency response and parking space assistance become available to smart outdoor lighting systems. Zhaga likes to imagine them as the digital equivalent of our common sensing and communicating organs, eyes, ears, nose and mouth. In addition, the outdoor lighting system designer can specify networking to connect with the IoT, thereby accessing a broad communication network.
Zhaga Book 18, Edition 4 will provide mounting surfaces for lighting controls via a pole-mounted bracket assembly containing one or two Zhaga 4-pin interfaces (see Figure 2). The bracket is expected to be available as a retrofit option for existing luminaires. The specification will address requirements for long cables needed to connect the bracket-mounted devices with the D4i drivers in the luminaire. This will enable these decorative and heritage luminaires to become part of the smart city lighting system.
A key aspect of the Zhaga Book 18 platform is its embrace of the transformation to digital control of lighting by complying with DALI requirements. By specifying the DALI D4i protocol for LED drivers, luminaire communication in the lighting system provides energy usage monitoring and reporting as well as diagnostic and maintenance tools to assist
in asset control. To fully support this vision of a large variety of functionalities and interoperability, the Zhaga platform incorporates multi-master devices and the two-node architecture. Control devices mounted on a Zhaga receptacle are required to be type-A or type-B as specified in DALI – Part 351 Luminaire-mounted Control Devices. DALI type-A control devices have an integrated multi-master application controller and support 2-W average power consumption from the auxiliary power supply. DALI type-B control devices have either an integrated multi-master application controller with an arbitration algorithm for one or more input device instances, or both, and support 1-W average power consumption from the auxiliary power supply. When a type-A module and a type-B module are attached to the luminaire, the DALI application controller of the type-B module is disabled, and the DALI application controller of the type-A module controls the system. For more information, see the Zhaga-D4i technical guide (18-Oct-2023) in Zhaga publications: https://www.zhagastandard.org/media-events/publications.html.
Zhaga and the DALI Alliance have developed a joint program for the certification of interoperable luminaires and sensing or control devices and communication modules. Luminaires, sensing or control and communication modules based on complementary Zhaga Book 18 and DALI D4i specifications are eligible for dual certification and subsequently to display the combined Zhaga-D4i logo (see Figure 3). Separately, Book 18 receptacles, bases and caps are eligible for certification from Zhaga and LED drivers are eligible for D4i certification from DALI Alliance. Features of Zhaga-D4i certified products make several advantages clear. The ability to easily add new sensors or upgrade communication modules to existing luminaires in the lighting system makes the Zhaga platform resilient and supports a circular economy where the luminaire is repurposed rather than discarded. The intra-luminaire D4i interface enables bi-directional communication between sensors or communication modules and LED drivers. D4i certified LED drivers can report operational and diagnostic data to an external network and provide inventory-related information about luminaires. Finally, with a suitable wireless communication module, the luminaire can become part of the IoT.
Specifying Zhaga-D4i certified luminaires opens an eco-system of multiple vendors supplying interoperable products and reducing the “vendorlock” risks associated with proprietary systems. If the original vendor goes out-of-business or no longer supports the original lighting system, then there will be multiple vendor options to repair or upgrade the system without scrapping the luminaire and starting all over. Procurement is made easier through the maintained certified product databases of the Zhaga Consortium (https://www.zhagastandard.org/products.html) and the DALI Alliance (https://www.dali-alliance.org/products). The Zhaga product database contains over 340 Zhaga-D4i luminaire families by more than 50 manufacturers. The DALI product database contains over 400 D4i certified drivers. These databases are growing steadily. By specifying Zhaga-D4i in tenders, luminaires selected today can keep up with the rapid technology advances of tomorrow. In short, specifying Zhaga-D4i gives confidence that the product works, it’s repairable, it’s upgradeable and it’s available.
The aims of a circular economy are to limit consumption of resources and raw materials as well as avoiding landfill waste. Armin Konrad, an active regular member in the Zhaga Consortium expressed the concept of circularity lighting and serviceability very succinctly (see text box below). Konrad points out that the key to serviceability is modular design through standardized interfaces. Serviceability requires luminaires and light management systems that can be repaired, when broken, upgraded as technology advances, and replaced when necessary. That is where Zhaga comes in and develops specifications for standardized interfaces enabling LED luminaires to promote a circular economy.
Circularity lighting encompasses products and systems that support the aims of the circular economy through enhanced serviceability. To be serviceable, these products and
systems must be designed in a modular way and use component interfaces that are based on standardized and widely recognized specifications,” said Armin Konrad, senior director at LEDVANCE GmbH.
Visit the Zhaga special page on circularity lighting: https://www.zhagastandard.org/circularitylighting
Interoperable products designed for the Zhaga platform bring benefits to designers, specifiers and end-users and support a circular economy. As pressure mounts to combat light pollution, another form of waste, and provide healthy lighting to humans, animals and plants, the need for design flexibility and product options increases. Zhaga-based luminaires are future-proof because light sources can be purchased from multiple suppliers. The latest-generation technology can be adopted easily. Luminaires can be specified for future projects in the knowledge that a current, up-to-date LED light source can be fitted when the project is installed.
The use of Zhaga-D4i luminaires for smart outdoor lighting systems is happening around the world. In Sydney, Australia, the Southern Sydney Regional Organization of Councils working jointly with Ausgrid, an electricity distribution company, initiated the Street Lighting Improvement Program in May 2023 to deploy more than 62,000 Zhaga-D4i-certified LED luminaires with smart streetlighting controls and additional Zhaga interfaces for sensors.
Algeciras, Spain, has started an upgrade project for the city’s 5,600 luminaires that aims to introduce centralized management, save energy and increase security in sensitive areas at night. Using Zhaga-D4i luminaires and components, they can transfer DALI luminaire, energy and diagnostics data to their connected lighting system, enabling users and customers to remotely manage, monitor and control the city lights. In some areas, lighting is regulated automatically according to vehicle and pedestrian traffic through the use of a Zhaga-D4icertified radar motion sensor. The new system has reduced energy consumption by more than 50% and is future-ready due to the interoperability provided by standardized Zhaga and DALI technology.
In Dortmund, Germany, a 15,000 streetlight project is redefining urban lighting. Using ZhagaD4i-certified products, the power of a networked lighting system is on display as each luminaire can be individually monitored and controlled. The unparalleled flexibility allows for the central management system to collect information on lamp status, radio communication, failure analysis, energy consumption and even set lighting profiles throughout the city. As a result, the city’s quality of life is improved and the operational costs, CO2 emissions and maintenance requirements are dramatically reduced.
Zhaga Book 18 with Zhaga-D4i may effect a transformational change in the lighting world. Michael Davidson of Synapse Wireless Inc., an active Zhaga regular member, said, “[Zhaga Book 18] will definitely change lighting by having an universal interface, just like USB changed the world of cameras and computers, it’s going to change lighting so there is one interface [that] everyone’s going to design to. You put it into every luminaire so it’s controls-ready, it’s sensors-ready. It’s going to change the whole lighting industry… for the good.”
THE AUTHOR |
Mark Duffy chairs the Zhaga Consortium General Assembly, a leading developer of specifications for luminaire interfaces and interoperable components. A 39-year veteran of the lighting industry, he has been active in ANSI, IEC and IES lighting standards development organizations for over 20 years.