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At LightFair 2018 being held this week at McCormick Place, Fulham will introduce a new line of Bluetooth mesh lighting control systems and software to provide wireless luminaire control and monitoring. Fulham plans to demonstrate its new Bluetooth mesh connected LED driver, its new 0-10V to Bluetooth Bridge, and a new Bluetooth commissioning app for Apple’s iOS platform.
“The industry has been anticipating sensor-enabled standards-based, wireless lighting controls , but with Bluetooth mesh customers can get two-way lighting communications now,” says Russ Sharer, vice president with Fulham. “Bluetooth mesh provides superior lighting control – it’s a recognized standard meaning vendors can develop interoperable products, it provides for reliable operation, the technology scales appropriately for lighting systems, and all of us carry mobile phones fully capable of being commissioning devices. Rather than promise IoT in the future, Bluetooth delivers it today.”
The first in Fulham’s new family of Bluetooth mesh LED drivers is a 40W programmable constant current driver that comes with an intelligent wireless Bluetooth dongle and provides two-way wireless communications to commission, operate, monitor, and analyze LED luminaires and lighting installations. This is the first wireless LED driver to provide bidirectional communications and since it is SIG-qualified it can be used to control third-party Bluetooth sensors and switches.
The Bluetooth driver design helps minimize driver inventory while providing maximum versatility. This is a universal 0-10v driver that can be programmed for 110 to 227V input and 250-1500mA output, and the dongle is upgradeable so installers can add Bluetooth mesh support, or it can be outfitted to accommodate other wireless control protocols in the future. The wireless Bluetooth mesh driver is ideal for mid-life luminaire retrofits, allowing customers to upgrade luminaires with energy-saving LEDs today while ensuring those luminaires can accommodate Bluetooth wireless control in the future.
Bluetooth mesh networking also supports many-to-many communications for applications such as building automation and smart cities, so using Bluetooth mesh for lighting controls makes it possible to connect hundreds or thousands of luminaire sensors. Bluetooth mesh also makes it possible to consolidate luminaires and other devices into one, centrally managed infrastructure, laying the foundation building management and even outdoor systems management using IoT (Internet of Things).
“Smart lighting systems will be built on accepted open communications standards such as Bluetooth mesh, and with the introduction of our Bluetooth mesh family of drivers we are providing a new set of adaptable controls that empower our OEM and installer customers,” says Alvaro Garcia, product director with Fulham. “These programmable drivers are Bluetooth-ready, so customers can build in wireless control from the outset to futureproof their installations, or they can add Bluetooth communications later. Delivering these mesh-enabled drivers is a major step toward enabling open lighting controls, as well as laying the foundation for IoT infrastructure management.”
Fulham also will introduce the new 0-10V to Bluetooth Bridge that can upgrade any 0-10V luminaire to support Bluetooth mesh. Simply install the Bridge and the luminaire is added to a Bluetooth mesh infrastructure to receive control commands and send data back for performance analytics.
To support the new Bluetooth mesh family of products, Fulham is offering a lighting commissioning app. Currently available for iPhones, iPads, and other iOS-compatible devices, the app can be used to issue instructions to program any Bluetooth mesh-connected luminaire. The commissioning app will be available from the Apple Store. Fulham is making the app readily available at no cost, although fees will be charged based on the number of luminaires being controlled.
