Troubleshooting DALI - Resolve Short Address Clash

Issue

Two or more DALI Ballasts on the same DALI loop use the same DALI Short Address.  This is referred to as an Address Clash.

Explanation of Issue

Unlike DMX, DALI Ballasts require a unique Short Address between 0-63 (for a total of 64 ballasts per loop or less).

Scenarios in which Ballasts have overlapping Short Addresses are usually accidental in nature.  At the time of initial addressing via a DALI configuration utility, the chance exists that two devices may respond or "take" the Short Address distributed by the configuration utility.

A symptom to this behavior usually surfaces when two or more ballasts respond to the same "Individual DALI Set Level Command".  In order words, we tell ballast 1 to turn on and 2 or more ballasts turn on.  When using Broadcast Mode in DALI (all lights do the same thing), it is less likely that this will be noticed but the issue should still be resolved.

Solution

The clash must be resolved in order to gain independent control of the affected ballasts.

This can be done is a couple of different ways depending on which DALI configuration utility is being used.

DALI Response Gateway

Scenario 1 - Restore Defaults

1. Via Concert or EtcDaliEdit software, elect to restore defaults to the DALI gateway.  This will erase all Short Address assignments (scramble the numbers) and give ballasts new assignments at random.

Scenario 2 - Fix only the affected ballasts

1. Note which Short Address is clashed with multiple ballasts.
2. Locate the affected DALI ballasts and locate the drivers for each ballast.
3. If two lights are affected, remove the DALI bus wiring from one of the affected ballasts driver(s) so only one ballast remains on the active DALI bus.  Shutting off power to the second DALI ballast is also acceptable if it cannot be accessed to remote the DALI bus.  Just make sure the lights are not sharing the same power circuit otherwise power will be shut off to both affected units.
4. Using Concert or EtcDaliEdit, change the Short Address of the online ballast to a new and unused Short Address. In Concert this is best done by entering Live Edit and changing the Short Address in the Property Editor of the Subdevice (don't forget to hit enter after changing the number).
5. Return to the affect DALI ballast driver(s) location and return the second ballast to the DALI bus.
6. Test control.  The second ballast should have retained the original Short Address and the edited ballast has the new address.

Mosaic RIO-D  Fix only the affected ballasts

1. In the DALI tab, select the DALI Interface that has the clash.
2. Discover the ballasts if not done already.
3. Select the ballast in the Clash column.
4. Click Resolve Clash at the top of the screen.
5. This will reinitialize just the affected ballasts.  A second discovery may be needed to return both ballasts to the table.

Tridonic DALI USB Fix only the affected ballasts

1. Connect the Tridonic DALI USB to the DALI loop.  Disconnect other DALI controllers (Mosaic or Response DALI Gateway)
2. Launch MasterConfigurator software.
3. Click the Search Devices field at the top to retrieve all DALI ballasts from that loop.
4. A clashed address may have an unknown different icon in the left browser as ballast discovery is complete.
5. Select the ballast that is clashed.  DALI Short Address numbers are in () after the name.  Example:  Fluorescent (A1) is Short Address 1.
6. Right click on the selected ballast and choose Delete.  This will bring up a prompt stating that it will delete the ballast and the Short Address.  Click Yes.
7. The device will no longer be seen with the Discovery tool (Search Devices).
8. The ballast(s) have to be re-addressed.  Select the DALI USB at the top of the left side browser.
9. Choose Addressing in the Commissioning Steps in the middle area.
10. In the popup, choose System Extension.  This will only address previously unaddressed ballasts.
11. Click Next.  The ballasts now have new Short Addresses and will appear in the left side browser.
12. *Caveat (Red Flag) - If using Response DALI Gateway, additional steps are required.  The information changed at the ballasts needs to be added to the gateway.
    1. Remove Tridonic DALI USB from the DALI loop.  Add Response DALI Gateway back to the loop.
    2. Remove power header from Response DALI Gateway.  Wait a moment.  Plug back in power header to Response DALI Gateway.  This performs a discovery.  The new ballasts will be added to the gateways ballast table.
    3. Caveat - If both ballasts have new addresses and the original ballast Short Address number is "abandoned" (no longer in use), the old abandoned number needs to be removed from the gateway.  This can only be done with EtcDaliEdit software and a Gadget2.  See article here.