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在你調暗LED燈之前你必須知道的10件事
以下是 Google 英文翻譯成中文，原英文版在下面。

幾個月前，勒克斯評論與調光LED燈開啟了這個討論：應該做什麼和不該做什麼。在此我們進一步深入研究這個問題，並研究一旦決定採取可調光LED安裝的方式意味著什麼。
以下是您需要避免的一些事情：

    *閃
    *閃爍
    *口吃調光
    *調光不足
    * LED驅動器失效
    *失效的調光器

如果您不匹配LED驅動器和調光器的電子設備，這些都是等待您的不便之處。
 
首先選擇調光方法
市場上有成千上萬種不同的可調光LED燈具，但只有三種主要的調光方法：市電調光，達利或DMX。 （見下面的方框）因此，在選擇任何LED燈具之前，請選擇想要的調光方式。更多的照明控制製造商提供了他們已經測試過的與他們的設備兼容性的LED產品清 單，這對任何說明者來說都是非常有用的服務。
 
不要購買便宜的司機
大多數照明控制系統提供各種調光協議，它們用來與燈或驅動器通信的語言。當您選擇適合您的安裝的方法時，您需要獲得與性能和協議相匹配的LED驅動器。一個常見的問題在於LED驅動器的設計和製造質量，導致LED或調光器電路性能不佳和偶爾發生故障。
例如，來自Dali 控制系統的數字信號不能總是由駕駛員轉換為所需的適當照明狀態。除了一定程度的調光之外，LED可以簡單地關閉。但要務實;如果您只是在尋找低至50％的亮度，則無需搜索能夠將照明降至5％的驅動程序。
 
同樣，在DMX信令非常適合變色安裝的情況下，並非所有的RGB驅動器都可以應對系統的需求，並且可能導致一些非常差的色彩效果。應該記住一個簡單的商業 等式：便宜=有風險。避免使用便宜的規格，特別是LED膠帶等產品（請參閱我們最近的LED膠帶評論），並且經常向控制器製造商諮詢您的首選LED產品是 否與他們的系統兼容。
 
在購買之前進行測試
在國內和小型商業環境中，照明規範很可能圍繞改進的LED燈而建立，但“改造”標題正在成為一種誤導，因為有許多新規格使用該技術來提供相對低成本的安裝。
被指定為“改造”，客戶常常認為這就是它的全部，只需將鹵鎢燈換成LED燈即可。這些LED的製造商在其包裝上也提出了相同的建議，這並沒有幫助。但請記 住，這是一個不受監管的市場，因此在提交規格前檢查提議的調光器是否與所選LED燈一起工作非常重要。在購買之前進行測試。

儘管在製造LED時仍然需要安全標準，因為它是一種電子產品，但沒有基於LED性能的標準。每個製造商根據他們的設計參數生產LED產品，並且比較兩個明顯相似的產品可能是不同規格報告的惡夢。
 
使用專為LED設計的調光器
大多數家用調光器仍然設計用於鎢負載，通常額定功率為 250W 和 400W，遠高於從其接管的 LED 燈的電負載。一些家用調光器無法“讀取”LED燈的低負載，因此需要連接額外的電氣負載以使燈能夠被調光器識別，當然，與減少能耗的願望相反。
簡單的答案是只使用專為LED負載設計的調光器。更多的這些調光器正在變得可用，並且設計成可在低得多的負載下工作。還有一種新型智能調光器 - 比如 Hamilton LED stat - 充分利用了新的電子技術，使其性能與連接的 LED 燈的要求相匹配。
 
檢查 LED 燈適合 - 許多不
所有改裝燈都是用來取代現有的白熾燈，鎢或鎢鹵素燈。這意味著在整個範圍內都有其他選擇，從普通的 GLS 燈（燈泡）到聚光燈的定向燈，甚至枝形吊燈式的蠟燭燈，其中一些燈泡的效果非常好，閃閃發光。每個改裝燈的固有問題是對物理尺寸的限制。
如果翻新燈不適合預期的燈具，則翻新燈不太好。然而不管怎樣，這聽起來可能聽起來不錯，但改裝燈的基本特徵並沒有阻止一些 LED 燈製造商從專業版

原文英文版：

10 things you MUST know before you dim LED lamps

Some months ago, Lux Review opened this discussion with Dimming LED lamps: the dos and don’ts. Here we delve further into the issue and look at what it means once the decision’s taken to go ahead with a dimmable LED installation.
Here are a few things that you need to avoid: These are all inconveniences that are await you should you mismatch the electronics of the LED driver and the dimmer.
 
Choose the dimming method first
There are thousands of different dimmable LED light fixtures on the market, but only three major types of dimming method: mains dimming, Dali or DMX. (see box, below) So choose what kind of dimming you want before you select any LED luminaires. More lighting control manufacturers are providing lists of LED products that they have tested for compatibility with their equipment and this is a very useful service to any specifier.
 
Don’t buy cheap drivers

Most lighting control systems offer a variety of dimming protocols, the languages which they use to communicate with the lamp or driver. When you’ve chosen the method that’s right for your installation, you need to get LED drivers which match the performance and the protocol. A common problem lies in the design and build quality of the LED driver, leading to poor performance and occasional failure of either the LED or the dimmer circuitry.
For instance, the digital signaling from a Dali control system cannot always be translated by the driver into the appropriate lighting state that’s required. Beyond a certain level of dimming, the LEDs may simply switch off. But be pragmatic; if you’re only looking for dimming down to 50 per cent there’s no need to search for a driver that will take the lighting down to 5 per cent.
 
Similarly, where DMX signaling is ideal for colour-change installation, not all RGB drivers can cope with the demands of the system, and that can lead to some very poor colour effects. There’s a simple commercial equation that should be borne in mind: cheap = risky. Avoid cheap specifications, particularly of products like LED tape (see our recent review of LED tape) and always check with the control manufacturer that your preferred LED product is compatible with their system.
 
Test before you buy
In the domestic and small commercial environment, the lighting specification is very likely to be built around retrofit LED lamps, but the ‘retrofit’ title is becoming a misnomer because there are many new specifications making use of the technology to deliver relatively low-cost installations.
Being designated ‘retrofit’, customers often think that’s all there is to it and will simply swap a tungsten halogen lamp for an LED lamp. It doesn’t help that manufacturers of these LEDs also suggest the same thing on their packaging. But remember that this is an unregulated marketplace, so it’s very important to check that the proposed dimmer works with the selected LED lamp before committing to a specification. Test before you buy.
Although safety standards are still required in the manufacture of the LED because it’s an electrical product, there is no standard based on the performance of an LED. Each manufacturer produces LED products according to their design parameters and comparing two apparently similar products can be a nightmare of dissimilar specification reporting.
 
Use dimmers designed for LEDs
Most domestic dimmers are still designed for tungsten loads, typically rated at 250W and 400W, which is far higher than the electrical loading of the LED lamps taking over from them. Some domestic dimmers cannot ‘read’ the low loading of a LED lamp, so requiring an additional electrical load to be connected in order that the light will be recognized by the dimmer, contrary to any desire to reduce energy consumption, of course.
The simple answer is to use only those dimmers that have been designed for LED loads. More of these dimmers are becoming available, and are designed to operate at far lower loads. There is also a new style of intelligent dimmers – such as the Hamilton LEDstat – that take full advantage of new electronic technology, enabling it to match its performance with the requirements of the connected LED lamps.
 
Check the LED lamp fits – many don’t
All retrofit lamps are intended to replace an existing filament lamp, tungsten or tungsten halogen. That means that there are alternatives across the range, from the ordinary GLS lamp (the light bulb), to directional lamps for spotlighting and even chandelier-style candle lamps, some of which work to great, sparkling, effect. The inherent problem in every retrofit lamp is the limitation on physical size.
A retrofit lamp is no good if it doesn’t fit in the intended light fixture. And however perverse this may sound, that essential feature of a retrofit lamp hasn’t stopped some LED lamp manufacturers from producing lamps that simply don’t fit. It might make for a better engineered product, but it may not fit into the required fixture – so it’s good to check.

Only buy brands you trust
All of the LED circuitry, usually found in a separate driver housing in the more upmarket architectural luminaires, has to be contained within the given physical space of a retrofit lamp.  And if the lamp is dimmable (and please remember that not all of them are) that means that the dimming components must also be housed in the same tiny space. This can cause thermal and mechanical stress and seriously affect the life of the lamp.
Buying anything with confidence means knowing the provenance of the product, and this is of primary importance when purchasing LED retrofit lamps. Either trust the brand, or trust that the company that you’re buying from has done the necessary investigations into the product’s quality. Never buy on-line unless you know the product or the company.
 
Be super cautious of GU10 lamps
GU10 LED lamps are replacements for mains voltage tungsten halogen lamps and are probably the single most popular of all LED retrofit lamps. The ubiquity of the downlighter has ensured that this lamp will survive long after the ‘retrofit’ tag becomes meaningless.
A dimmable GU10 lamp is a very busy piece of equipment indeed. Every LED source is an SELV (safety extra low voltage) device, so the GU10 also needs to house a transformer, as well as its dimmable driver components.
Because of the unregulated nature of LED manufacture, ensuring product worthiness of these GU10 lamps is an absolute priority. If you’re looking for a dimmable version, it’s all the more important to know what you’re buying and to trust who you’re buying from. Start by checking out our recent review of GU10 lamps.
 
Only use a LED MR16 LED if it comes with its own separate driver
There is an alternative to the GU10 lamp but it tends to be sidelined because it suffers from the same problem as the original low voltage lamps – it requires a separate component.
The LED MR16 lamp is the LED retrofit for the 12V tungsten halogen lamp. Although the 12V tungsten halogen lamp was superior to the GU10 mains voltage halogen alternative, it lost ground to the GU10 because it was more expensive, requiring a transformer that had to be mounted close by, usually in the ceiling void adjacent to the downlight containing the lamp.
The low-voltage MR16 LED lamp is also a superior lamp to the GU10 lamp because there is less stress in the lamp housing as the transformer electronics are remote from the housing. But there is a risk of this benefit being outweighed by a disadvantage. Most MR16 LED lamps are advertised as being compatible with tungsten halogen transformers and this is not necessarily the case. Electronic incompatibility rules supreme in these circuits and there have been plenty of flashing LEDs in evidence to demonstrate that truth.
The best way to use a dimmable LED MR16 lamp is to select a lamp that is supplied with its own remote driver housing. This provides the additional benefit of removing even more circuitry from the lamp housing so leaving maximum space for the light source to do its work.
 
Never mix and match
It’s never a good idea to mix LEDs from different manufacturers on the same dimming circuit. On the basis that every LED will have its own design of electronic circuitry, the dimmer probably won’t be capable of providing a common signal to each light source. This is a recipe for flicker and hum. While this restriction may be a headache for some of the more creative schemes, it’s a sound precautionary measure. And if it icreative schemes, but demonstrate that truth. source to do its work.ox). s essential to the scheme, we recommend that you mock-up the entire circuit on a workbench to test the design.
Because there are no performance standards for LED lamps and drivers it’s impossible to know whether future replacement equipment will operate in the same way as those originally installed, even if the new lamps are from the same company and carry the same part number. The same compatibility checking process has to start again, though it’s probably safe to assume that the dimming equipment won’t be compromised.
And when it comes to an isolated lamp failure in a circuit, the expensive news is that it’s best to change all of the lamps on that circuit to prevent a mismatch in circuit characteristics. It’s a damage limitation exercise and ensures that, with the proper checks mentioned above, the installation will continue to perform as required.
 
Check, check and check again
The message that is heard repeatedly is not to assume and always to check. The days when a filament lamp could be dimmed by almost anything and would always perform in the same way are gone. We are now in a world where electronic circuitry speaks to electronic circuitry and there is no over-arching standard yet in place to guarantee a unified performance.
So check:
Speak to the lighting control manufacturer. Have they tested the LED that you’d like to use and are they happy to see their equipment connected to it?
If you’re able, run a test yourself in as close to the operating conditions as possible.
Check minimum dimmer loadings if the dimmer is required to control just one of two LED lamps and, if so, test it yourself. And, if necessary, be prepared to adjust the scheme design to keep the LED-dimmer interface within safe operational bounds.