Lamp profiles

SOL-7000 can use dedicated lamp profiles. Each profile is designed for a compatible dimmable lamp model.

Why dedicated profiles are needed

With the old incandescent lamps, the regulation was more predictable: different lamps had quite similar behavior and a control unit could control them with a generic curve.

Dimmable LED lamps are not all the same. Internal electronics, power supply, minimum threshold, response to regulation and shutdown behavior change. One lamp may rise smoothly, another may flicker, turn off too early or not follow the curve well, even if both are indicated on the packaging as dimmable.

This is why Season Generator is developing dedicated profiles for the recommended lamp models, so SOL-7000 can control them in a more progressive and stable way during dawn, dusk and night light.

The choice of the exact model of the lamp is therefore not a secondary detail: it is used to obtain a correct and repeatable adjustment.

Recommended lamps

To obtain the best result it is strongly recommended to purchase dimmable lamps directly from Season Generator.

In this way the control unit is used with lamps already selected and verified to work correctly with the available profiles.

Using lamps purchased elsewhere may require additional checks, because even lamps declared dimmable may behave differently during dawn, dusk and night light.

Items shown in the menu

Path: MENU -> Dimming type.

Use UP and DOWN to scroll through the items; scrolling does not change the lamp or the profile in use. The profile is applied and saved only when OK is pressed, then the display returns to the main screen.

In the reference firmware version the display can show:

Display item	Use
PHP-11.2W-347946	profile dedicated to the PHP 11.2 W dimmable LED lamp, code 347946
OSRM-11W-602557	profile dedicated to the OSRM 11 W dimmable LED lamp, code 602557
LXM-11W-977813	profile dedicated to the LXM 11 W dimmable LED lamp, code 977813; this is the default profile
Incandescent	regulation dedicated to incandescent or compatible halogen lamps
Custom	uses the lamp map created on site with the Lamp map procedure
Lamp map	starts a new guided mapping of the installed lamp

Each LED profile is built on a specific model: the name shown gives the manufacturer abbreviation, the power and the lamp code. Do not choose a profile only because the power is similar: if in doubt, check the lamp model with Season Generator.

Lamp map

When the installed lamp does not match any of the available profiles, SOL-7000 allows a dedicated map to be created directly on the installation. The guided procedure drives the lamp live and asks you to confirm, point by point, how the lamp responds to the regulation.

The map contains two separate curves:

• rising curve, used when the light increases (dawn);
• falling curve, used when the light decreases (dusk).

Many LED lamps need more drive to switch on from darkness than they need to stay lit while the light is decreasing: with two separate curves the control unit follows both behaviors correctly, without jumps in light when the ramp changes direction.

The map is saved in the permanent memory of the control unit together with the mains frequency with which it was created. It remains valid even after a settings reset or after the control unit is switched off.

Before starting

• install and connect the lamp that will actually be used;
• set the Mains frequency correctly;
• carry out the mapping at a time when the lamp can be observed closely: during the procedure the program light is suspended and the lamp is driven only by the mapping.

Starting the mapping

1. open MENU -> Dimming type;
2. scroll to Lamp map and press OK;
3. the display shows Lamp map and OK=start test: press OK to start.

If no map is present yet, pressing OK on the Custom item also starts the mapping.

Keys during the procedure

Key	Function
UP	more light, in fine steps
DOWN	less light, in fine steps
RIGHT	more light, in large steps
LEFT	less light, in large steps
OK	confirms the point and moves to the next one
MENU	returns to the previous point
MENU held down	exits the procedure immediately without saving

The second line of the display shows the adjusted value in ticks (for example ^1950t 50Hz): the lower the number, the more light the lamp receives. At intervals the same line recalls the keys (UP/RIGHT=+light, UP=+light R=+10) and alternates the indication OK >> MENU <<.

Phase 1: rising

The first line shows the point to be adjusted, for example 1% rising or 40% rising.

1. 1% rising: starting from darkness, increase the light up to the lowest level at which the lamp switches on steadily, without flickering; press OK;
2. 100% rising: adjust up to the point at which the lamp reaches full brightness and no longer increases, without going beyond 500 ticks: the value on the display must not drop below 500t; press OK;
3. from 10% rising to 90% rising: the control unit automatically proposes the intermediate points based on the values just confirmed. Check that the light increases evenly from one point to the next, adjust if necessary and confirm each point with OK;
4. 100% rising is proposed again for a final confirmation.

Phase 2: falling

1. 100% falling: confirm the full brightness level when falling;
2. 1% falling: decrease the light down to the last level at which the lamp still stays lit and stable; press OK;
3. from 90% falling to 10% falling: check and confirm the proposed intermediate points;
4. 1% falling is proposed again for a final confirmation.

Throughout the procedure the lamp moves from one value to the next continuously, without switching off.

Automatic test

After the points, the control unit runs a complete test on its own with the map just created, with no keys to press:

• short pause with the lamp off;
• rising from 0% to 100% in about 30 seconds (the display shows Rising);
• short stop at maximum brightness, then the lamp stays off for a few seconds;
• falling from 100% to 0% in about 30 seconds (the display shows Falling).

Check that the light increases and decreases smoothly. If any section is not convincing, press MENU to return to the falling points and adjust them.

Saving the map

At the end the display shows Save map? OK.

• press OK to save: the control unit selects Custom and returns to the main screen, resuming the running program;
• with UP or DOWN you can instead choose Redo, to repeat the mapping from the beginning, or Exit, no save, to exit leaving the previously saved map unchanged.

Until Save map? OK is confirmed, any map already present remains valid and continues to be used.

Messages during mapping

Display	Meaning	What to do
ERR 9 / Press OK at start	the measured mains frequency differs from the one set in Mains freq.	press OK to exit, correct Mains freq. and repeat the mapping
ERR with a number / Press OK when saving	some points of the map are not valid	press OK to return to the points to correct; MENU exits without saving
! to the right of the value	the adjustment limit of the point has been reached	the value cannot go further in that direction
ok? after the point	final confirmation of the point searched at the beginning	check the lamp and confirm with OK
STOP / Press OK	the test was interrupted by a protection	OK resumes the procedure, MENU exits

Using or adjusting the saved map

In the Dimming type screen, the Custom item shows the map status on the right:

Symbol to the right of Custom	Meaning
>	map present and usable: OK selects it, RIGHT opens the adjustment of the points
--	no map saved: OK starts the mapping
Hz	the map was created with a mains frequency different from the one set: OK starts a new mapping

The adjustment goes through the same sequence as the mapping, starting from the saved values: pressing OK without changes leaves the points unchanged. To create a completely new map use the Lamp map item.

"Redo lamp map" warning

If Custom is selected but the map is not usable, for example after changing the Mains freq., the control unit keeps working by driving the lamp with the OSRM-11W-602557 profile and the main screen alternates the warning Redo lamp map. In this case repeat the mapping or set the mains frequency back to the value with which the map was created.