If you already have a kessil controller and would like to also control a T5 light setup like the ATI DX18 then this thread is for you.
The primary issue with the A-series controller is that it supplies 0-10v to a lighting source but its unable to sink 0-10v from that soure. What I mean by that is.. In a typical dimmer ballast, the ballast itself supplies 10v down the wire. It assumes the light control has a variable resister that can reduce that voltage from 10v to 0v (high resistence). That way you don't have to supply power from a light switch to the ballast. In general this works pretty good since your wall mounted light switch shouldn't have to push current up to the light. And this is how most dimmers operate. However the other lighting standards is that the control supplies the 0-10v and the lights read that and adjust accordinly. This works pretty well in a computer controlled lighting (stage light maybe?) Now if you plug your ATI DX18 T5 lights to the Kessil A360W instead of the controller, you can dim the T5. The reason is that the A360W is able to sink the 0-10v from the T5 ballast. However its pretty annoying to do it this way because the Instensity will control one half the T5 lights, and the color the other half.
Now that you have a back ground on whats needed to make your Kessil work with any standard dimming ballast, here are the instructions for building a circuit to adapt it.
What we're going to make is a non-inverting voltage follower. Basically what this means is the input will be 0-10v (from the kessil), this will feed into the op amp. The amp will have a gain of 1 (non amplifying) and it will not invert the input (ie 10v = 10v instead of 10v = -10v) The op amp is capable if sourcing 0-10v to the output. But its also capable of sinking 0-10v (ie when the output side is already supplying voltage, then the op amp will bring it down to whatever voltage is on the input). Bear in mind if you want the lights off you'll still have to pull the power from the T5 ballast.. 0v does not mean its off.
The cost is pretty low but soldering skills are required.
TSH82 op amp
12v adapter
5.5mm x 2.1mm female socket for adapter
control / audio cable .. you probably already have this.
If you look at the picture.
VCC = +12v (from the female 5.5x2.1mm cable)
VEE = ground (12v female ground goes here, and all the ground for input and output for the control cable+
+IN1 = channel 1 in from Kessil
OUT1 = channel 1 out to T5
+IN2 = channel 2 in from kessil
OUT2 = channel 2 out to T5
Please note you will have the remove 4 resisters then jumper them with a blob of solder on the chip side of the board.
On the other side of the board you will jumper JP8, JP4, JP2, JP6 with another blob of solder.
You will also have to get a razor blade and cut the connection on JP3, JP4, JP1, JP2
The primary issue with the A-series controller is that it supplies 0-10v to a lighting source but its unable to sink 0-10v from that soure. What I mean by that is.. In a typical dimmer ballast, the ballast itself supplies 10v down the wire. It assumes the light control has a variable resister that can reduce that voltage from 10v to 0v (high resistence). That way you don't have to supply power from a light switch to the ballast. In general this works pretty good since your wall mounted light switch shouldn't have to push current up to the light. And this is how most dimmers operate. However the other lighting standards is that the control supplies the 0-10v and the lights read that and adjust accordinly. This works pretty well in a computer controlled lighting (stage light maybe?) Now if you plug your ATI DX18 T5 lights to the Kessil A360W instead of the controller, you can dim the T5. The reason is that the A360W is able to sink the 0-10v from the T5 ballast. However its pretty annoying to do it this way because the Instensity will control one half the T5 lights, and the color the other half.
Now that you have a back ground on whats needed to make your Kessil work with any standard dimming ballast, here are the instructions for building a circuit to adapt it.
What we're going to make is a non-inverting voltage follower. Basically what this means is the input will be 0-10v (from the kessil), this will feed into the op amp. The amp will have a gain of 1 (non amplifying) and it will not invert the input (ie 10v = 10v instead of 10v = -10v) The op amp is capable if sourcing 0-10v to the output. But its also capable of sinking 0-10v (ie when the output side is already supplying voltage, then the op amp will bring it down to whatever voltage is on the input). Bear in mind if you want the lights off you'll still have to pull the power from the T5 ballast.. 0v does not mean its off.
The cost is pretty low but soldering skills are required.
TSH82 op amp
12v adapter
5.5mm x 2.1mm female socket for adapter
control / audio cable .. you probably already have this.
If you look at the picture.
VCC = +12v (from the female 5.5x2.1mm cable)
VEE = ground (12v female ground goes here, and all the ground for input and output for the control cable+
+IN1 = channel 1 in from Kessil
OUT1 = channel 1 out to T5
+IN2 = channel 2 in from kessil
OUT2 = channel 2 out to T5
Please note you will have the remove 4 resisters then jumper them with a blob of solder on the chip side of the board.
On the other side of the board you will jumper JP8, JP4, JP2, JP6 with another blob of solder.
You will also have to get a razor blade and cut the connection on JP3, JP4, JP1, JP2
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