ETC UFD User Manual

ETC Installation Guide

120VAC model

shown

Unison Foundry™ Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Overview

The Unison Foundry Phase-Adaptive Dimmer provides control for 120V and
277V line voltage loads that require forward-phase or reverse-phase
dimming, up to 600 watts.

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer can be wired to individual fixtures or used for
zone control, and automatically provides reverse-phase or forward-phase
dimming based on the connected load type.

Control connected loads from any DMX control device. Configure the Phase­Adaptive Dimmer either remotely via RDM (using a tool like ETC Net3
Concert) or locally on the controller. See

Dimmer

on

page 6

.

Configure the Phase-Adaptive

Specifications

Ambient Environment

For indoor use only. Rated for plenum use.

• 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C) operating temperatures in 5–95% non­condensing humidity.

Corporate Headquarters  Middleton, Wisconsin, USA  Tel [phone]
Service (Americas)  [e-mail]
London, UK  Tel [phone]  Service: (UK) [e-mail]
Rome, IT  Tel [phone] Service: (UK) [e-mail]
Holzkirchen, DE  Tel [phone]  Service: (DE) [e-mail]
Hong Kong  Tel [phone]  Service: (Asia) [e-mail]
Web: etcconnect.com 
specifications subject to change. 
7179M2100  Rev B  Released 2017-12

© 2017 Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. 

ETC intends this document to be provided in its entirety.

Product information and

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Electrical Specification

Two models are available:

• 120VAC, +/- 10% at 47–63Hz, maximum load 600W

• 277VAC, +/- 10% at 47–63Hz, maximum load 600W

Supported load types

• Tungsten

• 2-wire Fluorescent

•LED

• Electronic low voltage transformer

• Magnetic low voltage transformers (120V only, 300W maximum load).
Transformers should be correctly loaded to their rated current.

CAUTION:

ETC does not support the use of the Phase-Adaptive
Dimmer with magnetic loads at 277V.

Connecting underloaded magnetic transformers at 120V
to the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer may result in damage to
the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer. This damage is not covered
under warranty.

Compliance

• UL and cUL listed

• Conforms to UL 916 (Energy Management Equipment) and UL 2043
(Plenum rated)

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 2 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Prepare for Installation

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer is designed for mounting directly to an electrical
junction box or panel (provided by others) at the electrical lighting load,
upstream of the load in the circuit.

Note:

If your installation requires Class 2 wiring to be installed
in separate conduit, a voltage barrier installation box is
available from ETC. Order ETC part number 7187A1000.

DMX Control Wiring

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer connects to a DMX512-A source (provided by
others) for control.

DMX wiring runs can be daisy chains of up to 32 devices with no Y’s or loops.
Each DMX daisy chain must be terminated for proper control performance
(see

Terminate DMX

ETC recommends using Belden 9729 (or approved equivalent) Class 2 wire.
Belden 1583A or equivalent Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat 6 UTP wire is also acceptable
when properly shielded or installed in grounded metal conduit and connected
using the Cat5 IDC termination kit (ETC part number 4100A1013). This
termination kit is not provided with the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer.

A voltage barrier installation box (part number 7187A1000) is available for
installations where DMX control wiring is installed in grounded metal
conduit. Contact ETC to purchase termination kits or voltage barrier
installation boxes if required.

The total combined length of a DMX wire run (using Belden 9729 or
equivalent) may not exceed 1,000 ft (300 m).

Note:

on

page 5

).

All control wiring should be installed and terminated by
a qualified installer and should follow standard wiring
installation practices.

Leave approximately 10 in (255 mm) of wiring available
for connection and to allow slack for future service

.

needs

Note:

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 3 of 16 ETC

For more information on DMX control wiring
requirements, see these and other Support Articles at
etcconnect.com:

• etcconnect.com/Support/Articles/DMX-512-Info.aspx

• etcconnect.com/Support/Articles/DMX-Over-Cat5.aspx

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Installation

Installation should follow all local codes and standard electrical practices.
Ensure that the junction box is clean and free of obstructions and that all
wiring is installed correctly.

WARNING:

WARNING:

1: Locate the circuit breaker panel and turn off the power to the lighting

circuit.

2: To gain access to the line voltage wiring, remove the cover plate and

other hardware from the junction box at the load.

3: Mount the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer to the exterior of the junction box

or panel using the 1/2” threaded nipple. Use the provided 1/2”
conduit locknut to secure the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer to the junction
box or panel.

Note:

Risk of electric shock! This device utilizes high voltage
and should only be installed by a qualified installer or
electrician. Follow all local codes for installation. Before
terminating the AC power wiring verify that the main
breaker is in the off position and follow the proper
lockout/tag out procedures per NFPA Standard 70E.

For indoor use only! Must install to an electrical
junction box or wire way.

Follow all local code requirements for terminating wire.

• Notice that the harness wires on the controller are
pre-stripped for your installation convenience.

• Use appropriately sized wire nuts (not provided) to
secure each termination.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 4 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Wire jumper

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Connect DMX

1: Pull wiring to the junction box.
2: Terminate the DMX cable by following the steps in the termination kit

supplied with the unit.

Terminate DMX

Terminate the last device in the DMX data run for proper control
performance. To terminate the DMX data run at the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer,
connect the last two pins on the termination connector with a wire jumper
(not included) as shown below.

Note:

Because resistance is built into the Phase-Adaptive
Dimmer, no additional resistor is required to terminate
the last device in the DMX data run.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 5 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

DMX-512A

Black

Line In

White

Neutral

Dimmer

Load

Red
Output

Green/Yellow
Ground

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Connect Power Input and Dimmer Output

The power input and dimmer
output wiring exits the Phase­Adaptive Dimmer through the
knockout mount on the
enclosure.

1: Connect the power

input wiring. The
dimmer is supplied
with wiring specific to
the input voltage,
either 120VAC or
277VAC.

a: Connect the green/yellow striped wire (12 AWG) from the

controller to the ground wire from the breaker panel and the
ground wire from the lighting load.

b: Connect the white wire (14 AWG) to the incoming neutral wire

from the breaker panel and the neutral wire of the lighting load.

c: Connect the power input wire (12 AWG) to the line input feed

wire (hot) from the breaker panel. Power input wire is black for
120VAC or brown for 277VAC.

2: Connect the red dimmed output wire (12 AWG) to the dimmed line of

the lighting load.

3: Reinstall the junction box cover plate.

Configure the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

You can use RDM to set the appropriate dimming mode, dimming curve,
DMX address, and data loss behavior for the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer. You
can set other parameters using RDM, too. See

Dimming Mode

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer has two dimming modes:

• Auto: Automatically provides reverse-phase or forward-phase
dimming based on the connected load type. This is the default setting.

• Forward-Phase: Provides forward-phase dimming only.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 6 of 16 ETC

RDM Parameters

on

page 14

.

ETC Installation Guide

Control Input (%)

Dimmer Output (%)

0 20 40 60 80 100

0

20

40

60

80

100

Control Input (%)

Dimmer Output (%)

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Dimming Curve

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer has two dimming curves:

• Linear: The linear curve matches the control input percentage to Root
Mean Squared (RMS) voltage output. Each percent increase in control
level increases dimmer voltage output by the same amount.

100

80

60

40

20

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

• Modified Square Law (Mod-Square): A standard square law curve may
overcompensate for infrared loss, resulting in “steppy” response to
incremental control changes at low levels. The ETC modified square
law curve applies a second multiple to the standard square law curve
for more uniform response to control levels changes across the entire
range of dimmer output.

DMX Address

You can assign DMX addresses to an entire daisy chain of Unison Foundry
devices using Net3 Concert or another RDM controller. If you cannot assign
the DMX addresses using RDM, you can manually set the DMX start address
on the device. The default factory-set DMX address is 1, and the range of

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 7 of 16 ETC

available addresses is 1–512.

ETC Installation Guide

SIGNAL LED

POWER LED

MODE button

SET button

201

10s 1s100s

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Manually Set the DMX Address

If you cannot assign the DMX addresses using RDM, use the MODE and SET
buttons to set the value of each digit in the three-digit DMX address in
sequence.

Task What to do What you will see

1: Put the controller
into DMX addressing
mode.

2: Set the 100s digit
of the DMX address.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 8 of 16 ETC

Press and hold the MODE
button.

Press the SET button to
set the 100s digit. For
example, press the button
once for 1, twice for 2,
and so forth up to five
times for 5. Press and hold
the SET button for 0.

If the 100s digit in the
new DMX address is the
same as in the current
DMX address, you can
keep the digit by skipping
to step 3.

•The POWER LED indicator blinks 3 times
to indicate that you can set the 100s
digit of the DMX address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the
100s digit in the current DMX address.
For example, if the current DMX address
is 201, the SIGNAL LED indicator blinks
2 times. (If the 100s digit is a 0, the
indicator remains lit and does not blink.)

•The POWER LED indicator continues to
blink 3 times to indicate that you are
setting the 100s digit of the DMX
address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the
value that you set for the 100s digit in
the DMX address.

ETC Installation Guide

201

10s 1s100s

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Task What to do What you will see

3: Set the 10s digit of
the DMX address.

Press the MODE button to
advance to the 10s digit.

Press the SET button to
set the 10s digit. For
example, press the button
once for 1, twice for 2,
and so forth up to nine
times for 9. Press and hold
the SET button for 0.

If the 10s digit in the new
DMX address is the same
as in the current DMX
address, you can keep the
digit by skipping to step 4.

•The POWER LED indicator blinks 2 times
to indicate that you are setting the 10s
digit of the DMX address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the 10s
digit in the current DMX address. For
example, if the current DMX address is
201, the SIGNAL LED indicator remains
lit and does not blink.

• If the SIGNAL LED indicator rapidly blinks
red, this means that you set the 100s
digit to an invalid value (for example, 6).
When this occurs, the Phase-Adaptive
Dimmer exits DMX addressing mode
without saving.

•The POWER LED indicator continues to
blink 2 times to indicate that you are
setting the 10s digit of the DMX address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the
value that you set for the 10s digit in the
DMX address.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 9 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

10s

201

1s100s

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Task What to do What you will see

4: Set the 1s digit of
the DMX address.

5: Save the new DMX
address.

Press the MODE button to
advance to the 1s digit.

Press the SET button to
set the 1s digit.

If the 1s digit in the new
DMX address is the same
as in the current DMX
address, you can keep the
digit by skipping to step 5.

Press the MODE button. • The POWER LED indicator and SIGNAL

•The POWER LED indicator blinks once to
indicate that you are setting the 1s digit
of the DMX address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the 1s
digit in the current DMX address. For
example, if the current DMX address is
201, the SIGNAL LED indicator blinks
once.

• If the SIGNAL LED indicator rapidly blinks
red, this means that you set the 10s digit
to an invalid value. When this occurs, the
Phase-Adaptive Dimmer exits DMX
addressing mode without saving.

•The POWER LED indicator continues to
blink once to indicate that you are
setting the 1s digit of the DMX address.

•The SIGNAL LED indicator blinks the
value that you set for the 1s digit in the
DMX address.

LED indicator return to their normal
functions (see

Interface

• If the SIGNAL LED indicator rapidly blinks
red, this means that you set the 1s digit
to an invalid value. When this occurs, the
Phase-Adaptive Dimmer exits DMX
addressing mode without saving.

LED Indicators and User

on

page 12

).

Note:

The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer will exit DMX addressing
mode after 1 minute of inactivity. When this occurs, the
controller retains the DMX address that was saved
before you entered DMX addressing mode.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 10 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Data Loss Behavior

Use RDM to set the behavior of the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer when DMX is
lost. The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer has three options for data loss behavior:

• Hold last look

• Wait and fade

• Go to full

Note:

The “Go to full” data loss behavior does not meet the
requirements of UL924 for emergency lighting control.

Power Up and Test

1: Restore power to the circuit. The Phase-Adaptive Dimmer will power

up and turn on all connected loads to full output.

2: Verify that DMX input is present. The green signal LED on the unit

should be lit steadily. If it is blinking, check the DMX wiring.

3: Configure the controller. If additional configuration is required, use an

RDM controller such as ETC Net3 Concert software to configure the
appropriate properties. For more detailed information, see the Net3
Concert integrated help system.

4: Test the controller response. Use the DMX control system to alter the

control level, and make sure the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer responds.

Power-Up Behavior

In the event of a power loss to the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer, the controller will
return to its last output level when power is restored.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 11 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

SIGNAL LED

POWER LED

MODE button

SET button

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

LED Indicators and User Interface

LED Indicator Color State Description

Solid DMX present, system OK.

DMX absent. Verify that the DMX wiring is

Green

SIGNAL

Red

POWER Blue

Slow blinking

Rapid blinking

Solid

Blinking

Solid Power is OK

Blinking

correct, and verify that the DMX source is
functioning correctly.

DMX errors. Verify that the DMX wiring is
correct, and verify that the DMX source is
functioning correctly.

Shutdown due to overcurrent or short circuit.
Dimmer shuts down at an overcurrent of
16 A or when short circuit occurs. To resume
normal operation, set dimmer to 0% and
then return it to the intended level.

Shutdown due to overtemperature. Dimmer
shuts down when temperature reaches 90°C
(194°F), and must cool to 75°C (167°F)
before resuming normal operation.

The incoming power is outside of the
operable range of voltage or frequency for
the dimmer. See
and verify that incoming power is correct.

Specifications

on

page 1

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 12 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Update the Software

You can update the software for the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer using ETC
UpdaterAtor software and an ETC Gadget II or Gateway. Both LED indicators
on the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer blink during software updates.

Restore Defaults

Return the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer to factory defaults by pressing and
holding both the MODE and SET buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds. Both
LEDs will blink rapidly to indicate that the factory defaults have been restored.
For factory default values, see

RDM Parameters

on

page 14

.

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 13 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

RDM Parameters

You can set the following RDM parameters on the Phase-Adaptive Dimmer
using Net3 Concert or another RDM controller.

Parameter ID and Number Description Default Value

Device Label

DMX Start
Address

DMX Fail
Mode
(Data Loss)

Curve and
Mode

Minimum
Level

Maximum
Level

Output
Response
Time

E120_DEVICE_LABEL
0x0082

E120_DMX_START_ADDRESS
0x00F0

E137_1_DMX_FAIL_MODE
0x0141

E137_1_CURVE
0x0343

E137_1_MINIMUM_LEVEL
0x0341

E137_1_MAXIMUM_LEVEL
0x0342

E137_1_OUTPUT_RESPONSE_TIME
0x0345

User-configurable name
for the device

DMX address,
range = 1–512

Configures the behavior
when DMX is lost:

• Hold last look

• Wait and fade

• Go to full

Configures the dimming
mode and dimming
curve:

• Auto, Mod-Square

• Auto, Linear

• Forward-Phase, Mod­Square

• Forward-Phase, Linear

Minimum level that the
dimmer goes to (when
above 0%)
range = 0–127

Maximum level that the
dimmer goes to (at full),
range = 128–255

Configures the response
time:

• Instant

• 100 ms

• 600 ms

• 800 ms

• 1000 ms

ETC DMX Single
Dimmer

1

Go to full

Auto, Linear

0

255

800 ms

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ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 15 of 16 ETC

ETC Installation Guide

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer

Phase-Adaptive Dimmer Page 16 of 16 ETC