Troubleshooting DLA-V Lighting Control Sensors

Troubleshooting DLA-V Lighting Control Sensors

Overview

This guide is designed to help you quickly remedy common sensor and wiring issues and gather the necessary information to expedite a support case if needed.

The guide covers both the DLA-V (0-10V dimming) and DLA-VS (DALI dimming) sensor models. Unlike an all-in-one luminaire, the DLA-V/DLA-VS is a sensor that is field-wired to a third-party driver, so many issues reported against these devices are actually wiring issues rather than sensor faults. This guide includes a dedicated section for diagnosing those wiring issues.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Initial Troubleshooting: Power Cycle

The first and most effective step in troubleshooting is a power cycle. This resets the sensor and resolves many common issues.
  1. How to do it: Turn off the associated circuit breaker to remove power from the sensor and attached luminaire.
  2. Duration: Wait at least 30 seconds before restoring power.
If the issue persists after a power cycle, continue to the sections below.

2. Assess Sensor and Luminaire Status

If the power cycle does not resolve the issue, evaluate the following areas and note your findings.

Luminaire Behavior
  1. Out entirely: Is the attached luminaire failing to illuminate at all?
  2. On/off but no dimming: Does the luminaire turn on and off, but not change light output when dimmed?
  3. Dimming but not turning off: Does the luminaire dim down but never fully go dark at 0%?
  4. Unexpected changes: Is the luminaire failing to change light output as programmed?

Status Indicator Behavior
  1. Status indicators not blinking: The sensor is either not receiving power or is malfunctioning/damaged.
  2. Status indicators blinking: The processor within the sensor is powered and operating normally, see Status Indicator Behavior of DLA-V Lighting Controls Sensors for details on indicator behavior. If the indicators are blinking but the luminaire is still dark, this points to a wiring or driver issue rather than a sensor fault — see Wiring Issue: Luminaire Not Illuminating Despite Active Status Indicators below.

Connectivity & Settings
  1. Control software: Is the sensor controlled via SiteWorx?
  2. Communication: See the View Live Device Connectivity guide to determine communication status. If the sensor is communicating, and what are its current programmed settings in SiteWorx?

Hardware Identification
  1. Serial number: Locate and record the serial number of each affected sensor. This is required for any support case.

3. Common Wiring Issues

Because the DLA-V/DLA-VS controls a separate, third-party driver, most dimming and power-related complaints trace back to how the driver is wired to the sensor rather than a sensor defect. Confirm wiring with a licensed electrician before requesting an RMA.

No Power Consumption Data Reported

Symptom: The luminaire dims and functions normally, but Commissioner/SiteWorx shows no power consumption, or power readings stay flat and near 0W regardless of dim level.

Cause: The DLA-V and DLA-VS meters power through its own switched red AC wire — not through the driver itself. If the driver is powered from the unswitched black AC line instead of the DLA-VS's switched red wire, the light will dim and operate correctly, but no power data will ever be reported, since the sensor isn't metering the circuit that's actually powering the driver.

Resolution: Have an electrician confirm the driver is powered from the DLA-VS's switched red AC wire, not the black AC line. Once corrected, power reporting will resume.

Luminaire Dims But Does Not Turn Off

Symptom: The luminaire dims correctly but never fully turns off at 0%.

Cause: The DLA-V and DLA-VS are designed to fully de-energize the driver by switching off the red AC wire at 0%, ensuring the light turns off completely. If the driver is instead powered from the unswitched black AC line, the driver stays energized at all times. If that driver also does not support true dim-to-off, it will continue to output a small amount of light even at a 0% dim command.

Resolution: Have an electrician confirm the driver is powered from the sensor's switched red AC wire rather than the black AC line.

Luminaire Turns On/Off But Does Not Dim

Symptom: The luminaire responds to on/off commands but does not respond to dimming commands.

Cause: The luminaire is being powered on and off via the switched AC wire, but the separate control connection (0-10V wires on DLA-V, or DALI wires on DLA-VS) is disconnected or improperly landed, so no dimming signal reaches the driver.

Resolution: Have an electrician verify the 0-10V or DALI control wiring between the sensor and driver is intact and properly landed.

Luminaire Not Illuminating Despite Status Indicators Blinking or DLA-V Communication

Symptom: The status indicators on the sensor are blinking (indicating the sensor itself is powered and operating), but the attached luminaire does not illuminate.

Cause: This points away from the sensor and toward the driver circuit — either the driver is not receiving power from the sensor's switched AC wire, or the attached luminaire/driver itself is malfunctioning.

Resolution: Have an electrician confirm the driver is receiving power from the switched red AC wire. If power is present at the driver and the luminaire still does not illuminate, the driver or luminaire itself may need to be tested or replaced.

4. Voltage & Environmental Issues

Multiple failures at the same time: When sensors fail individually, the timing and locations of failures are random. When groups of adjacent sensors or luminaires fail at the same time, there is usually a common electrical cause:
  1. Loss of power: Are all the affected devices on the same circuit? This is often caused by a breaker not making proper contact. If a power cycle does not resolve the issue and status indicators are not blinking, have an electrician confirm the circuit is receiving power.
  2. Anomalous electrical event: Devices may be damaged by a voltage spike or transient event on the circuit.

5. Contacting Support

If troubleshooting is unsuccessful, please email support@siteworx.io with the following details gathered during your assessment:
  1. Model (DLA-V or DLA-VS) and serial number(s) of the affected sensors.
  2. Luminaire behavior (out entirely, on/off only, dims but won't turn off, no change with dimming).
  3. Status indicator behavior (blinking or not).
  4. Wiring confirmation: Has an electrician confirmed which AC wire (red switched vs. black line) powers the driver, and that the 0-10V/DALI control wiring is intact?
  5. Software connectivity status.