Why Are My Devices Not Addressing

zencontrol controllers automatically address and add devices to their databases.  We maintain a constant vigilance on our buses to ensure that devices remain exactly where they are placed.  

From time to time, we are contacted to evaluate devices that are failing to be addressed.  The information often begins with the fact that the devices respond to broadcast lighting commands and therefore, surely the controller is at fault for failing to address the devices.  The controller may have disabled further  automatic addressing due to this fault condition.

It is therefore important for us to be clear:

We use a standard binary search dali addressing process that is used by all control manufacturers.  If a device is failing to address, it or something on the line is doing something incorrect in the process of this addressing.   It is not a coincidence that this is frequently encountered with less reputable brands!

Reasons for failure to address

• The device is disappearing during the process
• The device has a firmware bug that causes it to mislead the controller during a binary search (one missed or erroneous answer would cause the process to fail).
• There is a device with a firmware bug that causes it to be the first device to be addressed, each time and fails - therefore stopping all devices from being able to be addressed.  
• Sometimes, wiring may make responses fail or occur intermittently (ie, if incorrect gauge dali cable is used), which leads to difficulty in establishing fault because the devices can appear to be working.

How to lift an automatic addressing lock

If the device is actually able to respond and is failing at some point during the addressing process, your controller will likely mark an issue "Auto Addressing Disabled".  This issue is set if the controller has detected an unaddressed device and failed to address a device over 15 attempts (each trying 5 times per time).  

The auto addressing disable can removed by either right clicking on the controller and selecting Search For New Devices. The failed addressing count will go back to zero and the controller will again begin counting to 15 unsuccessful attempts to address devices.

Your dali monitor will show a similar story, where addressing has frequently been triggered. 

Once auto addressing has been disabled, the controller will no long act on discovering unaddressed devices, though it will continue to show these events in the monitor.