Lighting & Automation
ELV / MLV Dimming
Also called: electronic low voltage, magnetic low voltage
Two dimming types matched to transformer technology: ELV for electronic transformers and LED drivers, MLV for magnetic ones. Mismatching dimmer to load causes flicker, buzz, or failure.
This is the most common cause of residential and hospitality dimming complaints. An LED strip on an MLV dimmer flickers, buzzes, or refuses to dim below half, and the fixture usually gets blamed first. Compatibility between the specific dimmer and specific driver — not just the category — is what determines the result.
Manufacturers publish compatibility matrices for exactly this reason. Checking them at specification, and bench-testing one fixture with the intended dimmer before ordering a hundred, is far cheaper than replacing dimmers after millwork is in.
Related terms
- 0-10V Dimming
- An analog dimming method where a low-voltage control signal from 0 to 10 volts tells a driver or ballast what output level to produce, separate from the load wiring.
- DALI
- A digital lighting protocol where every fixture has an address on a two-wire bus, allowing individual control, grouping in software, and status reporting back to the controller.
- Lighting Scene
- A saved combination of light levels, colour temperatures, and shade positions across a space, recalled by one button, schedule, or sensor event.
More Lighting & Automation terms
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