Ref.
Title
KD01 ‘Amoeba’ Explained
KD02 Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps
KD03 Dimming Low Voltage Lamps
KD04 Enhanced Red Effect
KD05 Active Cooling
Dated Applies to
W2 2010 MR16 4W, 7W, 10W
W2 2010 All MV Dimmable
W2 2010 MR16 4W, 7W, 10W
W2 2010 GU10 PF, Novallure, and 250lm/470lm Bulb
W1 2010 MR16 7W & 10W

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps
Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps
Mains Voltage lamps operate on standard Alternating Current (AC) power supply, with the waveform below left. Dimmers cause a reduction in light output by reducing the total power delivered to the lamps, by
‘trimming’ a section of waveform. Trimming is either done on the leading edge or the trailing edge of a waveform, and dimmers are designated by these two types.
Leading Edge
 
Trailing Edge
They can also sometimes be classified by the type of load they are designed to dim:
Load Type ‘R’ Lad Type ‘C’ Load Type ‘L’
Eg. Mains Voltage
Halogen or GLS Lamps
X
Low Voltage with
Electronic
Transformer
Low Voltage with
Magnetic
Transformer
Leading Edge
Dimmer
R
RL X X Increasing Cost $$$
Trailing Edge
Dimmer
Either Trailing or
Leading Edge
RC
RLC
X
X
X
X X
Decreasing # of Installations
So all dimmer types are suited to R type loads, but specific dimmers are required for Low Voltage applications.
Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps
Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps
However, LED lamps are not a pure R type load, and the large variation in dimmer types and designs from different manufacturers means not all dimmers can be used with LED lamps.
Philips is an industry leader on designing driver electronics that ensure best-in-class dimmer compatibility.
Currently, Philips LED lamps work best with R & RL type dimmers, while installation with RC & RLC type dimmers is not recommended. Common phenomena when connecting LED lamps with the wrong type of dimmer are:
•Flickering of the light in certain dimmer positions
•Audible noise emitted from the dimmer unit
•Light level is not dim enough even in lowest dimmer position
Philips knows the dimmer market and ensures there are available dimmer options in your country that offer exceptional dimmer performance.
Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps
Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps
The complexity of LED lamp electronics mean that dimming behavior may not be ‘intuitive’ in some cases.
The following are known phenomena when using Philips LED lamps with certain dimmers.
The relationship between the dimmer knob position and the light output, during turning, may differ when increasing the light level than when reducing the light level. This is due to the LED lamp requiring a certain level of ‘activation power’ to switch on.
A desired dimming level may be more easily achieved when ‘dimming down’ than ‘dimming up’ from lowest dimmer position.
Depending on the dimmer type, the dimmer may offer the best minimum light level (when the dimmer is in the lowest position) with only one or two lamps. Additional lamps on a single dimmer can cause the minimum light level to increase.
Therefore, for applications where very dim light is required, such as ambience setting, it is better to have a lower number of lamps in the system.
One Lamp
Dimmer at Max
Five Lamps
Max Light Level Same Max Light Level Same
Good Dimming Level
Dimmer at Min
Worse Dimming Level
Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Knowledge Document KD02: Dimming Mains Voltage Lamps
Dimmer selection and behaviour when used with Philips MASTER LED lamps
Apart from the phase cutting (mainstream) dimmers, there are also few types of special dimmers available in the market:
Sinus dimmers:
1-10 V dimming interface:
DALI:
DMX512 (+RDM):
Wireless remote controls:
Adjust the amplitude of the AC mains voltage, used in theatres
Analog means of driving a dimming input on an electronic driver
Digital communication for professional (office) lighting
High speed communication bus for dynamic (entertainment) lighting
Based on IR (infra-red) or RF (radio frequency), many protocols
(e.g. RC5, Zigbee, Z-wave, ...)
Our dimmable LED lamps are not compatible with all above special dimmers !!!
Despite the great energy saving offered by LED Lamps, dimmers cannot be overloaded with too many lowpower lamps at once. The Philips ‘Rule of Thumb’ is the ‘10% Rule’:
The LED Lamp loading limit is defined as the Max Dimmer Rating * 10%
For example, the limit for a MASTER LEDspot GU10 7W, used with a Niko 09-013 Dimmer is determined as follows:
1 Lamp = 7W OK
2 Lamps = 14W OK
Dimmer Rating * 10% =
300W * 10% =
30W
3 Lamps = 21W OK
4 Lamps = 28W OK
5 Lamp = 35W NO
 4 Lamps Max
Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems

Knowledge Document KD03: Dimming Low Voltage Lamps
Dimmer selection and behaviour for Philips MR16 7W & 10W (W2 2010 version)
How Many Lamps per Dimmer? Low Voltage Lamps (MR16, MR11)
Max loading for a Low Voltage LED lamp is different:
The Philips MASTER LEDspot MR16 should be considered by its Halogen Equivalent , when determining how many lamps can be added to a system 
Then, the following mehod should be applied:
1.
Determine the max loading of both your transformer(s) and your dimmer: either in Watts (W) or Volt-Amps
(VA).
2.
Use the ratios below to determine a
‘System Max’ and
‘Branch Max’
3.
Limit total lamps you can install by ‘System Max’...
EXAMPLE
7W MasterLED MR16
SYSTEM
Max
200Wmax Dimmer
150VAmax Transformer
200 / 35 = 5.7
5 lamps in system
SYSTEM
Max
BRANCH
Max
Transformer Transformer

150 / 35 = 4.3
4 lamps per trafo
BRANCH
Max
4.
…and ensure transformer load is sufficient to allow for each individual
‘Branch’
Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems
Branch Max not reached, but additional MR16 would exceed System Max

Knowledge Doc Set v1, Philips LED Lamps & Systems