Smart Driver™ Information

Congratulations. You have purchased Light Tape®, the brightest and most durable electroluminescent lamp on the market today. Please follow these simple guidelines to ensure maximum performance and life of your Light Tape® electroluminescent lamp. Additional information can be found in the Light Tape® Design Guide.

General Information

Power supplies can operate remotely, preferably located indoors, and should never be located outdoors without a NEMA 3R enclosure. Maximum distance from the power supply to the lamp is 50 feet. However, power supplies can be located at a maximum distance of 150 feet from the lamp with proper sheilding.

In some cases it may be necessary to use a dual conductor, shielded wire, and we recommend a minimum of 600 VAC rating on the wire. Always consult local electrical codes for official requirements.

All lamps must be enclosed by UL approved rigid or flexible face sheets or mounting channel per UL 879 and installed to allow for expansion and contraction. Electroluminescent lamps do not have polarity (+ or -) and wires can be attached to either side of the lamp.

Light Tape® lamps can be connected in parallel so that multiple lamps can operate from one power supply. We do not recommend connecting Light Tape® in series or daisy chain.

In order to maximize the life and performance of your Light Tape® lamp, you should:

Never operate the lamp when it is in a coil. This will damage the phosphors and shorten the life of the lamp. Always uncoil before lighting.

Never puncture or pierce the moisture seal of the lamp. Moisture will damage the phosphors and cause the lamp not to light.

Never turn your lamp on when it is in direct sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight when the lamp is on will shorten the life. Exposure to direct sunlight when the lamp is off will not cause any damage. We recommend using a photocell or timer when the lamp is installed in direct sunlight.

The Electro-LuminX® Smart Driver™ series of AC Lighting Ballasts and Lamps are recognized as unlisted components by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Representative samples of these components have been evaluated by UL and meet applicable UL requirements for portable applications in indoor environments per UL file IE319670.

Lighting Ballasts were evaluated under UL standards for Power Units Other Than Class 2, UL 1012, Seventh Edition dated April 29, 2005 and the Canadian Standard for General Use Power Supplies, CAN/CSA - C22.2 No. 107.1-01.

Engineering considerations and conditions of acceptability for UL approved installations are indicated in the installation section of the Light Tape® Design Guide.

Important Safety Guidelines

Always disconnect power before servicing any electrical equipment. When wiring, follow all local electrical codes.

Always turn off power using the Power Switch on the unit. Allow five (5) minutes for capacitors to drain to the 120 or 240 VAC branch circuit grounding system before disconnecting supply to the unit.

Do not make Light Tape® electrical connections in the rain or with moisture present. There should be no moisture present in the connector cap or around the electrical connection when sealing.

Seal the open ends of the Light Tape® per instructions before installation to prevent shock or contact with moisture.

Be careful not to crease or kink the lamp as it will increase electrical resistance leading to lamp failure.

Do not operate lamp with an oversized power supply. Excessive current will destroy electrical connections and possibly the power supply.

Never use sharp objects to force the lamp into tight areas. Always handle Light Tape® with care.

If you have any questions, call Electro-LuminX® before proceeding.

General Guidelines

While durable, always treat Light Tape® products with respect - it is a lamp!!!

All power supplies must be grounded by connecting to the building's grounding system. All ballasts come with a UL approved grounded detatchable IEC cord set.

Mounting/Cooling:

Smart Driver™ should be mounted vertically using mounting holes to allow for natural convection air flow and maximum cooling.

Shock and Vibration:

Ballasts are designed to industrial specifications but may be vulnerable to severe shock or vibration. In areas where excessive shock or movement occur, it is recommended that vibration dampers, such as rubber grommets, be installed under the mounting screws.

Smart Driver™ Operating Procedure

Warning: Do not turn on power when lamp is in a coil. Please uncoil lamp first!

Smart Driver™ lighting ballasts are engineered to illuminate Light Tape®. Every ballast is factory tuned per the attached load to maximize Light Tape® performance.

• Verify that the total illuminated area of the Light Tape® is within the specific operating range of the Smart Driver™. If it is not, contact Electro-LuminX® for the correct ballast.
• Before use, adjust Smart Driver™ to the correct input voltage (120 / 240) if your unit is equipped with a voltage selector switch.
• Ensure Smart Driver™ is in the Off position and not connected to the power source.
• Attach total Light Tape® load to output connector. DO NOT attempt to power Smart Driver™ without attached Light Tape® load.
• Check all connections carefully and be sure to follow all local electrical codes.
• Confirm Smart Driver™ is in low position, turn brightness adjustment knob counterclockwise until completely closed.
• Set Smart Driver™ switch in steady mode versus blink when first powering.
• Plug lighting ballast into power source.
• Push the On button, turn brightness adjustment knob clockwise to increase brightness.

Tuning Smart Driver™ and Trouble Shooting Tips

250 volts is mid range and recommended set point!

• Smart Driver™ has an external brightness adjustment knob (dimmer) that controls the output voltage and frequency.
• Smart Driver™ ballasts have been evaluated by UL to 400 volts max for SD-50 / 150, and 320 volts for larger models. Contact E-LLC if Smart Driver™ is operating outside of range.
• Use a voltage meter to determine volts / hertz.
• Set power supply output voltage per factory recommended setting:
  Low: 200 volts; Medium: 250 volts; High: 320 volts
• Red LED light indicates the following:
  • Short Circuit Protection: Verify wiring.
  • Overload Protection: Verify that lamp area is acceptable, or for possible damage to lamp.

NOTE:

All Smart Driver™ Lighting Ballasts have an automatic overload protection designed to shut down at a certain output level. As output power exceeds 320 volts, the ballast will automatically shut down for the protection of the Light Tape® lamp. Under normal operating conditions, a green LED displays. A red LED is illuminated when the power supply exceeds recommended load per Light Tape® attached or some abnormal condition exists.

For your convenience, a spare fuse is located in the ballast input switch for larger units. For smaller PWB mounted units, please contact Electro-LuminX®.

If the lighting ballast shuts down and the red LED is illuminated, follow the directions below:

• Shut the main power switch off and wait 15 seconds for indicating LED to go out.
• Turn the brightness adjustment knob slightly counterclockwise.
• Push the On button, turn brightness adjustment knob clockwise to increase brightness, stopping before reaching the voltage where the unit automatically shuts down. If the unit shuts down while turning the knob clockwise, start over with step 1 and do not increase the voltage quite as much when turning the knob clockwise.