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Appendix B: Using D series Dimmers with LED Tape
The CTI 5700 D series Dimmers have been optimized for use with LED tape. The D4 Dimmer
can be used with three color (RGB) or four color (RGBW, RGBA) tape, or can be used to run up
to four strips of single color tape. A D4 and D2 Dimmer can be combined to run two strips of
three color tape.
How much Tape can I use with one D4 Dimmer?
LED tape load current varies by brand and style. Among 3/8” / 10mm wide tape styles with a
single row of LEDs, single color tape is available that draws between 60mA to 99mA per foot,
and RGB (three color) tape is available that draws between 124mA and 336mA per foot. LED
products are constantly evolving, so be sure and check the tape you are using to confirm the
load per foot/color.
There are currently some popular brands of RGB tape with 3 LED chips per 2” that are ~ 200mA
per foot. This is the total load for all three colors, so each color is ~ 67mA per foot. You can
drive up to 50 feet total of 200 mA tape with a D4, resulting in a total load of 10A and a per
channel load of 3.33A. But remember that the ampacity of the tape can vary, so if you approach
the Dimmer’s maximum load limit, check that actual load carefully to confirm that you haven’t
exceeded the limit.
Note that there are limits to how long a single run of tape can be before tape performance is
degraded, and this limit may not be equal to the maximum load the D4 Dimmer will drive. For
very long runs of tape, you may need to cut the tape into pieces and feed them via separate
home runs (see below).
For 200mA RGB tape, CTI recommends a maximum of 48 feet of tape be connected, and that
you split this load into at least two 24 foot runs.
If you connect 48 feet of this 200mA per foot tape to a single D4 dimmer, resulting in a total load
of 9.6A and a load per channel of 3.2A, you will have ~ 4 % head room.
Most manufacturers offer their longest tape in reels of ~ 16 feet/ 5 Meters, and some
manufacturers recommend that single runs of tape should be limited to no more than the full
length of the manufacturers reel. With some brands you may still notice a difference in
brightness from one end to the other if the full reel is connected as a single run.
Remember that that the power supply voltage must match the rated voltage of the load. The D4
Dimmer outputs the voltage it receives. If you are using 12V LED tape, use 12VDC power.
Connecting Single Color Tape
12 Volt single color tape is provided with a VDC circuit and a –VDC circuit.
1. Connect the +VDC circuit to one of the four + output terminals and connect the -VDC
circuit to the accompanying –output terminal. Up to four runs of single color tape can be
driven and dimmed by a D4 Dimmer.
2. Select the LED Curve for each dimmer channel used.
3. If you wish to change the PWM frequency, use RDM or the MOD switch to select the
frequency desired.
