How to Read and Create a Wiring Diagram for Lighting Controls

If you work with lighting controls such as Casambi or DALI, being able to read a wiring diagram is an essential part of getting the installation right.

I use wiring diagrams throughout the design, installation and troubleshooting process. They help me work out how a system needs to be connected before anyone starts wiring, and they give the electrician on site a clear reference to work from.

For my own projects, I create wiring diagrams in Bluebeam using a library of electrical and lighting control symbols I’ve built over time.

Here’s the process I use.

What is a lighting wiring diagram?

A wiring diagram shows how the components in a lighting system connect.

Depending on the project, that might include:

• luminaires
• LED drivers
• Casambi modules
• DALI control wiring
• phase dimming modules
• 0–10V control
• PWM controllers
• relays
• switches
• sensors.

The diagram doesn’t need to be complicated. Its job is to clearly communicate how the system should be connected.

1. Start with the lighting system

Before I start drawing anything, I work out what I’m actually controlling.

What type of lighting is being used? What drivers are specified? How does the client need the lighting to operate? What control method is appropriate?

With Casambi, there are several ways to approach an installation. I might use a Casambi Ready driver, a separate Casambi module, Salvador with DALI fittings, phase dimming, PWM for constant voltage lighting or a relay for a non-dimmable load.

The wiring diagram comes after those decisions.

2. Check the manufacturer wiring diagram

Once I know which products I’m using, I check the manufacturer documentation.

Even if I’ve installed something similar before, I still confirm the wiring requirements for the exact product being used.

I look at the terminals, power requirements and control connections, then use that information when creating the project wiring diagram.

Don’t assume two products are wired the same way simply because they perform a similar job.

3. Identify the components

When I’m reading a wiring diagram, I identify the main components before following any lines.

I want to know:

• Where is the power coming from?
• What driver is being used?
• What is controlling the lighting?
• Is there a separate control module?
• Are there switches or sensors?

Once you understand what each component is doing, the connections become much easier to follow.

4. Separate power from control

This is particularly important with lighting controls.

Not every line on the diagram is doing the same job. You may have mains power alongside DALI control wiring, a low-voltage connection or another control signal.

I normally trace the power first.

Then I look at the control side of the system separately.

Breaking the diagram down like this is much easier than trying to understand the entire drawing at once.

5. Follow the diagram from supply to load

If a wiring diagram looks complicated, I work through it in order.

Start at the supply and follow the circuit through each component until you reach the lighting load.

Then ask:

• What controls the load?
• How is that device connected?
• How does the control signal reach it?

This same process works when I’m reviewing a manufacturer wiring diagram I haven’t seen before.

You don’t need to memorise every possible wiring configuration. You need a logical way to work through the one in front of you.

6. Create the wiring diagram in Bluebeam

I use Bluebeam to create my project wiring diagrams.

If you haven’t used Bluebeam before, this short video gives you a good introduction to what it does:

Watch: What is Bluebeam?

Over time, I’ve created my own library of electrical and lighting control symbols. Instead of drawing the same components from scratch every time, I can place the relevant symbols onto the page and create the connections between them.

It makes the process faster and keeps my drawings consistent.

I’ve made a copy of the symbols I use available as a free download:

Enter your details at the bottom of the page to get the free Bluebeam Casambi Wiring Diagram Symbols template.

You can import them into Bluebeam and use them as a starting point for your own lighting control wiring diagrams.

If you’re setting Bluebeam up for wiring diagrams for the first time, this short video shows you how I save and organise the template and symbols so they’re ready to use on future projects.

If you’d like to use Bluebeam, you can find it here:

View Bluebeam

This is an affiliate link. If you purchase through it, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Keep your wiring diagrams clear

There isn’t one correct way to draw a lighting control wiring diagram.

Different manufacturers use different drawing styles and electricians develop their own methods over time.

For me, the priority is clarity.

Someone should be able to look at the drawing and quickly understand:

• what components are being used
• how they are powered
• how they are controlled
• how everything connects.

If the diagram makes the installation harder to understand, it isn’t doing its job.

Casambi lighting control wiring diagrams

The same process applies when I’m working with Casambi lighting controls, but the actual wiring will depend on the products and control method being used.

There isn’t one universal Casambi wiring diagram.

A project using a Casambi module with a DALI driver will look different from one using phase dimming, PWM, a relay or Salvador.

That’s why I start with the project requirements and product selection, check the relevant manufacturer documentation and then create the wiring diagram for that particular installation.

If you’re working with Casambi lighting controls, the important thing is understanding which control solution is being used before you start wiring. Once that’s clear, the correct wiring diagram becomes much easier to interpret.

Learn to install and commission Casambi lighting controls

Reading and creating wiring diagrams is one part of working with a lighting control system.

In our Light Lunch Series Casambi course for electricians and integrators, I take you through the complete process I use on projects - from selecting the right Casambi solution and creating wiring diagrams through to wiring, network setup, programming, troubleshooting, commissioning and client handover.

The goal isn’t to memorise a handful of wiring diagrams.

It’s to understand the process well enough to work out what to do when the next project is different.