KNX, DALI-2 and EnOcean certification
Guide. Building automation and lighting protocols
Three industry alliances dominate the European building-automation and lighting-control market: KNX Association in Brussels for the KNX bus and IP family, the Digital Illumination Interface Alliance (DiiA) for DALI-2 lighting control, and the EnOcean Alliance for energy-harvesting wireless sensors and switches. Each runs its own certification program, with its own logo, its own membership scheme and its own accredited test labs. The three certifications are private interoperability marks; they do not replace CE marking, RED for the radio variants, or product-safety standards such as EN 60598 for luminaires. This page describes the regulatory frame, the certification process for each alliance, the relation with CE/RED, and the recurring pitfalls in a building or lighting device file.
Where the three alliances sit in the regulatory stack
Section titled “Where the three alliances sit in the regulatory stack”KNX, DALI-2 and EnOcean are application-layer interoperability programs that sit above the radio or wired physical layer. They standardise frame formats, application profiles, addressing and behaviour, so devices from different manufacturers can be commissioned together. They do not regulate radio emissions, safety insulation, or product placement on the market; those are governed by EU directives transposed in national law.
| Layer | Governed by | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Market placing in the EU | EU directives, national law | CE marking, EU Declaration of Conformity |
| Radio (where applicable) | RED 2014/53/EU, ETSI harmonised standards | ETSI EN 300 220 (sub-GHz), ETSI EN 300 328 (2.4 GHz) |
| Electrical safety | LVD 2014/35/EU, EN 60598, EN 60950/62368-1 | Insulation, creepage, fault conditions |
| EMC | EMCD 2014/30/EU, EN 55015 / EN 61547 (lighting), EN 55032 / EN 55035 | Emissions, immunity |
| Protocol interoperability | Alliance certification | KNX (KNX Association), DALI-2 (DiiA), EnOcean (EnOcean Alliance) |
The alliance certificate is a commercial passport on top of the regulatory file: it lets the product carry the alliance mark, appear in the alliance catalogue, and be selected by integrators searching for certified devices. Without the mark, the device can still be lawfully placed on the EU market if it meets CE, RED and product-safety obligations, but it cannot claim membership of the alliance ecosystem.
KNX certification
Section titled “KNX certification”Standards underpinning KNX
Section titled “Standards underpinning KNX”KNX is the building-automation system standardised under the ISO/IEC 14543-3 series (parts 1 through 7 for the system, with subsequent amendments). It is also referenced by CENELEC under EN 50090 (Home and Building Electronic Systems, HBES) and was historically known as European Installation Bus (EIB), BatiBUS and EHS before the 2003 convergence into KNX.
The physical-layer variants currently in use are:
| Variant | Medium | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| KNX TP | Twisted pair, 30 V DC bus power, 9600 bit/s | Wall-mounted sensors and actuators in fixed installations |
| KNX RF | 868 MHz radio (Europe), SRD band | Retrofit, wireless sensors, areas without bus cabling |
| KNX IP | Ethernet or Wi-Fi, KNXnet/IP tunnelling and routing | Backbone, integration with IT infrastructure |
| KNX PL | Powerline (historical, declining) | Legacy installations |
KNX TP is the dominant medium in new commercial and residential installations. KNX IP is used as the backbone connecting TP segments. KNX RF is used where pulling a bus cable is impractical.
KNX Association membership
Section titled “KNX Association membership”To certify a product as KNX and use the KNX mark, the manufacturer must become a member of KNX Association, registered in Brussels. Membership grants access to the KNX specification, the ETS engineering tool, the test infrastructure and the certification process. Membership and per-product fees apply; refer to the KNX Association schedule for current amounts.
Without membership, the protocol can be read from the published ISO/IEC 14543-3 documents, but the product cannot be marketed as KNX nor registered in the ETS catalogue.
Certification process
Section titled “Certification process”The KNX certification follows a documented sequence:
- Membership application. Approved by KNX Association before any test booking.
- Product registration. The manufacturer registers the device in the KNX certification database, declares the supported KNX features, application programs and physical layer.
- ETS application program. The application program (the configuration logic loaded by integrators through ETS) is developed and submitted in the KNX-specific format.
- Lab booking. Tests run at one of the accredited KNX test labs. The lab list is published by KNX Association.
- Conformance testing. The device is tested against the relevant ISO/IEC 14543-3 parts: telegram structure, addressing, error handling, behaviour under faults.
- Interoperability testing. The device is exercised with other KNX devices to verify that it commissions through ETS and interacts correctly with the KNX ecosystem.
- Mark licensing. Once tests pass, KNX Association issues the certificate, lists the product in the public KNX catalogue, and authorises use of the KNX logo for the duration of the licence.
For KNX RF variants, the radio layer must additionally pass RED for European placing: ETSI EN 300 220 for the 868 MHz band, plus EN 301 489 for EMC of the radio equipment. The KNX certificate does not cover RED; the two files run in parallel.
KNX Secure
Section titled “KNX Secure”KNX Secure is the umbrella name for two cybersecurity extensions:
- KNX Data Secure authenticates and optionally encrypts individual KNX telegrams on the bus, regardless of medium. It uses AES-128 in CCM mode.
- KNX IP Secure authenticates and encrypts the KNXnet/IP communication used over the IP backbone.
Both are described in the KNX specification and referenced by EN 50090-3-4 (security architecture for HBES). A product can carry the KNX certification with or without Secure; the Secure profile is a separate option declared at registration. For new designs targeting offices, healthcare, schools or any deployment under a cybersecurity policy, planning for Secure from the start is more economical than a retrofit, which typically forces a re-test of the affected security functions.
DALI-2 certification
Section titled “DALI-2 certification”IEC 62386 and the DiiA mark
Section titled “IEC 62386 and the DiiA mark”DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is the wired lighting-control protocol standardised under the IEC 62386 series. The bus uses two non-polarised low-voltage wires carrying a Manchester-encoded digital signal at 1200 bit/s, alongside the mains lines feeding the luminaire. A single DALI bus addresses up to 64 short addresses, 16 groups and 16 scenes.
| IEC 62386 part | Scope |
|---|---|
| Part 101 | General system requirements |
| Part 102 | Control gear (LED drivers, electronic ballasts) |
| Part 103 | Control devices (input devices, application controllers) |
| Part 104 | Wireless and alternative wired media (Bluetooth Mesh, etc.) |
| Parts 2xx | Specific lamp types (fluorescent, HID, LED, etc.) |
| Parts 3xx | Specific input devices (push button, occupancy, light sensor) |
The DiiA certification program, launched in 2017, requires testing against the IEC 62386 revised edition (often called DALI-2) for the parts implemented by the product. Only devices certified through the DiiA program may carry the DALI-2 logo.
Difference between DALI-1 and DALI-2
Section titled “Difference between DALI-1 and DALI-2”DALI-1 referred to the early IEC 62386 release covering basic control gear. DALI-2 is the program name for the 2014-onwards revised edition that adds part 103 (control devices), extends part 102 with new memory banks and behaviour, and introduces the DiiA Test Sequence as the conformance reference. A DALI-1 product can physically operate on a DALI-2 bus and obey basic addressed commands, but it cannot claim DALI-2 compliance, cannot use the DALI-2 logo, and may not support the additional features (extended fade, multi-master, query commands) that DALI-2 integrators expect.
Certification process
Section titled “Certification process”DiiA membership is mandatory before certification booking. Membership tiers and product fees are published on the DiiA website. The certification process:
- DiiA membership. Approved by DiiA before any submission.
- Product declaration. The manufacturer declares the IEC 62386 parts implemented and the product class (control gear, control device, application controller, bus power supply).
- DiiA Test Sequence execution. Conformance testing uses the DiiA Test Sequence, an automated test suite executed on the DiiA Test Bench, a hardware-software platform that drives the device under test through every command and observes the response. The Test Bench reference implementation is provided by DiiA and used by accredited labs.
- Test report review. DiiA reviews the test reports against the declared scope.
- Logo licensing and database listing. On pass, the product is added to the DiiA product database and may carry the DALI-2 logo.
The DiiA Test Sequence covers protocol behaviour only. It does not test luminaire safety, photometric performance, mains-side EMC or the radio layer (where Bluetooth Mesh under part 104 is involved).
DALI-2 wireless: Bluetooth Mesh under part 104
Section titled “DALI-2 wireless: Bluetooth Mesh under part 104”IEC 62386-104 introduces wireless and alternative media for DALI. The primary wireless implementation in 2026 is Bluetooth Mesh with a DALI profile, certified jointly with the Bluetooth SIG mesh model. A wireless DALI-2 device therefore goes through three separate certification streams:
- DiiA DALI-2 certification for the DALI application behaviour.
- Bluetooth SIG qualification for the Bluetooth stack (see Bluetooth SIG qualification).
- RED 2014/53/EU compliance for the 2.4 GHz radio (ETSI EN 300 328, EN 301 489).
This three-way structure is a frequent source of programme slippage; each stream has its own lab lead time and its own change-management rules.
See also
Section titled “See also”- Wi-SUN Alliance: IPv6 mesh sub-GHz certification
- Zigbee + CSA: certification of the 802.15.4 mesh protocol
- Niche wireless: ANT+, KNX-RF, DECT ULE, 6LoWPAN
- Bluetooth SIG qualification, process and product listing
- Wi-Fi Alliance: interoperability + Wi-Fi brand
- Matter certification (CSA): process, DAC and DCL
EnOcean Alliance certification
Section titled “EnOcean Alliance certification”EnOcean radio standards
Section titled “EnOcean radio standards”The classic EnOcean radio is standardised under ISO/IEC 14543-3 parts 3-10, 3-11 and 3-12, covering the energy-harvesting wireless network for short-frame, low-duty-cycle devices. The radio bands by region:
| Region | Frequency | Underlying SRD framework |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (including EEA) | 868.3 MHz | ETSI EN 300 220, CEPT ERC/REC 70-03 |
| United States and Canada | 902 MHz (902-928 MHz ISM) | FCC Part 15.247 / 15.249, ISED RSS-247 |
| Japan | 928 MHz | MIC Article 38 |
The EnOcean Alliance also publishes profile families running over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for use cases where BLE infrastructure is already present. The BLE variant is a different radio family and is not interoperable with the 868 MHz classic EnOcean network at the radio layer; it shares only the application-profile concepts.
EnOcean Alliance membership tiers
Section titled “EnOcean Alliance membership tiers”EnOcean Alliance operates two membership tiers:
| Tier | Access |
|---|---|
| Adopter | Free, access to the public specifications and to the certification process |
| Promoter | Paid, additional governance and roadmap participation |
The certification path is open to Adopter members. Membership and per-product fees apply for certification; refer to the EnOcean Alliance schedule for current amounts.
Certification process
Section titled “Certification process”The EnOcean certification path:
- EnOcean Alliance membership. Adopter tier or above.
- Profile declaration. The product declares the EnOcean Equipment Profile (EEP) it implements (for example A5-02-05 for a temperature sensor, F6-02-01 for a rocker switch) and the GP (Generic Profile) features if any.
- Lab booking. Testing at one of the accredited EnOcean Alliance test labs.
- Conformance testing. The device is tested against the declared EEP and against the EnOcean Alliance radio protocol document, including telegram structure, repeat behaviour, security (where the EnOcean Security profile is declared).
- Interoperability testing. Cross-vendor verification against a defined set of reference gateways and devices.
- Mark licensing and listing. On pass, the device is listed in the EnOcean Alliance product catalogue and may use the EnOcean Alliance certification mark.
For European placing, the 868 MHz radio additionally needs RED compliance (ETSI EN 300 220, plus EN 301 489 for radio EMC). For US placing, FCC Part 15.247 or 15.249 applies depending on the modulation. The alliance certification is in addition to, not in lieu of, the regulatory radio approval.
EnOcean Security
Section titled “EnOcean Security”The EnOcean Security profile adds authentication and optional encryption to EnOcean telegrams. It is described in the EnOcean Alliance specifications and is a declared option at certification. Products that target commercial buildings or cybersecurity-sensitive environments should plan for the secure profile from the start.
Cross-protocol comparison
Section titled “Cross-protocol comparison”| Dimension | KNX | DALI-2 | EnOcean (classic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary medium | TP, RF, IP | 2-wire DC bus | 868 MHz radio (EU) |
| Application focus | Whole-building automation | Lighting control | Sensors, switches, energy harvesting |
| Underlying standard | ISO/IEC 14543-3, EN 50090 | IEC 62386 | ISO/IEC 14543-3-10 / -11 / -12 |
| Certification body | KNX Association | DiiA | EnOcean Alliance |
| Membership for cert | Mandatory | Mandatory | Adopter or above |
| Wireless RED retest on stack change | Yes (KNX RF) | Yes (DALI-2 Bluetooth Mesh) | Yes |
| Cybersecurity layer | KNX Secure (Data + IP) | None at protocol level; relies on transport | EnOcean Security profile |
| Engineering tool | ETS (KNX Association) | DiiA Test Bench (for cert), integrator-side commissioning tools | DolphinView (EnOcean), gateway-specific |
The three protocols are not mutually exclusive in an installation: a typical office building uses KNX for HVAC and shading, DALI-2 inside luminaires for dimming, and EnOcean for retrofit wireless switches and battery-free occupancy sensors. Gateways exist to bridge the three families at the application layer.
Mark licensing rules
Section titled “Mark licensing rules”Use of the KNX, DALI-2 and EnOcean marks is contractually controlled by the respective alliance. Common rules across the three programs:
- The mark may only appear on certified products covered by an active licence.
- The product family certified is identified by a unique reference in the alliance catalogue; changes to that product trigger a re-listing decision.
- Marketing materials may use the alliance name only where the certified product is the subject; generic "compatible with" claims for non-certified products are not allowed under the trademark rules.
- The mark is not transferable: an OEM that re-brands a certified product as its own private label needs its own certification entry, even if the underlying hardware is unchanged.
Misuse of the marks (logo on a non-certified product, false catalogue claim) is a trademark and market-conduct issue, handled by the alliance through cease-and-desist letters and, where relevant, through national trademark enforcement.
Common pitfalls in a KNX, DALI-2 or EnOcean file
Section titled “Common pitfalls in a KNX, DALI-2 or EnOcean file”- Treating the alliance mark as the regulatory passport. The mark is private; the regulatory passport is CE, plus RED for the radio variants. A device that passed DiiA testing but failed EN 55015 emissions is not placeable on the EU market.
- Booking lab time before membership is approved. Lab booking is conditional on member status. A frequent slippage is to assume membership is administrative and book the lab on the same day; in practice, KNX Association, DiiA and EnOcean Alliance each verify the application before activating the test path.
- Confusing DALI-1 and DALI-2. A driver compliant with the original IEC 62386 release is not eligible for the DALI-2 logo. Integrators reading specifications expect DALI-2 compliance unless the document explicitly states DALI-1, and the difference is visible in the ETS-like DALI commissioning tools.
- Assuming BLE EnOcean and classic 868 MHz EnOcean are interoperable. They share the application-profile philosophy and some EEPs, but they are different radio families. A gateway designed for classic 868 MHz EnOcean does not natively receive a BLE EnOcean profile and vice versa.
- Skipping RED re-test after a radio-stack firmware change. Any change to modulation, frame structure, duty cycle or transmit power on KNX RF or EnOcean triggers an RED re-test of ETSI EN 300 220 and EN 301 489. The alliance certificate alone does not satisfy the EU radio framework.
- Misusing the KNX, DALI-2 or EnOcean logo before licence issuance. Datasheets and pre-launch material that show the logo before the certificate is issued are a recurring contractual breach. The mark may only be shown once the alliance issues the licence.
- Forgetting luminaire-level safety on a DALI-2 driver project. A DALI-2 driver certificate proves the communication interface; the luminaire still needs EN 60598-1, the relevant EN 60598-2-x part-2 standard, EN 62471 photobiological safety, EN 55015 emissions and EN 61547 immunity. See EN 60598 and IEC 61000-4-3 for the immunity counterpart.
- Underestimating lab lead times. KNX, DiiA and EnOcean accredited labs are concentrated in Europe; booking lead times can be a structural constraint on the project plan. The conservative practice is to plan the alliance test slot in parallel with the RED / EMC slot, not sequentially.
Practical mapping: an HVAC controller, a luminaire driver, a wireless switch
Section titled “Practical mapping: an HVAC controller, a luminaire driver, a wireless switch”For an electronics product team, the typical mapping reads as follows.
| Product type | Likely alliance cert | Wired/wireless | EU regulatory route |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC room controller, fan-coil actuator | KNX (TP or RF) | TP wired; RF if cable-free retrofit | CE under LVD + EMCD, RED if RF |
| LED driver for office luminaire | DALI-2 part 102 | Wired DALI bus | CE under LVD + EMCD, EN 60598-2-x for the luminaire family |
| Occupancy sensor, battery-free | EnOcean classic | 868 MHz | CE under RED + EMCD |
| Wall switch retrofit, battery-free | EnOcean classic | 868 MHz | CE under RED + EMCD |
| Lighting gateway (DALI to KNX to BLE) | KNX + DiiA (DALI-2 controller) + Bluetooth SIG | TP wired + BLE | CE under LVD + EMCD + RED |
| Wireless luminaire controller | DiiA DALI-2 part 104 (Bluetooth Mesh) | BLE 2.4 GHz | CE under RED + EMCD, plus Bluetooth SIG qualification |
See Bluetooth SIG qualification for the BLE side, EN 60598 for luminaire safety, and IEC 61000-4-3 for the radiated immunity test that applies to all wired and wireless variants placed on the EU market.
Further reading
Section titled “Further reading”- Bluetooth SIG qualification: qualification process for the BLE stack used by DALI-2 wireless
- EN 60598: luminaire safety stack relevant to any DALI-2 driver integration
- IEC 61000-4-3: radiated RF immunity test called by lighting and HVAC product standards
- RED procedure: EU radio equipment directive route for KNX RF and EnOcean
- Glossary: definitions of KNX, DALI-2, EnOcean, ETS, EEP, KNXnet/IP, DiiA, Bluetooth Mesh
What to remember
Section titled “What to remember”- KNX, DALI-2 and EnOcean are private interoperability certifications run by three independent alliances. They do not replace CE, RED or product-safety obligations; they sit on top of the regulatory file.
- KNX Association membership is mandatory before a product can be certified KNX and use the mark. Conformance and interoperability tests run at accredited KNX test labs, and the product is listed in the KNX catalogue accessible through ETS.
- DiiA DALI-2 certification runs on the automated DiiA Test Sequence executed on the DiiA Test Bench. DALI-2 is the revised IEC 62386 edition introduced from 2014; DALI-1 products cannot use the DALI-2 logo.
- EnOcean Alliance offers an Adopter tier (free entry) and a Promoter tier (paid), with per-product certification fees. The classic 868 MHz EnOcean radio is governed by ISO/IEC 14543-3-10/-11/-12; the BLE EnOcean profiles are a separate radio family.
- KNX RF and EnOcean are sub-GHz radios that need RED (ETSI EN 300 220, EN 301 489) in the EU; DALI-2 part 104 over Bluetooth Mesh needs RED (ETSI EN 300 328, EN 301 489), Bluetooth SIG qualification and DiiA certification.
- KNX Secure (KNX Data Secure + KNX IP Secure) provides AES-128 authenticated and encrypted KNX frames. EN 50090-3-4 covers the security architecture for HBES.
- The recurring traps are mark misuse before licence issuance, booking labs before membership approval, confusing DALI-1 with DALI-2, and skipping RED re-test after a radio firmware change.
Sources & references
- KNX Association, Manufacturer membership and certification , KNX Association www.knx.org/knx-en/for-manufacturers/
- ISO/IEC 14543-3 series, Information technology, home electronic system architecture (KNX) , ISO/IEC www.iso.org/standard/82111.html
- DiiA, DALI-2 certification program , Digital Illumination Interface Alliance www.dali-alliance.org/dali2/
- IEC 62386 series, Digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) , IEC webstore.iec.ch/publication/6275
- EnOcean Alliance, Membership and certification , EnOcean Alliance www.enocean-alliance.org/
- EN 50090-3-4, Home and building electronic systems (HBES), Security architecture , CENELEC www.cenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=104:110:::::FSP_PROJECT,FSP_LANG_ID:67944,25
- ETSI EN 300 220, Short Range Devices in the 25 MHz to 1 GHz frequency range , ETSI www.etsi.org/standards-search