0–10 V Light Ramps: Sunrises, Sunsets, and Moonlight Without Manufacturer Apps

Turning aquarium lights on to full brightness at 8:00 AM causes a daily mini-shock for livestock. Fish scatter, and corals retract their polyps. A light ramp—gradually increasing intensity at dawn and fading at dusk—solves this elegantly. Oquari generates these ramps using the standard 0–10 V control input found on most aquarium and industrial LED fixtures, including those without dedicated companion apps.

What Is 0–10 V Dimming and Which Lights Support It

0–10 V is a simple industrial dimming standard. The fixture has a two-wire control input where voltage dictates intensity: 0 V means off, 10 V means full power, and 5 V represents approximately half brightness. The Oquari Core outputs this voltage across four dedicated lighting channels, allowing it to adjust intensity smoothly throughout the day.

Check your light’s manual for a "0–10 V dimming" input. This is common in hydroponic fixtures, industrial LEDs, and many aquarium-specific lights. If you already use "smart" lights with their own apps (such as Chihiros AI or Kessil), stick with those apps. The controller does not need to duplicate functionality that already works well.

Daily Profiles: Defining Breakpoints

You define a ramp as a profile of breakpoints: anywhere from 2 to 12 pairs of "time → power percentage." Between these points, the controller interpolates smoothly—voltage changes linearly without sudden jumps. Here is an example daily profile:

This translates to: light begins rising at 8:00, reaches 60% by 9:30, hits full power by noon, stays there until 5:00 PM, drops to an evening level of 15% by 8:00 PM, and turns off completely at 10:00 PM.

Key features to remember:

• The output updates every few seconds with second-level time resolution—transitions are smooth with no visible stepping.
• Light intensity is a pure function of the clock: after a controller restart, the light immediately returns to the level appropriate for the current time. There is no "lost state" following a power outage.
• Instead of fixed times, profile points can reference sunrise/sunset for your location (with minute offsets)—the profile shifts automatically with the seasons.

Crossing Midnight: Moonlight Simulation

The profile is cyclic: the segment between the last and first point of the day crosses midnight. This allows for moonlight simulation without workarounds. Here is an example profile for a dedicated moonlight channel:

Between 11:30 PM and 6:00 AM—crossing midnight—the channel maintains a gentle 3%, then fades to zero by 7:30 AM and waits until evening. The controller understands that the segment from 11:30 PM to 6:00 AM crosses the day boundary; you do not need to split the profile into "before midnight" and "after midnight" sections.

Start with lower intensities than intuition suggests. 100% on modern LED fixtures often exceeds tank requirements—and algae will gladly consume the excess. In reef tanks, increase peak intensity by only 5–10 percentage points per week after changing profiles, while observing coral response.

Panel Configuration — Step-by-Step

1. Connect your light’s dimming input to one of the Oquari Core lighting outputs (note the polarity of the control wire; main power connects separately as usual).
2. In the panel: navigate to Lighting and select the channel.
3. Enter profile breakpoints: time plus percentage. Each light channel can have its own profile—for example, white and blue channels with different peak times.
4. Save settings and observe the first evening transition.

Common Patterns

• Reef: Blue channel starts earlier and ends later than white (longer "blue edges" of the day), with a 4–6 hour white peak.
• Planted: Simpler trapezoid—1 to 1.5 hours ramping up, 6–8 hours plateau, 1 to 1.5 hours fading; CO₂ injection windows sync automatically with light profiles (see the CO₂ guide).
• Moonlight: Separate channel running at 1–5% through the night, crossing midnight as shown above.

One thing a ramp cannot replace: proper fixture selection. But if your light has a 0–10 V input, you get premium-class daily profiling without another app, cloud dependency, or manufacturer account.

Najczęstsze pytania

Do I need to program the ramps?

No. You simply set time and percentage breakpoints. The controller handles all interpolation and timing automatically using built-in presets rather than custom code.

What happens if power goes out during a ramp?

The system recovers immediately based on the current clock time. Since light intensity is tied strictly to the schedule, there is no need to resume or complete interrupted cycles.

Can different channels have different schedules?

Yes. Each lighting channel operates independently with its own profile, allowing you to separate blue actinic peaks from white daylight hours.

Does it work with sunrise/sunset adjustments?

Yes. Profile points can be anchored to local sunrise or sunset times with customizable minute offsets, ensuring seasonal accuracy without manual updates.

Is internet required for light control?

No. All automation runs locally on the controller. Internet connectivity is optional and only needed for remote monitoring via Home Assistant or mobile alerts.