Advanced PIXIE troubleshooting for electricians and systems integrators. #
As the PIXIE range and the experience around it has grown, a set of practical lessons have emerged that are not always obvious from the training material alone. This guide pulls them into one place: the conditions and combinations that catch experienced installers out, why they catch them out, and the fix on each one.
Always do this first. #
The first steps to solving a wide range of common issues are simple. Before reaching for hardware-level diagnostics, work through this list. A surprising proportion of field calls clear at this stage.
Update the mobile OS #
Make sure the phone or tablet running the PIXIE or PIXIE PLUS app is on the latest iOS or Android release.
Update the PIXIE apps #
Check the App Store or Google Play for an update to the PIXIE and PIXIE PLUS apps. Install the latest version.
Update PIXIE firmware #
Each PIXIE device on the wall has firmware that is updated through the app. A firmware update resolves a wide range of issues.
Power cycle #
Drop power at the board for 30 seconds, then restore. Combined with the three updates above, this clears most state-related faults.
Training reminder. The PIXIE training course covers the foundations in detail. Practical experience like the lessons below sits on top of that base. If you are new to PIXIE, start at training.pixiepartners.com.au before this guide.
Take care making groups to maximise functionality. #
Groups and scenes both let you control multiple PIXIE devices at once, but they behave differently under the hood. The distinction matters because the wrong choice can quietly disable dimming on a circuit you expected to dim.
One message, same state #
A Group is a collection of PIXIE devices controlled together by a single network command. One message goes out, and every device in the Group moves to the same state.
- Members can belong to multiple Groups
- Groups can be paired to a Multifunction Controller (powered or battery)
- Best for "all on, all off" or "everything to 50%" scenarios
Multiple messages, mixed states #
A Scene sends individual messages to each member, allowing different devices to go to different states. A Scene can also include Groups as members.
- Each device in the Scene can have its own target state
- Scenes can be paired to Multifunction Controllers (powered or battery)
- Best for "movie mode", "dinner", "all out" and similar curated states
If you add a non-dim device to a Group that also contains dimmed devices, the entire Group will default to switching only. The dim functionality across that Group is lost, even on the devices that are capable of dimming.
This is a frequent cause of "the dimmer stopped dimming" calls where the dimmer itself is fine. Audit the Group membership before swapping hardware.
Dimming LED lamps. #
When using low-wattage (less than 10W) filament lamps, LED candles, fancy rounds, G4, G9, GU10, LED MR16 lamps, or E14 / E27 lamp holder types, the dimmer in use is the PIXIE Smart Dimmer SDD300BTAM: a trailing-edge dimmer needing Active and switchwire only, no neutral.
Why these lamps behave nothing like the lamps they replaced. #
Every LED lamp has a driver inside it. It is not possible to control LED with 240V directly without driver circuitry. The form factor of legacy tungsten lamps and modern LED lamps often makes this easy to forget, but the difference matters: the cap of a GU10 or G9 LED lamp has minuscule space for circuitry, which constrains dimming capability and performance.
Phase dimming is a question of matching the dimmer's curve to the lamp's driver. Poor drivers give poor performance, no matter how good the dimmer is.
PIXIE dimmers are incompatible with IRON CORE drivers. On retrofit applications, check the line for iron core drivers before energising. Connecting a PIXIE dimmer to an iron core driver will damage the dimmer.
Reported field issues and resolutions #
All resolutions assume electrical connections, wiring and lamps are without fault.
Flickering at 100%, but at 95% no flickering #
Try in order- Dim to 95%. The PIXIE dimmer has a memory function, so each time the dimmer is turned off it will return to its previous level.
- Try lamps from a different supplier to find a more compatible version.
Flickering at all levels #
Try in order- Install the provided capacitor across LOAD and NEUTRAL. Sometimes this resolves the flicker, sometimes it stops the lamps from working.
- Try lamps from a different supplier to find a more compatible version.
Will not turn off #
Try in order- Install the provided capacitor across LOAD and NEUTRAL. Same caveat applies: it sometimes works, sometimes stops the lamps from working.
- Try lamps from a different supplier to find a more compatible version.
Will not turn on #
Try in order- Install the provided capacitor across LOAD and NEUTRAL. Same caveat applies.
- Try lamps from a different supplier to find a more compatible version.
Have you tried switching only? #
If the lamps are low wattage and dimming is not actually needed, the cleanest fix is to swap the dimmer for the PIXIE Smart Switch SWL600BTAM. A lot of "this lamp will not dim" calls end here.
What else can I try? #
Install an MMBP from DIGINET. It is a different type of load bypass device, and its different internal design will sometimes produce a different outcome where the supplied capacitor has not.
Other challenges: inrush on capacitive loads. #
Every driver inside every LED lamp has an inrush current on startup. The intuition that two lamps draw twice the inrush of one lamp is wrong, and it is the source of a lot of repeat dimmer failures.
When inrush is repeatedly too high, the dimmer takes damage. There is only so much space inside a dimmer to build in protection for poor drivers with high inrush and low power factor, and over time that protection runs out.
The classic offenders are pendants and chandeliers with a lot of small LED lamps. In those cases, install a SAL SILC1235BTP inrush suppression device on the dimmer output, before the lamps. It is a passive inline puck-style device with no programming or setup required.
The SILC1235BTP does not help with dimming performance or flickering. Its only job is to protect the dimmer from inrush damage on capacitive load combinations. For flicker or dim quality issues, see the previous section.
Switching contactors for larger loads. #
For switching contactors, the right PIXIE device is the PIXIE Dual Relay Controller, PC206DR/R/BTAM. It is purpose-built for this job, in a way the Smart Switch is not.
PC206DR/R/BTAM at a glance #
- Two 6A (resistive) latching relays
- No minimum load requirement for activation
- Built-in memory: holds state through a blackout and returns to prior state when power is restored
- 24/7 scheduling built in
- Acts as a Bluetooth Mesh booster for the PIXIE mesh
- Full control via the apps and PIXIE Touch Panel, with independent control of each relay
On-wall control: two options #
Once the PC206DR is in place, there are two ways to give the homeowner physical control at the wall.
Wirelessly pair any PIXIE Multifunction Controller #
Pair any PIXIE Multifunction Controller (powered or battery) to control one or both relays together. No additional cabling required between the wall plate and the PC206DR.
Mechanical bell press wired to BP inputs #
Install a mechanical bell press mech on the wall plate (the SAL SBP10L is recommended) and cable from the switch to the BP inputs on the PC206DR, volt-free, for direct relay control.
Using a bell press allows system messages to also operate the relays. The wired path and the wireless path coexist.
PC206DR/R/BTAM wiring diagram (Figure 2): Active / Neutral / Load / Active / Load terminals across the top, with two optional bell-press inputs shown below. Insert the wiring diagram from the installation manual here.
Why not the SWL600BTAM? #
The Smart Switch SWL600BTAM can technically switch a contactor, but it carries hidden costs.
PIXIE Dual Relay Controller (PC206DR/R/BTAM) #
- Latching relays, no minimum load required
- State retained through blackout via memory function
- Two independent relays from one device
- Doubles as a Bluetooth Mesh booster
- No load bypass devices, no capacitor stack, no future deterioration
Smart Switch (SWL600BTAM) #
- Has a minimum load requirement
- Most contactors need one or more capacitors across load and neutral for the internal relay to stay latched
- Required capacitor count varies by contactor: it is install-by-install, not predictable
- Capacitors deteriorate over time, so the switch may stop latching reliably in the future
- Net result: more cost, more risk, less robustness
Switching multiple constant voltage LED drivers on the SWL600BTAM or STS600BTAM. #
This applies to garden lights, pool lights, heated towel rails with transformers, LED strips being switched only, and any application where multiple constant voltage drivers share a single switchwire. The single biggest predictor of long-term reliability here is the quality of the drivers themselves.
First: pick the best driver the project can carry. #
Use the highest-quality constant voltage LED driver the budget will accommodate. The two numbers that matter on the spec sheet are below.
> 0.95 preferred
Most constant voltage drivers sold in Australia today do not meet these thresholds in our field experience. Treat driver selection as a deliberate decision, not a default.
Preferred brands for best performance #
SAL FC PLUTO drivers are listed at sal.net.au/search?q=pluto+fc.
Then: account for inrush, as on dimmers. #
The same inrush behaviour applies on switches as it does on dimmers. Each driver has its own startup inrush, and multiple drivers on a single switchwire multiply the inrush rather than add it.
For these installs, install a SAL SILC1235BTP inrush suppression device on the switch output before the lamps. Same passive inline puck, same no-programming installation as in the dimmer case earlier.
Sharpen the diagnostic toolkit. #
This guide sits alongside the other practical references in the Partners library. Use these next when a job has a specific failure mode that warrants a deeper look.
