3-wire

3-wire control is a line-voltage phase-control dimming method. Along with Hot and Neutral, the dimming signal is communicated via a third wire called Dimmed Hot. All three wires are rated Class 1 and can be run within the same conduit. 3-wire control is the Lutron preferred dimming technology - it is stable over long wire runs, allows for maximum circuit loading, and is very easy to wire.

2-wire

2-wire control is a line-voltage phase-control dimming method. The ballast receives the dimming signal through the Dimmed Hot wire. Intended for small-scale retrofit applications, the 2-wire control method is often the easiest way to implement dimming in existing fluorescent fixtures.

0-10V

0-10V control is a low-voltage DC dimming method. Power wires are rated Class 1 and control wires are rated Class 2. This separation allows multiple circuits to use the same dimming signal without additional power equipment. 0-10V control is not recommended for dimming below 10%, as fixture-to-fixture tracking can be significantly affected by control wire length.

Infrared

Infrared (IR) control is a wireless dimming method that uses a handheld remote control or personal digital assistant (PDA) to provide dimming. Infrared control allows for simple personal control of individual fixtures or groups of fixtures. In addition, IR-controllable ballasts can be trimmed to reduce the maximum light output.