Absolute Photometry and the EULUMDAT Format

Date Announced: 11 Sep 2009

Littleton, Colorado, USA -- Lighting Analysts, Inc. announces a joint proposal with DIAL GmbH and byHeart Consultants to introduce a modification to the EULUMDAT photometric format to recognize absolute photometry.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has recently published guidelines with respect to the photometric testing and representation of Solid State Lighting (SSL) products in the form of publication LM-79-2009. This document states that SSL products shall be tested using the absolute method of luminaire photometry and represented to the industry as such. The IES document on photometric format, LM-63-2000 (and previous versions) includes a provision to handle the presentation of absolute photometric data. However, the most common photometric format used in Europe, the EULUMDAT format developed by Dr. Axel Stockmar, does not currently include such a provision.

Recognizing this potential problem, a joint effort between DIAL GmbH, the authors of the DIALux software, Ian Ashdown of byHeart Consultants, author of Helios calculation and rendering technology and Lighting Analysts, Inc., authors of the AGi32 and Photometric Toolbox software programs, has resulted in a simple and elegant way to handle absolute photometry within the current EULUMDAT file specification. This is an interpretative change only and is fully compatible with all existing EULUMDAT files.

DIAL, byHeart and Lighting Analysts have agreed to modify their respective software programs to recognize these modifications within EULUMDAT format files on the next release to facilitate the use of absolute photometry by European lighting product manufacturers.

With our deepest respect to all manufacturers, laboratories, and software vendors, we present this unified approach in hope that it will be recognized and employed quickly to smooth the way for the acceptance of SSL products within the European market and others utilizing the EULUMDAT standard.

The changes in interpretation of the EULUMDAT format to accommodate absolute photometry are available on the following internet sites:

www.agi32.com
www.dial.de
www.helios32.com

Contact
Lighting Analysts Inc.
David Speer
Vice President & Marketing Director

E-mail: dave@agi32.com

Web Site: www.agi32.com/Extra/TechnicalDocs/EULUMDAT_partnership.htm