I have bought 4 outdoor LED wall lights to light up the side passageway of my house. They each contain a small constant current LED driver to power the small COB LED array in each light. I'd like convert these to allow for dimming and automation through a single Philips Hue compatible Zigbee dimmer, and could use some advice on the power configuration and LED driver selection.
The existing LED driver output spec in each light is currently DC 12-24V - 260mA. I live in the UK so my input voltage is 230v.
I think the most cost effective plan is to remove the individual internal power supplies from each light, and run low voltage to each LED from a single separate driver and dimmer. These can be mounted inside so weatherproofing isn't a concern.
Firstly, I'm not sure whether I should be thinking about wiring the 4 LED arrays together in series or parallel. Looking at the available compatible dimmers, I've found 3 main types:
I have a basic understanding of these dimmers. I know that the CV one could only be used in a parallel wiring circuit due to the input voltage limitation, and that the leading/trailing edge dimmers have to be used with compatible dimming drivers.
For the former, I'd need to drive the LED arrays at their nominal forward voltage, which must be somewhere between 12-24v. I suppose I could cut the wires and measure this. I imagine the maximum current required would be around 1200mW, accounting for the overhead of the dimmer.
For the latter, would I be better off with a series or parallel circuit, and what kind of LED driver would be suitable?
All advice is appreciated!