Project overview
This is a typical indoor cornice (cove) job in a UK lounge / reception room of about 8.4 m × 4.0 m. The lighting sits above the cornice as two independently controlled runs of 24 V RGB+CCT COB (full colour plus warm-white and cool-white on the same tape).
The lengths used for this example are:
- Zone 1 — front wall and bay window, about 14 m
- Zone 2 — rear of the room, about 10 m
Order five 5 m rolls (25 m). That covers 24 m of cornice plus corners, cuts and a little spare. The last pieces are cut only on a marked cut point.
This is not a single-colour white tape, and it is not RGB-only. RGB+CCT (five channels: red, green, blue, warm white, cool white) is what lets a Lutron keypad recall a saturated colour and a proper tunable-white scene on the same strip.
If you already have Lutron — what we can actually supply
Hi-Line does not sell Lutron processors or keypads. We supply the LED tape, DMX decoders and 24 V drivers that sit downstream of Lutron.
Lutron is very good at on/off, intensity, scenes and schedules. That part can switch or dim the 240 V feed to each zone’s driver. Full colour plus tunable white from the Lutron keypad / app / scene is a different job. That needs a DMX512 output from the Lutron system into a 5-channel decoder per zone.
On Lutron’s own range the usual interface is the QSE-CI-DMX (HomeWorks QS, Athena, Quantum). A standard RadioRA 2 main repeater does not include that gateway. If the installer cannot add a DMX gateway (Lutron QSE-CI-DMX or a named equivalent the processor can drive), we cannot give you colour and CCT from Lutron keypads. Confirm the gateway before you order tape.
Two RGB+CCT zones = 10 DMX channels (5 + 5). One QSE-CI-DMX handles up to 32 channels, so capacity is not the issue — presence of the box and the programming is.
More DMX hardware is in the shop category DMX512 LED Controllers.
Recommended parts (example 14 m + 10 m)
- 5 × 5 m COB RGB + tunable white, 24 V, 16 W/m, 12 mm, IP00 — HL-COB840RGBTW-R90-IP00-24V
- 2 × 5-channel DMX512 / RDM decoder (one per zone) — HL-D5-P
- 2 × 300 W 24 V constant-voltage driver (one per zone). Both can be used indoors. IP67 Premium is the better-quality option (5-year). Choose either:
Optional 12 mm 6-pin clips if you need a temporary join for a bench test: strip-to-strip and strip-to-wire. For the finished cornice, solder 6-core cable. Clip connectors are not reliable as the only join on this 5-in-1 COB.
Driver size per zone
The tape is 16 W per metre. Size the driver with headroom (about 80 % of rating):
| Zone |
Length |
Load |
Driver |
| Zone 1 (front + bay) |
14 m |
224 W |
300 W 24 V (200 W is too small) |
| Zone 2 (rear) |
10 m |
160 W |
300 W 24 V (comfortable headroom) |
Do not try to run both zones from one 300 W supply. Keep each zone on its own driver and its own decoder.
Installer notes — soldering, voltage drop, addressing
- Do not run more than 5 m from one feed. This COB is sold as a 5 m roll for a reason.
- Join rolls by soldering 6-core cable (or solder + heat-shrink). Do not rely on clip connectors in the finished run.
- Power-inject at every 5 m join and at both ends of each zone. If you daisy-chain 24 V through the copper only, the far end drops voltage (dim / colour shift).
- Run a separate heavy 24 V +/− pair alongside the strip and tap in at each join.
- Mount the strip on an aluminium flat bar for cooling. 16 W/m COB needs that heat sink. A decorative LED profile is not required if the cornice already hides the tape.
- Lutron DMX map for this example: Zone 1 = 5 channels (R, G, B, WW, CW), Zone 2 = the next 5 channels.
- Set each HL-D5-P to 5-channel RGB+CCT mode and match the start address the Lutron programmer gives you.
What this article is not
It is not a Lutron programming manual, and it is not a quote for one named house. Room size, bay shape and cornice length vary. Measure the two runs, confirm the DMX gateway with the Lutron installer, then order the matching number of 5 m rolls (one decoder and one 300 W driver per zone).
Disclaimer
Hi-Line Lighting supplies products only and does not provide on-site installation, technical consultancy, or a full lighting design service. This article is general guidance for a typical two-zone RGB+CCT cornice layout with a Lutron DMX512 gateway. All calculations, wiring, safety checks, Lutron programming, and regulatory compliance must be carried out and verified by a qualified installer. Incorrect design or installation can cause overheating, equipment damage, or fire.
If you do not have a lighting designer and need help on a larger or more complex project, contact us. We can put you in touch with trusted external partners.
Need help with a similar Lutron project?
Email [email protected] with the two run lengths, whether the Lutron installer will fit a DMX512 gateway, and indoor vs damp. If you receive an automated reply with a ticket number, keep it. If you do not receive that reply, please call to confirm the message arrived.
