How Can I tell my Control Type
How do I know if my control type is 3 Wire or Ecosystem?
3-Wire Control
3-Wire technology allows for high-performance dimming in fluorescent ballasts. The name 3-Wire comes from the extra wire (usually orange) that wires into each ballast.
These ballasts would typically wire back to a dimming panel, or a dimmer on the wall, such as a Lutron Grafik Eye.
If your Lutron ballast has a black, white AND orange wire connected to it, with no wires landed on the purple e1/e2 terminals, chances are good that you have a 3-Wire control system.
Ecosystem Control
Ecosystem technology is a digital, addressable solution. This means that each ballast has been given a unique address through programming, and communicates through two, low-voltage data wires (e1 and e2).
These ballasts were most often found in commercial offices, classrooms, and similar spaces. They would be used in conjunction with occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and local wall stations.
These ballasts would be wired with a hot and neutral wire, and while they might have an orange terminal, it would be unused. Instead, there would be two wires landed on the purple terminals labeled e1 and e2.