Under Cabinet Lighting Controls: How to Choose the Right Switch or Sensor

Choosing the right under cabinet lighting control starts with two simple questions:

How do you want the lights to turn on and off?

Do you want to control the entire lighting system or one individual light or zone?

The GL LED Modular Cabinet Lighting System offers Door, Hand-Wave, PIR Motion, and Touch control functions with RF wireless, wired centralized, and wired independent control options.

This guide will help you choose the right switch, sensor, and control method for your cabinet lighting project.

 

Step 1 — Choose the Right Switch or Sensor

Start with how you want the lights to operate.

Control Function	How It Works	Best For
Door Sensor	Light turns on when the door opens and off when it closes	Cabinets, closets, wardrobes
Hand-Wave Sensor	Wave to turn lights on/off; hold your hand near the sensor to dim	Kitchens, countertops, under cabinet lighting
PIR Motion Sensor	Light turns on when motion is detected and automatically turns off after a preset delay	Closets, pantries, walk-in closets
Touch Dimmer	Touch to turn lights on/off; touch and hold to adjust brightness	Cabinets, shelves, displays

Choose a Door Sensor for door-activated lighting, a Hand-Wave Sensor for touch-free control, a PIR Motion Sensor for automatic motion activation, or a Touch Dimmer for direct on/off and brightness control.

 

Step 2 — Choose Centralized or Independent Control

Next, decide what the controller should operate:

Centralized Control — Control multiple connected cabinet lights together
or
Independent Control — Control one individual light or lighting zone

GL LED provides three main control configurations.

 

1.RF Wireless Control

RF wireless control reduces the need to run control wiring between the sensor and the lighting system.

Available RF wireless controllers include:

RF Wireless Door Control Sensor	RF Wireless Wave Sensor Dimmer	RF Wireless PIR Motion Sensor & Touch Dimmer	RF Wireless Touch Dimmer

The receiver determines whether the controller provides centralized or independent control.

 

RF Wireless Centralized Control

Use:

RF Wireless Controller → LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin - Centralized → Power Supply Control Signal Port

The LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin - Centralized connects to the power supply control signal port to create a wireless centralized control system. Compatible RF controllers can control multiple power supplies and connected cabinet lights together.

For larger GL LED systems, the control signal can be linked between power supplies, supporting up to 20 compatible power supplies and approximately 480 ft of Standard Output cabinet lighting.

Best for: kitchens, multiple cabinets, and larger projects where one wireless controller should operate multiple lights together.

 

RF Wireless Independent Control

Use:

RF Wireless Controller → RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent → Individual Light or Lighting Zone

The RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent connects to the 24V output to create an independent wireless control zone. Compatible RF controllers can control one cabinet light or lighting zone separately.

Best for: individual cabinets, drawers, shelves, closets, or projects requiring separate lighting zones.

 

The Simple Rule

LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin – Centralized

→ Control multiple connected lights together through the centralized control system.

RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent

→ Control an individual light or lighting zone independently.

Important: When the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent is connected to the rear Controlled Power Output of the power supply, the power supply’s top Control Signal Input & Output ports must remain free of any controller or receiver. Centralized control and independent control cannot be used on the same power supply at the same time.

 

2.Wired Centralized Control

Wired centralized controllers connect to the power supply control signal port for synchronized control of multiple power supplies and connected cabinet lights.

Available products include:

Wired Centralized Door Control Sensor	Wired Centralized Wave Sensor Dimmer	Wired Centralized PIR Sensor Switch	Wired Centralized Touch Switch & Dimmer	Wired Centralized Double Door Sensor

Best for: permanent cabinetry and millwork installations where wired control of multiple lights is preferred.

 

3.Wired Independent Control

Wired independent controllers connect between the power supply and an individual cabinet light, allowing that light or zone to operate separately without affecting other lighting zones.

Available products include:

Wired Independent Door Control Sensor	Wired Independent Wave Sensor Dimmer	Wired Independent PIR Sensor Switch	Wired Independent Touch Switch & Dimmer

Best for: individual cabinets, drawers, closets, display shelves, and other independently controlled areas.

 

Which Under Cabinet Lighting Control Should I Choose?

Step 1 — Choose the control function based on how you want the lights to operate.

What Do You Want the Light to Do?	Choose
Turn on when a cabinet or closet door opens	Door Sensor
Touch-free on/off and dimming	Hand-Wave Sensor
Turn on automatically when motion is detected	PIR Motion Sensor
Touch on/off and dimming	Touch Dimmer

 

Step 2 — Choose how you want the controller to connect and what it should control.

Control Method	Centralized Control	Independent Control
RF Wireless	RF Controller + LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin - Centralized	RF Controller + RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent
Wired	Wired Centralized Control	Wired Independent Control
Controls	Multiple connected cabinet lights together	One light or lighting zone independently
Best For	Multiple cabinets and larger synchronized lighting systems	Individual cabinets or separate lighting zones

Under Cabinet Lighting Controls FAQ

Can one sensor control multiple under cabinet lights?

Yes.

For larger projects, centralized control allows one sensor or controller to operate multiple connected cabinet lights together.

For smaller independent zones, the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent also provides multiple lighting outputs, allowing several connected lights to respond to the same control command, subject to the receiver's total load capacity - a 3A maximum total load.

Can different cabinet lights be controlled independently?

Yes.

Use a Wired Independent controller or pair an RF wireless controller with the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent to create an independently controlled light or lighting zone.

Can the same RF controller be used for centralized and independent control?

Yes.

The receiver determines the control configuration.
Use the LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin - Centralized for centralized control or the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent for independent control.

Can multiple RF controllers control the same cabinet lighting system?

Yes.

One LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin - Centralized can pair with up to 8 RF wireless controllers, allowing the same lighting system to be controlled from multiple locations.

An RF wireless controller can also be paired with multiple compatible receivers when the project requires the same command to control multiple lighting systems.

Which sensor is best for under cabinet lighting?

It depends on how you want the lights to operate.

Choose a Door Sensor for door-activated lighting, a Hand-Wave Sensor for touch-free control, a PIR Motion Sensor for automatic motion activation, or a Touch Dimmer for direct on/off and dimming control.

Related Cabinet Lighting Guides

Need help selecting the right power solution?
→ How to Choose the Right Power Supply for Under Cabinet Lighting

Still choosing your cabinet lights?
→ Types of Under Cabinet Lighting: How to Choose the Right Fixture