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

Choosing the right under cabinet lighting controls starts with two decisions: how you want the lights to operate and how you want the lighting system to be controlled.

First, choose the right switch or sensor function — Door, Hand-Wave, PIR Motion, or Touch — based on how you want the cabinet lights to turn on, turn off, or dim.

Next, choose the control configuration — RF wireless or wired, with centralized control for multiple connected cabinet lights or independent control for individual lights or lighting zones.

The GL LED Modular Cabinet Lighting System supports these different switch, sensor, and control options, making it easy to choose the right control setup for cabinets, closets, shelves, displays, and custom millwork.

Step 1 — Choose How You Want the Cabinet Lights to Operate

Start with the control function that best matches how the cabinet lighting will be used.

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

Step 2 — Choose Your Cabinet Lighting Control Configuration

After choosing the sensor function, the next step is to decide how the controller will connect and what it should control.

There are two key choices:
Wired or Wireless — Do you want the controller to communicate through a wired connection or RF wireless control?
Centralized or Independent — Do you want to control multiple connected cabinet lights together, or control individual lights or lighting zones separately?

Based on these two choices, the GL LED Modular Cabinet Lighting System provides three main control configurations:

1. RF Wireless Control — Can be configured for either centralized or independent control, depending on the receiver used. 
2. Wired Centralized Control — One wired controller controls multiple connected cabinet lights together. 
3. Wired Independent Control — Each wired controller controls an individual light or lighting zone separately.

 

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 Controller + LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin Centralized Control

LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin – Centralized

The LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin connects to the power supply’s Control Signal port. Once connected, the RF controller provides centralized control over the cabinet lights connected to the power supply’s six rear Controlled Power Outputs, allowing them to turn on, turn off, or dim together.

How to Connect & Use:

Plug the LDV RF Wireless Receiver – 3 Pin into the Control Signal port on the top of the power supply, then pair it with a compatible RF Wireless Controller. Once paired, the controller can operate all cabinet lights connected to the centralized control system together.

RF Wireless Controller + RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin 

Control one cabinet light or lighting zone independently.

 

Independent Zone Control

RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin- Independent

How to Connect & Use:

Connect the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin to the appropriate 24V power output, then pair it with a compatible RF Wireless Controller. Once paired, the controller can operate the lights connected after that receiver independently. Each receiver supports a maximum lighting load of 3A.

Multiple 2-Pin receivers can share the same power supply to create separate lighting zones, as long as the combined lighting load does not exceed the power supply capacity.

Example:

One Power Supply
→ Drawer Lights + RF Receiver → Independent Control
→ Cabinet Lights + RF Receiver → Independent Control
→ Under Cabinet Lights + RF Receiver → Independent Control

Important: When using the RF Wireless Receiver Distributor – 2 Pin on the rear Controlled Power Output, do not connect a controller or receiver to the power supply’s top Control Signal Input & Output ports. 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.

This is a simple and reliable choice when multiple cabinet lights need to be controlled from one wired sensor or switch. For larger installations, the control signal can be linked between compatible power supplies, allowing the same wired controller to manage up to 20 power supplies and approximately 480 ft of Standard Output cabinet lighting as one centralized system.

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.

 

Simple Connection:
Wired Centralized Controller → Power Supply Control Signal Port → All Connected Lights Controlled Together

 

3.Wired Independent Control

Wired independent control is a simple way to control individual cabinet lights or lighting zones separately.

The Simple Rule
Power Supply → Wired Independent Controller → Individual Light or Lighting Zone

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.

How to Connect:

A Wired Independent Controller can be connected to a Constant 24V Output on the bottom of the power supply. It can also be connected to one of the rear Controlled Power Outputs when the centralized Control Signal Input & Output ports are not in use.

For example, drawer lights, cabinet lights, and under cabinet lights can share the same power supply while using separate wired controllers for independent control.

As long as the combined lighting load does not exceed the capacity of the power supply, multiple independently controlled lights or zones can share one power supply.

Best for: Individual cabinets, drawers, closets, display shelves, and projects where multiple lighting zones need separate wired control from the same power supply.

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