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Essential knowledge about Casambi technology — an advanced BLE Mesh wireless lighting control system...
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Essential knowledge about Casambi technology — an advanced BLE Mesh wireless lighting control system for commercial and residential projects.
Casambi is a wireless lighting control system built on Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh (BLE Mesh) technology, standardized by the Bluetooth SIG. It enables full control of a lighting network via smartphone or tablet without a central hub, without dedicated control cabling, and without proprietary programming hardware.
This is the fundamental difference from traditional protocols. KNX and DALI-2 require bus couplers, DALI power supplies, or central controllers. With Casambi, each end device handles its own mesh logic, self-routes signals, and self-heals when any node in the network loses connection.
BLE Mesh is a multi-point wireless mesh protocol standardized by the Bluetooth SIG in 2017, supporting hundreds of devices communicating within a single network. Casambi builds proprietary firmware on this foundation, optimized for commercial and residential lighting applications.
Each Casambi device, whether a CBU-ASD module with DALI interface or a CBU-TED for 0-10V signals, acts as both a command receiver and a relay node forwarding signals to neighboring devices. Practical range between adjacent nodes is typically 10 to 15 meters, sufficient to cover open-plan offices or multi-floor hotel corridors.
| Criteria | Casambi | DALI-2 | KNX TP | Zigbee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connection | BLE Mesh (wireless) | 2-wire bus (wired) | TP bus (wired) | IEEE 802.15.4 (wireless) |
| Hub/Controller | Not required | DALI controller required | KNX IP router required | Zigbee coordinator required |
| Dedicated control cable | No | Yes (DALI bus 2-wire) | Yes (KNX TP cable) | No |
| Devices per network | Up to 250 nodes | 64 addresses per line | Up to 57,375 addresses | Up to 65,000 nodes |
| Configuration tool | Casambi app (iOS/Android) | DALI commissioning tool | ETS (dedicated software) | Vendor-specific |
| BMS integration | Via Casambi Gateway (BACnet/IP, Modbus TCP) | Native integration | Native integration | Via hub/gateway |
| Limitation | End-device cost higher than standard DALI | Requires dedicated DALI bus wiring | High cost, requires ETS engineer | Not optimized for commercial lighting |
Casambi is best suited for projects where running dedicated control cabling is structurally difficult or cost-prohibitive, or where high flexibility in scene configuration post-construction is required.
Boutique hotels and resorts: zone-based scene control without fixed control panels
Serviced offices and coworking spaces: zone reconfiguration when tenants change, without touching the electrical infrastructure
Restaurants and F&B venues: multiple scene presets by time of day via app
Museums and galleries: track lighting per display position, easily reconfigured when layout changes
High-end residences: owner self-configures via app without requiring a technician
CBU-ASD: module with DALI interface, for luminaires with DALI-input drivers
CBU-PWM: PWM output control module, commonly used for LED strips
CBU-TED: 0-10V interface module, compatible with legacy analog drivers
CBU-DCS: direct mains output control module, for lamps without a driver
Casambi Gateway: hardware bridge connecting BLE Mesh to IP infrastructure, supporting BACnet/IP and Modbus TCP
Casambi-Ready luminaires: luminaires with Casambi module pre-integrated by the manufacturer
Over 300 lighting manufacturers worldwide carry Casambi Ready certification, including Osram, Tridonic, Helvar, Glamox, and iGuzzini.
