Casambi — Bluetooth Mesh Lighting Control
Professional Bluetooth mesh for DALI drivers, 0-10V ballasts, and RGB channels — without the cable runs. The premium choice for retrofit lighting control in EU.
What is Casambi?
Casambi is a Finnish company (founded 2012) that makes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh module — the CBM-001 chip — that lighting manufacturers embed into their DALI drivers, LED drivers, relay modules, and phase-cut dimmers. Over 400 manufacturers integrate the chip, making it the de facto standard for wireless professional lighting control in Europe.
Unlike Zigbee or Z-Wave, Casambi targets lighting professionals specifically: it understands DALI commands natively, supports tunable white color temperature control, RGBW channels, and scene management — all without proprietary hubs.
Key differentiator:
Casambi creates a mesh where every luminaire is a node. The iOS/Android app connects directly to the mesh — no hub required for control. A Casambi Gateway is only needed for KNX integration, remote access, or always-on scenes.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Chip | CBM-001 (SiLabs EFR32BG22 based) |
| Radio | Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 5.0) |
| Frequency | 2.4 GHz |
| Mesh protocol | Casambi proprietary BLE mesh (not Bluetooth Mesh standard) |
| Range per hop | ~10–20m indoor (concrete), ~30m open |
| Max devices per network | 250 luminaires/devices |
| Max networks per Gateway | Multiple (via Casambi Cloud) |
| Control interfaces | DALI, DALI-2, 0-10V, PWM (1-10V), phase-cut (TRIAC), on/off relay |
| Colour types | Single channel, Tunable White (CCT), RGB, RGBW, RGBWW |
| Scenes | Up to 255 scenes per network |
| Groups | Up to 64 groups per network |
| Timers | Astronomical clock, weekday scheduling, delay/fade |
| Sensors | Daylight sensor (closed-loop), occupancy sensor, push-button input |
| Security | AES-128 CCM, network key distribution |
| App | Casambi iOS / Android — free, no subscription for local control |
| Cloud | Casambi Cloud for remote access and gateway features |
Supported lighting control interfaces
DALI / DALI-2
PreferredFull DALI command set. Individual address or group commands. DALI-2 device query (ECG type, firmware, arc power). Best-in-class for professional drivers (Helvar, Osram, Tridonic, Meanwell HLG).
0-10V / 1-10V Analog
Retrofit4-wire connection to drivers with analog dim input. Simple but no feedback. Works with most non-DALI commercial drivers. Casambi CBU-ASD module.
PWM (pulse-width modulation)
LED stripsDirect LED strip control via PWM. Casambi CBU-PWM4 = 4-channel RGBW control. No driver needed — direct DC output.
Phase-cut (TRIAC)
RetrofitFor trailing-edge and leading-edge dimmers. Casambi CBU-TED for retrofit dimming of existing halogen/LED circuits without rewiring.
Casambi + KNX integration
The Casambi Gateway (CGW-US or CGW-EU) is a DIN-rail device that bridges the Casambi BLE mesh to KNX TP. It joins the Casambi network as a node and exposes Casambi groups/scenes/devices as KNX communication objects in ETS.
Gateway capabilities:
- • Map Casambi groups to KNX group addresses (switch, dim, scene recall)
- • Send KNX scene triggers to Casambi scenes (1-64 scene numbers)
- • Bidirectional status (Casambi dim level → KNX, KNX command → Casambi)
- • Astronomical timer can override KNX commands (configure priority)
- • ETS plug-in available (Casambi ETS App)
- • Max 64 KNX communication object bindings
Typical KNX + Casambi architecture:
KNX pushbutton → KNX TP bus → Casambi Gateway → Casambi mesh → DALI drivers → LED luminaires
Panel contains: KNX PSU, Casambi Gateway, KNX actuators for non-lighting circuits. All lighting dimming handled by Casambi mesh — no DALI line coupler needed in panel.
Casambi vs DALI-2 — when to choose which
| Factor | DALI-2 | Casambi BLE |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Requires DALI 2-wire to every fixture | No extra cable — uses existing 230V supply cable only |
| Reliability | Very high — wired, deterministic | High — mesh, multiple paths; RF-sensitive in metallic ceilings |
| Retrofit suitability | Hard — requires new cable run | Excellent — swap driver only |
| Max devices | 64 ECGs per DALI line (scalable with line couplers) | 250 per network (single network) |
| Response time | Near-instant (<1ms) | 15–50ms typical (BLE latency) |
| Colour control | Excellent (DALI-2 DT8) | Excellent (RGBW native) |
| Sensor integration | DALI-2 Part 303 sensors | Casambi sensors, app-based |
| App/UX for client | Requires integration (KNX panel) | Native iOS/Android app — very user-friendly |
| KNX integration | Via KNX-DALI gateway (Hager TXA400B, MDT DALI-24CH) | Via Casambi Gateway CGW |
| Price (per driver) | ~€20–60 for DALI driver | ~€30–80 for Casambi driver (premium brands) |
| Best for | Commercial: offices, hospitals, warehouses | Residential, boutique hotels, retail, retrofit |
Casambi-compatible manufacturers
Osram / Ledvance
DALI / Casambi drivers
Tridonic
casambi.ready DALI-2 drivers
Helvar
Casambi+DALI gateway
Reggiani
Casambi embedded luminaires
iGuzzini
Casambi-enabled track lights
Prolicht
Casambi custom luminaires
Fagerhult
Casambi integrated luminaires
Glamox
Casambi DALI modules
Meanwell
HLN/HLG-xx-Casambi
JUNG
CBM push-button sensors
Gira
Casambi push-button interface
ABB
Casambi sensor switches
Casambi mesh integrated with your KNX panel
Casambi Gateway pre-programmed in ETS. Scenes mapped to KNX group addresses. One panel controls everything.
Request a quote →