Engineer unique Casambi Ready products with ease.
Casambi’s Extension Interface enables manufacturers to craft highly customizable smart products effortlessly. By incorporating a Casambi Bluetooth Module into your products, you can independently and seamlessly integrate advanced functionality with minimal reliance on the Casambi engineering team.
Lighting manufacturers are constantly seeking innovative solutions to differentiate their offerings and provide unique experiences to their customers. At Casambi, we’ve stepped up to the challenge with our Extension Interface (EXTIF), a game-changing feature that empowers manufacturers to easily create customizable smart products.
What is the Casambi Extension Interface?
Manufacturers with their own electronics R&D design teams can effortlessly develop their own Casambi Ready products. All it takes is the addition of a Casambi Bluetooth Module (CBM), a small yet powerful chip, to the product’s electronics. The CBM includes a robust CPU, a 2.4 GHz transceiver, an onboard antenna, and 12 configurable GPIO pins that manufacturers can define according to their needs.
So, this Casambi chip is a kind of technological Lego piece that can be used in different products. When integrating the CBM into a product, such as a luminaire, you have access to 12 pins on the chip, with the freedom to designate them as inputs or outputs, like utilizing analog signals or implementing pulse-width modulation signals. This initial step allows you to determine the core functionality of your Casambi product, after which you can design the circuitry around the chip and create the final hardware solution.
Now, the Casambi Extension Interface is like an upgrade to this chip. Instead of being stuck with just those 12 pins, it gives you even more options. So, you can get even more creative with how you design your products. It’s like giving you the freedom to build and customize your design in new and exciting ways, allowing for cool features and experiences that were harder to achieve before. We didn’t want you to be limited to the 12 GPIOs (General Purpose Input/Output) on our chips.
Casambi EXTIF expands the horizon of hardware control
In essence, EXTIF provides a “soft” version of GPIO functions, granting you more flexibility and independence in designing your system’s behavior through software. The entire module configuration process, which defines the hardware features and connection to the external interface, can be easily managed through Casambi’s admin portal. This extends to fixture configuration, outlining how light control occurs. Consequently, a single hardware board can serve multiple purposes, depending on the chosen fixture profile in the admin portal, further expanding the capabilities of EXTIF.
So, while the CBM offers just 12 pin connections, EXTIF takes it a step further. In 2016, Casambi introduced a separate communication channel from the CBM to an external microcontroller, opening the door to an additional 65 GPIO functions and parameters. With EXTIF, you can redefine the hardware architecture of a device, all through software configuration. This means that tasks like producing light output or reading sensor inputs can be delegated to an external system or microcontroller.
Imagine a motorized luminaire as an example. Using EXTIF, output functions can be split between a Casambi module and an external controller. The CBM can serve as the power source for driving LED power electronics (light output), while custom elements can send relay signals from the module to another controller for interpretation. This dynamic setup allows for height adjustments, motor positioning, and beam angle changes, among other possibilities.
Formalighting’s Motolux Range
To showcase the potential of EXTIF, let’s take a closer look at Formalighting’s Motolux range. Formalighting has gained recognition for its ability to create beautiful, highly efficient beams of light using cutting-edge technology and top-quality components. The Motolux range places full control of the light into the hands of designers, enabling adjustments for pan and tilt, dimming, and white color tuning.
Michael Monsonego, CEO of Formalighting, highlights the groundbreaking features made possible through Casambi’s Extension Interface:
“We take pride in being pioneers in the industry, as Formalighting was the first company to innovate and seamlessly integrate advanced control features utilizing Casambi’s Extension Interface (EXTIF). Through the EXTIF, we empower users with unprecedented control, allowing them to effortlessly manipulate pan, tilt, and zoom settings directly from the Casambi App.” He adds:
“Casambi’s ingenuity lies in its wire-free control and efficient button utilization. The system can be tailored for each product model, offering a flexible user interface. As a result, fixtures with varying control options will only display the buttons that are relevant to their specific functions, eliminating unused buttons entirely.”
“By using EXTIF, we can grant our clients the freedom to seamlessly mix light fixtures from different manufacturers within a single project. This empowers our clients to fully experience the array of features and advantages offered by the Casambi system, ensuring they benefit from future upgrades. Simultaneously, we can continue to provide the distinctive control features that make our products unique. By using EXTIF, we can further enhance the intelligence and user-friendliness of our smart products.”
Coolon LED’s Plume Luminaire
The Plume luminaire by Australian brand, Coolon LED, is a revolutionary outdoor spotlight designed to enhance architectural features and elevate landscapes, from facades to bridges. It offers a wide range of possibilities with six optical variations, three body finishes, glare control accessories, two bracket options, and seamless integration with the Casambi Bluetooth control. This integration empowers users with dynamic color-changing and dimming capabilities.
Juan Ramirez, Technical Manager at Coolon LED says their decision to Casambify the Plume was a natural one:
“Casambi’s user-friendly app and robust platform were the perfect fit. They ensure seamless interoperability, even in large projects that require multiple third-party sensors, triggers, and luminaires. Configuring the Plume with Casambi’s admin portal was a breeze. We were able to effortlessly create, maintain, and upgrade luminaire profiles. Whether it’s RGBW, Tuneable White, or AC/DC versions, we leveraged the flexibility of Casambi’s configuration options. This streamlined our product line, allowing us to focus on what we do best—delivering exceptionally reliable luminaires.” adding
“Our experience with Casambi’s engineering team was exceptional. They provided first-class support whenever we had questions or needed guidance. The collaboration between our teams was seamless, especially when designing a wireless system that excels in performance.”
Are you ready to Casambify your luminaires?
In an industry where customization and innovation are key, Casambi’s Extension Interface is a game-changer for manufacturers seeking to create smart, customizable products with ease. The EXTIF empowers you to redefine hardware control, delegate functions to external controllers, and introduce groundbreaking features that set your products apart. Formalighting’s Motolux range and Coolon LED’s Plume luminaire serve as shining examples of the limitless possibilities that Casambi’s EXTIF offers.
If you’re looking to take your lighting fixtures to the next level and create truly unique products, Casambi’s Extension Interface is your gateway to innovation. Get in touch and we’ll tell you more:
