Skip to documentation content

Overview

System Overview

Explore the platform components and a typical commissioning workflow.

On this page

What Is C-Bridge?

C-Bridge is a commercial smart building gateway that bridges Casambi wireless lighting networks to external building systems, dashboards, APIs, and automation platforms.

At its core, C-Bridge runs on dedicated on-site hardware and provides:

  • A web-based dashboard for monitoring and controlling lighting from any browser
  • Real-time data from all connected Casambi devices
  • Integration bridges to building management systems (BACnet), third-party platforms, and custom APIs
  • Alerts, energy monitoring, and reporting for facilities teams
  • Role-based access for administrators, integrators, and end users

How C-Bridge Works

C-Bridge sits between your Casambi lighting network and the broader building systems ecosystem:

Casambi Network
    ↓
C-Bridge Gateway (on-site hardware)
    ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  Web Dashboard  │  REST API     │
│  BACnet Server  │  WebSockets   │
│  Alerts Engine  │  Energy Data  │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
    ↓
Building Management Systems / Third-Party Platforms / Users

C-Bridge communicates with the Casambi network using the Casambi EXTIF (Extension Interface) — a gateway-level API that provides real-time device status, control commands, sensor values, and network events.

Key Concepts

Gateway

The physical C-Bridge hardware unit. It runs continuously on-site and acts as the bridge between Casambi and everything else.

Areas

Logical groupings of devices within your building — typically rooms, zones, or floors. Areas are used for group control, energy tracking, and dashboard visualization.

Devices

Individual Casambi-connected hardware: lights, sensors, switches, and other actuators. Each device is discovered from the Casambi network and assigned to an area.

Scenes

Saved lighting states in Casambi. C-Bridge can recall scenes via the dashboard, API, or BACnet.

Floorplan

A visual map of your space used for spatial navigation and control within the dashboard. Built using Smplr.space and imported into C-Bridge.

Platform Architecture

LayerTechnology
HardwareRaspberry Pi-based gateway
BackendApplication services
FrontendWeb-based dashboard
Realtime communicationWebSockets
Primary databaseRelational database
AuthenticationEmail/password and Google sign-in (users); JWT and vendor credentials (APIs)
OTA updatesMender (A/B partition)
BACnet integrationBACnet/IP server

Who Uses C-Bridge

User TypePrimary Activities
Facility manager / building operatorMonitor device status, review energy, respond to alerts
System integratorCommission hardware, configure BACnet, set up integrations
IT administratorNetwork config, user management, firmware updates
End user (occupant)Control lights in assigned areas via dashboard
DeveloperUse REST API and WebSocket for custom integrations

Typical Deployment

A standard C-Bridge installation involves:

  1. Hardware installation — mounting the gateway on-site, connecting Ethernet and power
  2. Network setup — assigning IP, confirming connectivity
  3. Casambi connection — authenticating with the Casambi cloud and discovering devices
  4. Floorplan setup — uploading a floorplan, defining areas
  5. Device assignment — assigning discovered devices to areas
  6. User setup — creating user accounts and assigning roles
  7. Integration configuration — enabling BACnet, setting up alerts, connecting external APIs

What C-Bridge Does Not Do

  • C-Bridge does not replace the Casambi app for commissioning individual fixtures
  • C-Bridge does not currently support Casambi mesh configuration or firmware updates to fixtures
  • C-Bridge is not a standalone lighting controller — it requires an active Casambi network