Cascoda - Supplier page

Cascoda is an award-winning fabless semiconductor company and communications company that supplies low-power semiconductor radio devices, modules, sub-assemblies, systems and software for the Internet of Things (IoT). They specialize in solving fundamental problems in IoT, such as range, reliability, security, power, and scalability issues. Their technology is based on patented innovations, including IPv6, DTLS, and meshing.

Cascoda’s mission is to solve the fundamental problems in IoT, in order for this technology to become ubiquitous. Cascoda combines great people, process, expertise and technology to deliver the best performing and most reliable IoT solutions.

Cascoda has pioneered the digital transformation of Building Management Systems (BMS), by working with the KNX Association (KNX). The KNX standard has a ~40% global market share in the building automation market. KNX contracted Cascoda to write the software stack for its new KNX IoT IP-based automation standard, which works cross-domain and with existing (non-IP) KNX infrastructure.

Cascoda’s competitive advantage is that it is the first company to have implemented KNX IoT into its products. Cascoda’s products with KNX IoT enable high-performance, interoperable BMS, which is urgently needed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

At it’s core, Cascoda’s has invented a technology innovation that delivers the combined benefits of an increase in range and a reduction in power consumption, compared with the previous state of the art.

Cascoda’s 2.4GHz IEEE802.15.4 SMARTRange™ devices have the world’s best performance:

Highest receive sensitivity at -105dBm
Highest receive efficiency with 14mA at -105dBm receive sensitivity
Highest transmit efficiency with 19mA at +9dBm transmit power

By integrating SMARTRange™ technology into modules, sub-assemblies and systems, and providing software, SDK and evaluation kits, Cascoda has enabled quick-turn design of world-leading IoT products.

Cascoda Technologies

Cascoda KNX IoT

Cascoda has developed the KNX IoT technology in collaboration with the KNX Association.

Cascoda’s Role: Cascoda was contracted by the KNX Association to develop the KNX IoT Point API open-source software stack. This stack is based on the robust Thread Mesh LPWAN wireless standard and includes banking-level security features.
KNX IoT Technology: KNX IoT is an IP-based technology designed to work with existing KNX wired or wireless infrastructure. It ensures interoperability and uses the latest Internet-based technologies, making it secure by design.
Development Tools: Cascoda offers several development tools for KNX IoT, including the KNX IoT Development Kit and the KNX IoT Development Board. These tools help in evaluating and developing KNX IoT over Thread systems.
Thread Connectivity: Cascoda’s products, such as the KNX IoT Hub and Development Board, feature SMARTRange™ technology for long-range Thread connectivity, ensuring whole-building coverage.
Integration: KNX IoT integrates easily with Cascoda’s Border Router for IPv4/IPv6 backhaul connectivity and can be configured using Cascoda’s web interface or the KNX Association’s ETS 6 software.
Advantages: KNX IoT enables high-performance, interoperable Building Management Systems (BMS) that can improve energy efficiency by sharing information across different domains within a building
Products: Check the Product Overview out below or jump straight to Cascoda KNX IoT Products here.

Cascoda OCF

Cascoda joined the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) in 2019.

Cascoda pioneered the development of OCF-over-Thread. The company currently holds the following positions in OCF:

Former member of the Board of Directors
Chair of the Technology Steering Committee
- - - - Chair of the Marketing Communications Work Group

Cascoda Thread

Cascoda is particularly known for its work with Thread, a low-power wireless mesh networking protocol.

History: Cascoda joined the Thread Group in 2015 and has since contributed to the specification draft, open source software implementation, and marketing collateral. They are also the first company to produce products using OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation) over Thread, a solution that has achieved the highest (Gold) standard of IoT security according to the IASME ‘IoT Security Assured scheme’.
Thread Technology: Thread is designed to enable direct IP-based device-to-device and device-to-cloud communications, supporting hundreds or thousands of products with mandatory security features. It ensures there is no single point of failure, allowing networks to self-heal and reconfigure when devices are added or removed. Cascoda’s CA-8211 is a Thread Certified Component, and the company provides a long-range IEEE802.15.4 transceiver modem with exceptional receiver sensitivity, enabling global, low-power deployment. Learn more about Thread Networks here.
Development Tools: Cascoda also offers development kits and evaluation kits for Thread, including the KNX IoT Development Kit, which combines Thread technology with KNX IoT Point API, a new transport medium of the KNX automation standard. These kits are designed to facilitate the development and evaluation of IoT systems that integrate Thread connectivity for whole-building coverage.
Products: Check the Product Overview below or jump straight to Cascoda Thread Products here.

Cascoda SMARTRange™

Cascoda’s SMARTRange™ is a wireless transceiver architecture based on a new type of radio demodulator.

Patent-Protected: This novel, patent-protected architecture drastically improves receiver efficiency, thereby doubling the range over previous designs, while maintaining ultra-low power consumption.
How do receivers work?: Receiver sensitivity is affected by two factors, the noise generated in the receiver circuits, and the amount of noise that can be tolerated when recovering data from the received signal in a circuit known as a demodulator. Reducing the generated noise in the receiver and/or improving the noise tolerance of the demodulator, will improve receiver sensitivity and range.
The problem!: Existing receivers use one of two demodulation schemes, coherent or non-coherent. Coherent schemes trade excellent noise tolerance at the expense of high power consumption, while non-coherent schemes trade poor noise tolerance in return for low power consumption. Both coherent and non-coherent schemes therefore demonstrate significant disadvantages, due to fundamental limits of the receiver demodulation scheme.
The solution is SMARTRange™: This incorporates a new type of mathematical transform, never previously applied in radio demodulators, to deliver excellent noise tolerance and low power consumption. SMARTRange™ therefore dramatically improves the efficiency over previous designs. The power that SMARTRange™ products save in the demodulator allows us to put more power into the receiver circuits, thus lowering noise generated and delivering a receiver with much improved receive sensitivity and range.
CA-8210 Range Tests: In independent like-for-like testing in London’s urban environment, the CA8210 beat a number of competing technologies, including long range bluetooth, proprietary 868MHz and WiFi. Read the case study here.