Casambi Warehouse and High Bay Lighting Control

Technical guide for zoning, sensors, scenes, drivers, mesh planning and commissioning

Casambi warehouse lighting control uses a Bluetooth Low Energy mesh to connect Casambi Ready luminaires, drivers, sensors and switches. Each zone can run its own presence or absence scene, standby behavior, daylight response and schedule. Local control needs neither a central controller nor internet; add a Cloud Gateway for remote access, monitoring, Cloud API or site-level integration. This guide applies that architecture to aisles, open storage, packing, docks and cold storage without confusing operational and emergency lighting.

What Should Casambi Warehouse Lighting Control Solve?

Warehouses combine high mounting heights, long rack aisles, metal structures, intermittent occupancy, moving forklifts, rooflights, loading doors and changing layouts. The control strategy should respond to how each zone is used, not simply follow the power circuits. Casambi warehouse lighting control can provide scenes, schedules, sensor response and software-defined groups, but the design must still document the electrical distribution, emergency luminaires and any jurisdictional safety functions separately.

Occupancy-based standby is an operational strategy, not a replacement for code-required emergency or egress lighting. Casambi’s Emergency hierarchy level is a system override priority; it does not by itself establish regulatory emergency-lighting compliance.

How Should Zones, Groups and Scenes Be Structured?

Plan zones from floor plans, rack height, aisle geometry, cross aisles, forklift and pedestrian routes, packing stations, docks, daylight openings, cold rooms, shifts and expected layout changes. Casambi warehouse lighting control can regroup the logical control structure without new control wiring, but electrical circuits and life-safety devices remain separate design records.

Each luminaire belongs to one Casambi group. The same group can participate in multiple scenes. Overlapping behavior—aisle occupancy, daylight response, a night scene and adjacent-aisle pre-lighting—should therefore be built with scenes and the Casambi control hierarchy, not by placing one luminaire in several groups. A scene may set several groups to different levels while every luminaire retains one group membership.

How Do High-Bay Sensors and Presence Modes Work?

A Casambi Ready high-bay sensor, a Casambi-compatible high-bay occupancy sensor, or a high-bay sensor integrated into the Casambi network should be selected from its own data sheet: rated mounting height, detection pattern, lens or optics, movement direction, sensitivity, temperature rating and installation environment. Product ratings can differ materially—12 m, 14 m or 17 m are product-specific examples—not generic warehouse heights. Check PIR line of sight and slow movement; check microwave designs for reflections from metal racks, doors and machinery.

Casambi offers Presence, Presence/Absence and Absence modes. Presence activates its scene on detection and lets it expire after no movement and the linger time. Presence/Absence changes from a Presence scene to an Absence scene after the linger time; the two scenes must contain the same luminaires. Absence removes manual control after no movement and the linger period. Fade time is the transition to off or to the Absence scene. Absence timeout determines how long an Absence scene remains active; if it is not configured, that scene can continue to hold the Presence priority and stop lower-priority timers from taking over. [1]

Up to 30 sensors in an Evolution network, or 10 in a Classic network, can control the same luminaire. A casambi high bay sensor is therefore not a generic product category: verify the selected sensor profile, mounting condition and scene assignment at the actual aisle before acceptance. [1]

How Does the Casambi Control Hierarchy Affect Warehouse Operation?

Casambi does not simply execute the last command received. It follows a hierarchy: Emergency; Higher than manual; Manual control; Higher than automation; date and day/week timers with sensor override; Presence; ordinary date and day/week timers; then lowest-priority automation. Priority, not dim level, decides conflicts. At the same sensor priority, the higher dim level applies where sensors overlap. [2]

This matters during warehouse troubleshooting. A switch or app command can temporarily override sensors and timers; if a manual timeout is not set, it may look as if the sensor has failed. Use Remove Manual Control or Resume Automation to restore automation, and test the combination of linger, fade and Absence timeout. Casambi warehouse lighting control should include this recovery test in the handover procedure. [1][2]

How Should Aisles, Docks and Packing Zones Respond?

Casambi aisle lighting control normally uses one group per aisle, appropriate high-bay detection, an occupied scene, a standby or absence state, linger, fade and—where needed—a final absence timeout. For long aisles, overlapping detection sections must prevent a person or forklift from entering a dark segment before the next sensor responds. Packing areas usually need a stable task scene and a longer linger period. Open storage can use multiple detection fields and a scheduled background scene.

Static adjacent-aisle pre-lighting can be implemented by a sensor-triggered scene: for example, the active aisle group at 100%, selected neighboring groups at 30%, and other groups left under their existing standby command. The percentages and delays are illustrative, not universal; validate them against photometrics, vehicle speed, safety policy, code and site tests. A single sensor does not predict forklift direction. Directional sequential pre-lighting needs multiple sensors, door contacts, dry-contact inputs or external control logic.

A loading-door contact can trigger a Casambi scene only when it is connected through a compatible dry-contact, relay-input or BMS interface. At docks, separate interior and door-transition groups to limit false activation from daylight or passing activity. In cold storage, test communications with the door open and closed: insulated metal panels can strongly attenuate 2.4 GHz signals. Position nodes on both sides of the doorway or use a separate network if testing requires it; Long Range products do not replace a site test.

How Should Daylight Harvesting Be Applied?

Separate rooflight, perimeter-window, interior, loading-door transition and non-daylight groups. Casambi daylight scenes provide four modes: Basic uses two lux thresholds to switch on/off or to a configured minimum; Closed loop uses sensor feedback to maintain a target lux level; Open loop uses a response curve and needs a sensor not materially affected by controlled luminaires; External follows a 0–100% signal from a compatible external sensor or controller rather than reading lux directly. [3]

When multiple lux sensors control the same lights, Casambi uses their average reading. Lux sensing also creates network traffic, so a warehouse with many sensors should not be engineered at the 250-node technical maximum. Casambi high bay lighting control should use daylight only where the exposure and sensor view are representative, rather than applying one daylight rule to every aisle.

Which 0–10V and DALI Architecture Fits the Project?

For Casambi plus 0–10V, confirm the module’s channel count, sink/source compatibility, minimum dimming, dim-to-off behavior, control current, relay capacity and inrush limits. CBU-ARP-LR is a specific example for one 0–10V driver: it includes a 2 A relay that can disconnect power when the driver cannot switch fully off through 0–10V, and it has a 12–24 VDC motion-sensor input. Do not generalize those features to every module.

CBU-ASD connected to DALI is normally a local or single-luminaire approach. Its 6 mA DALI supply can connect up to three drivers, subject to the addressing/profile method. Salvador instead brings up to 64 existing DALI luminaires into Casambi as individually controllable virtual luminaires. Salvador supports Evolution; each addressed driver and Salvador count as nodes. A CBU-DCS DALI Gateway lets an external wired DALI controller control Casambi, rather than importing DALI luminaires. [4][5]

How Should the Mesh, Gateway and Network Limits Be Planned?

Casambi warehouse lighting control operates locally without internet or a central gateway. A Cloud Gateway is for remote access, maintenance, live monitoring, Cloud API and third-party integration. It must be powered, connected to the internet and within Bluetooth coverage of its network; only one Cloud Gateway can be enabled per network. Cloud Gateway and Site functions are Evolution-only, and every network included in a Site needs a shared enabled gateway. [6]

Classic supports up to 127 nodes and Evolution up to 250, but Classic is in maintenance mode and new projects should normally use Evolution; Classic and Evolution devices cannot share one network. A node is not always one light: several lights on one controller may be one control point, whereas Salvador can make each DALI driver a node. The 250 figure is a technical ceiling, not a design target—sensor, gateway and data traffic reduce practical capacity. [1][4]

Use the published indoor figures—about 30 m for standard products and 50 m for Long Range products—as reference communication ranges, not node-spacing rules. Metal racks, goods, steelwork, cold-room panels, machinery and controller placement change the result. Re-test after racks are installed and stocked, doors are closed and equipment operates.

How Should Commissioning and Documentation Be Completed?

Confirm the Evolution network and fixture profile, device names, group and scene assignments, driver response, power-recovery state and manual overrides. Wireless warehouse lighting control, a smart warehouse lighting system and occupancy control for high bay lights all require final test evidence. Test Presence, Presence/Absence and Absence; linger, fade and Absence timeout; Resume Automation; overlapping sensors; timer blocking; pedestrian and forklift movement; sensor edges; daylight response; dock contacts; and DALI or 0–10V behavior. Final tests should occur with full racks, real vehicle speeds, cold-room doors closed and normal machinery operating.

Record plans, zones, boundaries, device and group names, scenes, sensor coverage, hierarchy priorities, timers, daylight modes, interfaces, communication results, limitations and expansion allowances. This is what turns Casambi warehouse lighting control from an installed product list into a maintainable operating system.

Conclusion

A warehouse should be controlled as a set of operational zones, not as one oversized circuit. Casambi warehouse lighting control is strongest when the design distinguishes groups from scenes, uses the sensor modes and hierarchy deliberately, separates daylight exposure, chooses the correct 0–10V or DALI architecture, and tests the finished radio environment. The practical outcome is adaptable aisle, dock, packing and cold-storage control that facilities teams can understand, test and change without making unsupported assumptions about sensor range, forklift direction or emergency-lighting compliance.

FAQ

Does Casambi warehouse lighting require a gateway?

No. Local Casambi Mesh lighting control works without internet or a central gateway. Add a Cloud Gateway when remote access, monitoring, Cloud API, third-party integration or Site functionality is required.

How many high-bay lights can one Casambi network control?

Classic supports up to 127 nodes and Evolution up to 250 nodes, but a node is not always one luminaire. Design below the maximum because traffic from sensors, gateways and reporting devices affects practical capacity.

Can one Casambi sensor control multiple warehouse aisles?

Yes. A sensor can trigger a scene that affects several groups at different levels. Its coverage, required response and the hierarchy must be tested; a single sensor does not know the direction a forklift will travel.

What happens if the warehouse Wi-Fi fails?

Local Bluetooth Low Energy mesh control does not depend on warehouse Wi-Fi or the internet. Remote cloud functions will be unavailable until the gateway connection is restored.

Can Casambi work inside a cold-storage warehouse?

It can serve cold storage when equipment is suitably rated and radio coverage is proven with the door open and closed. Metal insulated panels may require doorway nodes or a separate network.

Can Casambi pre-light the next aisle for a forklift?

A sensor-triggered scene can statically pre-light selected neighboring aisles. Direction-dependent sequential pre-lighting requires multiple sensors or external inputs and logic.

What is the difference between a Casambi group and a scene?

A luminaire belongs to one group. A scene can command one or several groups at different levels, which allows an aisle response and adjacent-zone pre-lighting without duplicate group membership.

Should a warehouse use the Casambi App or Casambi Pro?

The Casambi App supports everyday operation. Casambi Pro is intended for larger, automation-led projects and Windows-based pre-configuration, but it is Evolution-only and device/profile support should be verified for the project.

How is Casambi warehouse lighting control specified?

Casambi warehouse lighting control should be specified around operating zones, scenes, sensor coverage, the selected driver interface, hierarchy priorities and realistic commissioning tests rather than a single circuit schedule.

What does Casambi high bay lighting control require?

Casambi high bay lighting control requires a product-specific sensor and luminaire selection, defined scenes and testing at the finished mounting height. The Casambi high bay lighting control sequence must also be proven with real vehicle and pedestrian movement.

What does wireless warehouse lighting control require?

Wireless warehouse lighting control requires overlapping mesh paths and finished-site radio testing. Wireless warehouse lighting control must account for metal racks, stock, machinery, cold-room panels and doorway conditions.

How should a Casambi high bay sensor be selected?

A Casambi high bay sensor must be selected from its documented mounting height, coverage shape, sensing technology and environmental rating. The Casambi high bay sensor should then be aimed and tested for the actual aisle geometry.

What is Casambi aisle lighting control?

Casambi aisle lighting control is the use of dedicated aisle groups and scenes to provide occupied, standby and transition behavior. Casambi aisle lighting control must be verified at aisle ends and in overlapping sensor zones.

What makes a smart warehouse lighting system maintainable?

A smart warehouse lighting system is maintainable when groups, scenes, hierarchy settings and test results are documented. A smart warehouse lighting system also needs a clear method for manual override and Resume Automation.

How should occupancy control for high bay lights be validated?

Occupancy control for high bay lights should be validated with pedestrian and forklift tests at normal operating speeds. Occupancy control for high bay lights also needs review of linger, fade, absence timeout and safety requirements.