SMARTRange · Project

IoT Wireless Chip That Doubles Range While Cutting Power and Cost

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Imagine your WiFi router could reach every corner of your house, but the devices connecting to it ran on a single battery for years instead of months. That's essentially what Cascoda built — a wireless chip for smart home and industrial sensors that reaches twice as far as current technology, uses six times less power, and costs five times less because it doesn't need extra signal boosters. They achieved this by redesigning how the radio receiver picks up signals, making it much more sensitive, like giving it better hearing instead of making it shout louder.

By the numbers

wireless range improvement over current 2.4GHz IoT radios

reduction in power consumption vs existing solutions

reduction in equipment costs (no external power amplifiers needed)

€3 billion

target low-power wireless market size

€48 million

projected cumulative revenue by 2025

€27 million

projected cumulative operating profits by 2025

184

skilled jobs projected to be created

10dBm

EU transmit power legislation limit

The business problem

What needed solving

Current IoT wireless technology forces an ugly trade-off: you can have long range (sub-GHz) but lose global interoperability and security, or you can have standards-based 2.4GHz but suffer from limited range that can't reliably cover a full building. Increasing transmit power is capped by EU legislation at 10dBm, leaving most IoT deployments plagued by dead zones, frequent battery replacements, and expensive signal boosters.

The solution

What was built

Cascoda built a patent-protected 2.4GHz wireless transceiver chip with significantly improved receiver sensitivity that doubles range without external power amplifiers. The project delivered certified products under IEEE 802.15.4 standards (Thread, Zigbee) and demonstrated the system operational on a real building facility.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart building automation companies struggling with wireless coverage gapsIoT device manufacturers needing longer range without higher power consumptionSmart home product companies wanting whole-house sensor coverage from battery-powered devicesIndustrial monitoring firms deploying wireless sensors across large facilitiesIoT platform providers looking for cost-effective, standards-compliant connectivity hardware

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Smart Building Management

SME

Target: Building automation integrators and property management firms

If you are a building automation company struggling with wireless dead zones and frequent sensor battery replacements — this project developed a 2.4GHz transceiver chip that doubles wireless range for whole-building coverage, reduces power consumption by a factor of 6 for years of battery life, and cuts equipment costs by a factor of 5 by eliminating external power amplifiers. It supports Thread and Zigbee standards for drop-in compatibility.

Industrial IoT & Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Industrial sensor and monitoring equipment manufacturers

If you are an industrial equipment maker dealing with unreliable wireless connectivity across large factory floors — this project delivered a patent-protected radio architecture that significantly improves receiver sensitivity at 2.4GHz, effectively doubling range without violating EU transmit power limits of 10dBm. The chip is standards-based (IEEE 802.15.4), globally interoperable, and designed for high reliability and security in demanding environments.

Smart Home & Consumer IoT

any

Target: Smart home device manufacturers and IoT platform providers

If you are a smart home device company losing customers because sensors drop off the network in larger homes — this project created a certified wireless transceiver that delivers whole-house coverage on a single chip, with ultra-low power consumption enabling years of operation from batteries. The technology was demonstrated in a real building facility and supports mainstream IoT protocols like Thread and Zigbee, reducing your bill of materials cost by a factor of 5.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this technology cost compared to existing IoT wireless solutions?

According to the project data, the SMARTRange chip reduces equipment costs by a factor of 5 compared to current solutions because it eliminates the need for external power amplifiers. Specific chip pricing is not disclosed in the project data, but the cost reduction comes from the integrated design requiring fewer components.

Can this scale to large commercial deployments with thousands of devices?

The technology targets a low-power wireless market worth at least €3 billion, and was designed for Smart Homes, Buildings, and Industrial Plants. The system was demonstrated operational on a building facility as a real-world case study, suggesting readiness for commercial-scale deployment.

What is the IP situation — can we license or integrate this chip?

Cascoda holds patent-protected radio architecture for the receiver sensitivity improvement. As a single-company SME project with 100% industry consortium, Cascoda retains full commercial IP rights. Licensing or integration partnerships would need to be negotiated directly with Cascoda Limited.

Does this comply with European wireless regulations?

Yes — the technology was specifically designed around the EU transmit power limit of 10dBm. Instead of increasing transmit power, it improves receiver sensitivity, which is the only compliant way to extend range. The Phase 2 project included certification of products under industry standards.

How does the range compare to WiFi and other IoT protocols?

The project states the chip delivers the range of WiFi while operating on IoT protocols (Thread, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4). It effectively doubles the range of current 2.4GHz IoT radios by significantly improving receiver sensitivity, providing whole-house coverage without range extenders.

What is the battery life improvement?

The SMARTRange transceiver reduces power consumption by a factor of 6 compared to existing solutions, enabling years of operation from batteries. This is achieved without external power amplifiers, which are major power consumers in conventional designs.

Is ongoing technical support available?

Cascoda Limited is an active UK-based SME that developed this technology through multiple EU-funded phases (Eureka Eurostars and H2020 Phase 1 before this Phase 2). Based on available project data, the company has a dedicated project area on their website at cascoda.com for technical information.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a single-company project by Cascoda Limited, a UK-based SME — which is typical for SME Instrument Phase 2 funding. The 100% industry ratio means all IP and commercial decisions rest with one entity, simplifying any licensing or partnership negotiations. There are no academic partners, which signals this is commercially driven rather than basic research. Cascoda has prior EU funding experience through Eurostars and H2020 Phase 1, demonstrating a track record of progressing technology through multiple development stages toward market.

CASCODA LIMITEDCoordinator · UK

How to reach the team

Cascoda Limited (UK) — contact via their website or SciTransfer can facilitate introduction

Order a report on this consortium See CASCODA LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to evaluate this IoT chip technology for your products? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with Cascoda's team and help you assess integration feasibility.

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