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This paper presents an algorithm for the identification of Hammerstein cascades with hard nonlinearities. The nonlinearity of the cascade is described using a B-spline basis with fixed knot locations; the linear dynamics are described using a state-space model. The algorithm automatically estimates both the order of the linear system and the number and locations of the knots used to characterize the nonlinearity. Therefore, it significantly reduces the a priori knowledge about the underlying system required for identification. A simulation study on a model of reflex stiffness shows that the new method estimates the nonlinearity accurately in the presence of output noise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]