Matter Over Wi-Fi General Availability on the SiWx917 Wireless MCU

Matter Over Wi-Fi GA Release

Matter, the open-source protocol developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) simplifies and enhances the interoperability of smart home devices across different brands and ecosystems. After several years of evolution, Matter now offers a mature, secure, and unified application layer over Thread and Wi-Fi wireless protocols.

We are excited to announce the General Availability (GA) release of Matter over Wi-Fi on the Silicon Labs ultra-low power SiWx917 Wi-Fi 6 wireless MCU. It is based on our latest Matter implementation and is certifiable to the CSA Matter 1.4 certification program, making SiWx917 a truly mass market-ready single-chip solution for Matter-enabled Wi-Fi smart home devices.

Matter Over Wi-Fi Applications

Matter over Wi-Fi opens a plethora of possibilities for smart home applications. Consumers can now enjoy seamless integration of a wide range of devices, including smart lighting, thermostats, door locks, security cameras, and more. The protocol ensures that devices from various manufacturers can communicate effectively, providing users with greater flexibility and control over their smart home environment. Moreover, Matter's robust security framework ensures that all data transmissions are encrypted, safeguarding user privacy and preventing unauthorized access.

One of the standout applications of Matter over Wi-Fi is in the realm of home automation. With Matter-enabled devices, users can create sophisticated automation scenarios that trigger multiple actions based on specific conditions. For example, a single command can dim the lights, adjust the thermostat, and lock the doors simultaneously, creating a cohesive and responsive smart home experience.

Matter Over Wi-Fi vs. Matter Over Thread

When it comes to choosing between Matter over Thread and Matter over Wi-Fi, each option has its own benefits. Matter over Thread is designed to provide a mesh networking solution, offering ultra-low power, low latency and high reliability. This makes it ideal for battery powered applications as well as applications that require consistent and fast communication, such as security systems and real-time monitoring devices.

Matter over Wi-Fi leverages the widespread availability and higher bandwidth of Wi-Fi networks. This makes it suitable for applications that require hub-less connectivity to the Cloud with high data transfer speed, such as streaming video from security cameras or managing complex automation routines. The choice between the two depends on the specific use case and the existing network infrastructure in the smart home environment.

Support for OpenThread Border Router

With the addition of Matter over Wi-Fi support, the SiWx917 also enables the OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) function, a critical component on smart home devices for integrating Thread networks with existing IP-based networks. The OpenThread Border Router facilitates seamless communication between Matter over Thread devices and Matter over Wi-Fi devices, ensuring a smooth and cohesive smart home experience. This support underscores our commitment to providing flexible and comprehensive solutions for smart home connectivity.

Benefits of SiWx917 for Matter Over Wi-Fi

The Matter over Wi-Fi solution on the SiWx917 Wi-Fi 6 wireless MCU brings several advantages to the table, particularly in terms of ultra-low power consumption, integrated application MCU, AI/ML accelerator, large memory, robust security, and many other integrated features such as the OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) support.

While the significance of low power consumption is often highlighted in the context of battery-operated devices, its importance extends far beyond that. Low power consumption is crucial for enhancing the overall efficiency and sustainability of smart homes. Devices that consume less power contribute to reduced energy costs and a lower environmental footprint.

By leveraging its intelligent power management and Wi-Fi 6 protocol, the SiWx917 delivers the lowest power Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for always-on connected smart IoT devices and appliances, translating to years of battery life, extreme energy-efficiency, and better energy ratings for the Matter device. In addition to low power, the SiWx917 offers robust connectivity and reliability, ensuring that smart home devices always remain responsive.

The SiWx917 is independently tested against hundreds of Wi-Fi access point models to integrate seamlessly with home networks, providing a user-friendly connectivity experience, and even up to five years of battery life for smart IoT devices.

Developing Matter over Wi-Fi on SiWx917

On the software side, Simplicity Studio provides a comprehensive development environment for Matter over Wi-Fi on the SiWx917 SoC including an intuitive user interface, code generation, debugging tools, extensive resource library, real-time analytics, and Visual Studio Code support.

This ensures that developers can simplify the process of designing, testing, and deploying Matter devices and optimize their designs for performance and reliability while minimizing development time and effort. Matter over Wi-Fi applications are included to allow developers to create and customize Matter projects quickly. Here are examples of applications accessible through Simplicity Studio:

• Matter Door Lock over Wi-Fi
• Matter Lighting over Wi-Fi
• Matter Dishwasher over Wi-Fi

How to get started with Silicon Labs Matter? Please see our Matter Developer Journey to plot out your end-to-end development process in advance.

Conclusion

The GA release of the Silicon Labs SiWx917 Matter over Wi-Fi chip represents a significant step forward in the evolution of smart home technology. By providing a unified and reliable standard for device interoperability, Matter over Wi-Fi opens new possibilities for home automation, energy efficiency, and user convenience with support for the OpenThread Border Router. With the SiWx917, our powerful development tools, and Simplicity Studio, you can enter this exciting new era of smart home connectivity with the best Wi-Fi energy-efficiency in the market.