Matter Enabled Appliances: Harnessing Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE with SiWx917 for Next Gen Connectivity

For example, intelligent appliances are now capable of making autonomous decisions based on contextual data, such as running the dishwasher during off-peak hours to reduce utility costs or initiating a proactive service request when predictive algorithms detect potential failures. Beyond device optimization, the combination of connectivity, energy monitoring, and AI enables appliances to function as intelligent nodes within a broader smart ecosystem. This evolution supports seamless interoperability, centralized energy management, and continuous performance optimization, positioning smart appliances at the center of the modern sustainable home.

Technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) are critical enablers of this transformation. Wi-Fi facilitates high-bandwidth and time-sensitive cloud interactions, while Bluetooth LE provides low-power, localized communication for streamlined onboarding and device control. Combining both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE in a single appliance establishes a future-proof foundation for compatibility with emerging smart home standards such as Matter.

Matter Over Wi-Fi

Matter is a unifying smart home protocol designed to ensure interoperability among devices from different manufacturers. It operates as an application-layer protocol built on IP-based connectivity, such as Wi-Fi, and utilizes Bluetooth LE for device commissioning.

A Matter-certified appliance can be integrated seamlessly into any supported smart home ecosystem such as Google Home, Apple Home or Amazon Alexa using Bluetooth LE for initial onboarding to the local network. Appliance manufacturers are increasingly looking to adopt support for Matter over Wi-Fi as a standard approach to enable robust, secure, and scalable connectivity.

With the release of the Matter 1.2 specification in October of 2023, support was extended to appliance categories including washing machines, refrigerators, robotic vacuums, and dishwashers. The subsequent release of the Matter 1.3 specification further expanded support to include additional device types such as microwave ovens, conventional ovens, cooktops, extractor hoods, and laundry dryers. A Matter-certified appliance can enable advanced use cases, such as scheduling a washer cycle and receiving real-time alerts or notifications through a Matter-compatible smart speaker or tablet. Matter devices communicate directly with each other for example, when a user places a dish in a Matter-certified oven, a notification of pre-heating is sent to your phone, and it can automatically signal a Matter-certified range hood to turn on during cooking and switch off once the dish is done. The latest Matter SiWx917 GA release supports Matter 1.4 specification and can support all the defined appliance device types in Matter.

Matter Energy Management

Matter-enabled appliances can play a critical role in real-time home energy management by exposing detailed operational data. Using the Matter protocol, devices can report attributes such as energy consumption, cycle duration, and other operational parameters through standardized clusters and endpoints defined in the Matter specification. These attributes can be communicated to a central Matter controller using the reporting and subscription mechanisms defined by Matter, allowing efficient monitoring and control without continuous polling. As an example, a Matter certified smart washing machine exposes key attributes through clusters such as:

• Energy Consumption (Electrical Power Measurement Cluster)
  Reports real-time and cumulative power usage during operation cycles.
• Cycle Phase and Duration (Appliance Events and Alerts Cluster)
  Indicates current cycle stage (e.g., wash, rinse, spin) and remaining time.
• Start/Stop Controls (On/Off Cluster or Appliance Control Cluster)
  Allows the controller to delay or shift operation to off-peak times.

For more information about Matter energy management, read our article, How Matter 1.3 Can Power Our Tomorrow.

Matter Dishwasher Demo Overview

One of the standout advantages of Matter is its support for automated smart home routines. For instance, a coffee maker can be programmed to automatically start brewing each morning based on a user-defined schedule or a voice command to a smart home assistant.

In this context, the SiWx917 Matter Dishwasher Demo showcases how Matter simplifies device commissioning and control. Using the Si Connect mobile app, users can seamlessly onboard the dishwasher onto the Matter network and control its operation. Through the app, users have full control over the dishwasher’s functions—they can start, stop, pause, or resume a wash cycle. Real-time status updates are reflected both on the dishwasher’s physical interface and within the app. Refer to our Matter dishwasher demo for further insight.

Ideal for Smart Appliances : SiWx917

SiWx917 IC and modules are an excellent fit for Matter-enabled appliances, offering the following benefits:

• Support up to the latest Matter specification (Matter 1.4.1 released May 2025)
• Memory scalable solution with 8 MB of in-package flash and an optional external flash up to 16 MB to support memory intensive Matter applications
• Wi-Fi 6 support for advanced features like target wake time (TWT), MU-MIMO, and OFDMA enhances smart appliances by delivering stronger security through WPA3 to protect against hackers, faster speeds and increased bandwidth—enabling reliable over-the-air (OTA) firmware upgrades and the ability to stream live images to the cloud
• Bluetooth LE for seamless device commissioning where appliance is onboarded onto home Wi-Fi network

Dive deeper into the details in our whitepaper, Enhancing Smart Functionality in Whitegoods and Kitchen Appliances through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE Integration, because your next smart product deserves more than just a blog teaser!