Allinki Smart Home

At Allinki it’s our mission to help you build the home of tomorrow, today. Matter, the global IoT connectivity standard designed to enable seamless communication across IoT systems, has been one of the most important developments in our industry over the last couple of years. Formerly known as Project Connected Home over IP, or Project CHIP, Matter is being developed to provide a unified connectivity standard for a wide range of smart home and commercial applications, including LED bulbs, door locks, HVAC, commercial lighting, and access control.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will Z-Wave devices connect to the Matter ecosystem?
Bridges will allow non-Matter devices, including Z-Wave, to interact with Matter ecosystems.
How is Z-Wave going to fit into Matter?
Z-Wave (and Zigbee) networks have IP at the gateway level enabling cloud connectivity to Matter. Further we will see bridging products, enabling Matter and Z-Wave products working together at local network level.
Will Zigbee accessories receive firmware updates, or will the bridge be the only piece...?
Will Zigbee accessories receive firmware updates, or will the bridge be the only piece requiring an update for Matter?

While it should be technically possible to convert in-field devices running the latest generation of 802.15.4 chipsets from Zigbee to Thread using OTA updates, older devices would likely not meet the security or stack space specifications required for Matter. It will be simpler, more stable, and a better user experience to bridge existing sensor networks to interoperate with Matter networks.
How do I access the specification?

A feature-complete base specification was approved in early summer of 2021, providing members a common definition to move forward with implementation and testing. Once the specification is board-approved, the CSA will release the standard.
Is Bluetooth supported?
Matter is designed to run on IP protocols, but Bluetooth can be used for device provisioning.
How does Matter improve security of IoT devices?

Security is a core tenant of Matter, including authentication of devices joining the network, encryption of messages all the way to the destination, use of proven and standard cryptographic algorithms, and over-the-air (OTA) updates. Silicon Labs’ Secure Vault prevents IoT ecosystem security breaches and protects intellectual property or revenue loss from counterfeiting. When combined with Secure Vault, Matter delivers state-of-the-art security that helps connected device manufacturers address escalating and ever-evolving IoT security threats.
How can I certify a Matter device?

Currently, companies including Amazon, Apple, and Google still require products to be certified for their ecosystems even if they’re Matter certified. The standard is expected to be launched in the second half of 2022, at which point a certification program will be made available to launch devices in the market. Work is ongoing within the CSA to develop that certification program. For certifying ecosystems, test events are currently taking place with the goal of producing a published standard by the end of this year.
Is there a risk that new functionality will discourage innovation by Matter...?

Is there a risk that new functionality will discourage innovation by Matter not be enabled in the most popular platforms until its standard data model has been approved?

The time required to achieve interoperability has always been a limitation for smart home platforms. Exactly how long is largely dependent on device type. However, Matter uses the Zigbee Cluster Library for its data model, which is very well developed. This will speed up standardization because it doesn’t require starting from scratch. Further, none of the standardization prerequisites prevent manufacturers from innovating with new features.
When will Matter be available?
The goal is to have the first devices available by the end of 2022 with the initial focus on smart home applications. But Matter is designed to scale to other areas as well, including industrial IoT (IIoT) and medical applications.
What are the benefits of Matter?

Matter is designed to provide interoperable, reliable, and secure connectivity across IoT devices, networks, and ecosystems. As such, it’s a connectivity standard that builds on existing IP-connectivity protocols to enable seamless communication across IoT systems including embedded devices, mobile apps, and cloud services. It also simplifies development for a wide range of smart home and commercial applications including LED bulbs, door locks, HVAC, commercial lighting, and access control. This benefits the end customer as well because a new Matter device can be controlled as part of multiple ecosystems in the home. For example, a light bulb can connect into Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit at the same time. Consumers can add new products and brands to their smart home without worrying about if it will work or not. Device manufacturers wanting to add additional device types are invited to join the discussions within the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and help expand the device types supported today
What will happen to my existing Zigbee devices?
CSA understands that Zigbee is an evolving technology with a large deployed product base. It is being shaped by industry needs and the preferences of device manufacturers. Because of this, it’s important that Matter and Zigbee co-exist. As an industry it’s important to move together in unison and the CSA has demonstrated its commitment to pioneering ways to speed up innovation, development, and adoption.
Can Zigbee and Thread be run in a single chip?
Silicon Labs is a leader in multiprotocol wireless technology, and they continue to look at ways to support Matter use cases with our EFR32 platform.

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