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The smart home has long been part of an exciting vision of a future world where our living space adapts effortlessly to our needs. When wireless connectivity made the vision a reality it was expected to revolutionize the way we live in, and interact with, our indoor spaces.
But while for years it’s been possible to use smart home technology to lock or unlock doors, turn on lights or air conditioning, or lower blinds, mainstream response has been lackluster. There were cost, security, and privacy concerns behind this inertia, but the core issue was a lack of interoperability. This lack of interoperability between different devices made systems difficult to set-up, restricted choice, and resulted in clunky operation.
A frustrating user experience
The absence of interoperability was caused by two factors: smart home devices using different wireless protocols, for example one product relying on Thread while another used Wi-Fi; and smart home ecosystems—such as those from Amazon, Apple, and Google—not designed to work together.
The result was a frustrating user experience. For example, a consumer might favor a smart light from one brand and a smart controller from another, only to find that they couldn’t commission or configure the former using the latter. And as the range of smart home products continued to expand, the problem became even more pronounced.
A common language for the smart home
Matter was created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) to address the smart home interoperability problem. Built on the four core principles of simplicity, interoperability, reliability, and security[1], Matter is an open-source protocol employing an IP-based application layer—in essence a ‘common language’—unifying Thread, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet (plus Bluetooth LE for commissioning new devices to a network).
Matter has rapidly gained traction with an increasing number of corporations embracing the standard. According to technology magazine TechCrunch, 50 companies are testing 134 unique Matter products[2]. And as Matter continues to grow in popularity, its widespread adoption will attract even more developers, driven by consumer demand for seamless interoperability across smart home devices.
Matter builds on standards-based wireless tech
By providing interoperability across ecosystems from major suppliers, Matter promises to kickstart smart home technology adoption by providing consumers with confidence that whatever piece of smart home equipment they buy, it will work with any other Matter-certified device.
Further benefitting the consumer, Matter combines the strengths of the base protocols. For example, Thread’s mesh topology eliminates single points of failure, making it ideal for low-power networks such as smart lights. Wi-Fi ensures higher throughput networking and Cloud compatibility for more data-intensive applications such as security cameras, while Bluetooth LE simplifies the setup process, allowing users to connect devices to the network easily via their smartphone.
Matter also includes a feature—called “Multiple Fabric”—which allows a single Matter device to be managed by multiple smart home platforms. This is a boon for the consumer because it allows, for example, a smart light to be controlled via a smart switch from one family member’s favorite brand, while also responding to voice commands from another family member’s smart speaker. Additionally, because every ‘fabric’ operates independently, each maintains its own encrypted communications and security framework.
Consumers benefit from chip advances
While all but the most tech-savvy consumers will be unaware, the tech behind Matter is about to take a leap forward. A new generation of SoCs such as Nordic’s nRF54L15 will bring greater capability to existing Matter devices and enable a whole new generation of products.
For example, the latest version Matter 1.4 released in November 2024, includes support for new device types that extends the protocol’s reach to lighting, home security, HVAC, televisions, window covers, refrigerators, dishwashers, smoke alarms, washing machines, robot vacuums, ovens, laundry dryers, cooktops, extractor hoods, home routers, access points, water heaters, and more.
- Read more: Creating smart homes and building automation that are good for people and the environment
nRF54L Series supports advanced Matter applications
The nRF54L15 offers the wireless connectivity, memory, and processing power to support these new Matter products. The SoC’s ultra-low power 2.4 GHz radio provides robust Thread and Bluetooth LE connectivity over a decent range. And its Arm Cortex-M33 MCU and generous non-volatile memory (NVM) and RAM allocation can support concurrent operation of multiple protocols while still ensuring plenty of computational support for advanced Matter applications.
As Matter continues to evolve, it is shaping the future of the smart home, ensuring that devices play nicely together regardless of brand. Consumers can enjoy a more flexible, convenient, and intuitive experience, while manufacturers can focus on innovation without having to worry about interoperability with other brands. And with technology like the nRF54L Series, the smart home is becoming more connected, efficient, and accessible than ever before.
References:
1. Matter: The Foundation for Connected Things. Consumer Standards Alliance
2. Why it matters having Matter support for your new smart home device. TechCrunch, January 2022
