What is Matter? An all-new smart home standard

Smart home automation is continuously evolving. It’s an emerging segment that has attracted the attention of big tech conglomerates like Apple, Google, and Amazon.

However, interoperability has been a significant challenge in smart home installation since its inception. The focus so far has been on integrating a myriad of devices, platforms, and services under a common umbrella. Often, this integration has been achieved through a common web interface or a voice assistant to control devices from different vendors and platforms.

Voice assistants, web interfaces, or mobile apps became a control layer. This has resulted in standalone home automation ecosystems around specific interfaces like Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri that have their set of compatible devices and platforms.

The control layer made accessing smart home devices more complicated. Devices could be controlled or operated through precise voice commands or a complex mobile UI. Unfortunately, true interoperability was lost in efforts to build home automation systems around specific voice assistants or mobile platforms because Alexa could not talk to Siri, and Siri could not talk to Google Assistant. But, these problems with compatibility might be resolved shortly.

Formerly called Project CHIP (Connected Home over IP), Matter, an open-source interoperability standard, was released in 2022. With the support of tech companies including Apple, Google, and Amazon, seamless integration will likely be achieved. In this article, we’ll discuss the standard and how it will impact smart home automation.

What is Matter?
Matter is an open-source connectivity standard that aims to unify a smart home by promoting seamless communication and interoperability between devices from different manufacturers and ecosystems. Soon, device manufacturers will need to comply with Matter to ensure compatibility of their devices with popular smart home voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, and others.

Matter enables users to purchase and operate any gadget with their preferred voice assistant or platform while establishing a smart home. This means you could buy a Matter-supported smart bulb and set it up with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa (or any of them) without worrying about compatibility. Some devices still support multiple platforms, but Matter will include support for all platforms.

Matter works on your local network (WIFI), making devices more responsive and operable even when the internet is down. The protocol uses Bluetooth Low Energy to set up devices and operate them over WIFI and other Thread network layers. These devices will be easily discoverable and controllable through a single app, so there will be no need to juggle multiple apps and platforms.

Features of Matter
Some of the salient features of the Matter standard are as follows:

Open source: Matter is an open-source standard maintained by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). Several big tech companies support the standard, and the open-source nature will garner much support for the protocol in the future.
Interoperability across different ecosystems: Matter allows controlling and operating devices across diverse ecosystems, including different voice assistants and platforms. Matter-certified devices will work together seamlessly, regardless of who made them. This will allow you to mix and match your favorite brands to create the ideal smart home.
Enhanced security: Matter is built on solid security foundations, including mandatory end-to-end encryption and multi-administrator support. The CSA intends to certify devices using public infrastructure and distributed ledger technology. It has already released a set of security and privacy guidelines. This should guarantee that people connect their homes and networks to legitimate, certified, modern equipment. You and the platform/device maker will still be in charge of data exchange and collection.
Simplified setup: Matter devices will be easily discoverable and controllable through a single app, so there will be no need to juggle multiple apps or platforms.
More reliable: Matter uses Thread, a low-power mesh networking technology, for local communication between devices. The devices could be operated even when the internet is down. Matter promises faster response times, less reliance on the cloud, and even better performance in larger homes.
Future-proof: Matter is continually developing and improving as an open-source standard. Over time, new functions and device kinds will be introduced to guarantee that your smart home will continue to be compatible and updated for many years.

Why Matter matters?
Imagine smart lights that cannot “communicate” with your smart thermostat because they’re from different brands. Such interoperability has been a concern for smart product makers. Matter promises to be the solution by creating a universal language for all devices, letting them interact regardless of the manufacturer.

Matter is maintained by the CSA, which has more than 550 tech companies as its members. It’s open-source, and companies interested in integrating their products into the Matter ecosystem can do so royalty-free by using the software development kit (SDK). No other standard has such scope of ubiquitousness.

History of Matter
The journey of Matter standard began with the project “Connected Home over IP (CHIP)” in 2019, a working group formed by Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance. Its mission was to unify the fragmented smart home landscape by creating a single, open-source connectivity standard. In 2020, the group was renamed to “Matter.” In May 2020, the first technical specifications for Matter 1.0 were released, outlining the core functionalities and communication protocols.

The CSA was formed in May 2021, taking the reins from the CHIP working group and overseeing the future development of Matter. In July of the same year, Matter 1.0 was officially launched. The first Matter-certified devices hit the market by the end of the same year.

In 2022, Matter 1.1 will be released, introducing features like multi-administrator support and improved commissioning processes. In October 2023, Matter 1.2 will be available, adding support for new devices like smart blinds and garage door openers. Matter is expected to be a universal translator for your smart home devices. It’s still in the early stages, but major tech players like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung are already on board. With a growing number of Matter-certified devices hitting the market, it’s clear that this is the future of the smart home.

Compatible devices
Currently, only some devices work with Matter. More will be included after the firmware update, although some devices might remain incompatible.

Many devices compatible with Thread, Z-Wave, or Zigbee should work with Matter. However, they might not have access future updates. For information on particular devices and future support, contact the manufacturer. According to CSA, 1,214 devices have passed Matter certification as of October 2023, but many have not yet been launched. All compatible devices will have a Matter logo on them.

Most of the devices covered under Matter 1.0 include light bulbs, switches, media devices, HVAC controllers, thermostats, smart locks, garage door controllers, smart plugs, smart blinds, and security sensors. Matter 1.2 included air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, air purifiers, fans, smoke alarms, and dishwashers. Several more devices, like security cameras and EV charging, are also expected to fall under the umbrella by 2024.

How Matter works
Manufacturers can integrate Matter support into their devices using Software Development Kits (SDKs). The standard is inherently platform-agnostic, and the devices can be controlled through one’s preferred smart home platforms, phone’s built-in controls, or voice assistants — offering flexibility and choice.

The standard features multi-administrator support and end-to-end encryption. Matter is an IP-based protocol, making it familiar to existing network technologies. It’s implemented on the application layer of the network and presents a common language for smart devices to communicate, discover each other, and exchange data.

The Unify Matter Bridge is an application that makes legacy devices, such as Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, accessible on a Matter fabric. It does so by acting as an IoT Service in a Unify Framework. Silicon Labs offers two Matter development paths, both of which contain demos, examples, and all the code needed for Matter Accessory Device development on both Thread and Wi-Fi (Image: Silicon Labs)

Communication among devices typically occurs through a thread mesh network, a low-power technology. Devices directly “talk” to one another, creating a robust and self-healing network that even operates in Internet outages. For devices requiring higher bandwidth, like cameras or streaming devices, Matter supports Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections for seamless integration.

How to use Matter
To use Matter, a controller and smart home platform app are required. Any smart home app can be used to control devices. You can also use any Matter controller, as they’re all compatible. Most smart hubs, speakers, and displays from brands like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung are Matter controllers. The standard is also built into Android and iOS, so Matter devices can be controlled from any smartphone or tablet. Older smart home systems will likely need to update their hubs or bridges to work with Matter.

Conclusion
Matter is a promising technology. The protocol offers a universal language for smart devices to join and communicate in a smart home network. However, it still has challenges to counter. While major platform providers support the standard, they may want to keep product data private from their competitors. As such, Matter could remain limited in functionality.

The standard is also facing issues with many Thread networks. Many users experience glitches when accessing devices from a different platform. Matter is evolving and is eventually expected to overcome such hurdles. It provides hope to home users who want the freedom to choose devices based on preference rather than compatibility.