News last month of InnoPhase IoT launching its Talaria TWO Matter v1.2 certified Wi-Fi solution hit IoT Insider. The solution in question reflected the concerted effort and consideration involved in creating a Matter-certified solution. To learn more, IoT Insider Editor Caitlin Gittins spoke to Deepal Mehta, Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development at InnoPhase IoT.
Framing the conversation, the explosion in growth of smart home devices partly explains the need to bring to market interoperable devices facilitated through being certified by the Matter protocol, which was created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).
InnoPhase IoT is a fabless semiconductor IoT platform company that creates ultra-low power Wi-Fi/ BLE wireless connectivity SoC/modules and reference solutions. “Everything [we manufacture] has a laser focus for low power Wi-Fi for IoT,” said Mehta.
In the development of the Talaria TWO solution, Mehta explained: “Having a low power Wi-Fi, battery-based [solution] is what we focused on initially … because consumers want Cloud connected devices, they want to be able to manage their thermostat using the Cloud. Cloud connectivity is the basis of our solutions.”
By taking the design of a low power sensor with Cloud capabilities and adding the Matter protocol on top of it, the Talaria TWO Matter 1.2 solution was born. “Since we have a system on chip (SOC) with an integrated Wi-Fi stack, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) stack and a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), we don’t need another chip to run the Matter protocol,” explained Mehta.
The solution itself is a software upgrade, which means the hardware doesn’t need to be updated. Examples of the applications this solution could be used in was exhibited by InnoPhase IoT at Sensors Converge, which took place 24-26 June in California, as the company showcased a Matter enabled lighting switch, door lock, and an air quality sensor using its Talaria TWO certified solution interoperating with Matter enabled Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod and Google Home ecosystem products.
Advice for developing a Matter-compliant solution
For companies who are interested in creating their own Matter-compliant solution, Mehta advised focusing on the end application first. “Matter has various profiles for, say, thermostats or smoke alarms,” he said. “You need to find out which Matter profile you need to support. The next step is to focus on different features of Matter – some are optional, others are mandatory.
“For example, firmware over-the-air update is optional, but it’s an important product feature. You need to update the firmware of IoT devices in the real world. It is important to consider whether the Matter solution you’re developing supports that feature.”
Ease of provisioning the product, security and design constraints are other equally important points to consider during R&D, Mehta noted. “It’s not just that you’re trying to make a Matter device,” he explained. “It’s more that you’re trying to make an end user application. So what are the things that you need? Do you need a display controller, how much memory do you need?”
Then there’s also the cost element for developers to consider. “Starting with a system solution where you can design with a single chip or design with a a two chip solution … means you need to decide what to pick that meets your cost budget,” said Mehta. “Are you increasing your cost too much or are you increasing your power too much? Is there an issue with your Cloud connectivity?”
Addressing technical challenges
The technical challenges InnoPhase IoT faced in the development of their solution were driven by complexity, but not necessarily unexpected. As Mehta put it poignantly: “The beauty of engineering is that you hide all the complexity from the customer. The easier it is to use the product, the more challenges that are faced by engineering [in dealing with complexities].” A statement that rings true with all device manufactures of smart home devices, I’m sure.
“Matter is a protocol that runs on the networking stack and there’s a lot of memory usage you have to do so we have to optimise the code so as to avoid blowing up the memory size,” Mehta explained.
There’s also the question of certification. Companies who want to sell Matter-compliant devices must first become a member of the CSA, choose an authorised test provider and submit their solution for testing. If the product is certified, it can then carry the Matter logo.
“As you go through certification, you realise that there’s often an issue of interpretating the specification,” Mehta said. “Maybe there needs to be clarifications of the specification or changes in the product implementation to make sure you pass the certification.”
All in all, Mehta detailed, this process of developing the software solution took six to nine months – and then they had to check if the solution worked on an actual device. As part of this process, “There are always some technical challenges that emerge. Interoperability with certified devices within Apple and Google eco-system has [its] nuances.”
He stressed that you can develop a good solution but want to make sure it works with the overall ecosystem, which is the reason behind building Matter devices. “You can’t just say I’m certified; you need to be interoperable with other certified devices.” he said.
In closing comments, Mehta outlined a “hunger for solutions for consumers,” with reference to pivotal technologies like the smartphone, Wi-Fi, and other technologies, as well as the ongoing development to make devices interoperable to feed this appetite. “This is a huge opportunity. ABI Research says that by 2030, 100% of smartphone devices will be Matter enabled. You need to execute to make this happen. Not all devices are Matter compliant, yet, as people are still trying this out, but it’s a huge market in the long run,” Mehta concluded.
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by commenting below or visiting our LinkedIn page.
