Simplify the IoT? It’s a Matter of Matter

David Freedman for Mouser Electronics

Turning a light bulb on or off can be a lot more difficult than people think.

Or so a number of product developers are discovering, says Rob Alexander, Principal Product Manager at Silicon Labs, a hardware and software company that specializes in providing wireless connectivity. As more and more companies look to sell “smart bulbs,” he notes that they’re realizing they need to develop the code that lets users remotely control the bulbs from a phone app.

Although the actual turn-on-and-off command can be as simple as sending a “1” or a “0,” Alexander explains, that simple message has to be surrounded by Wi-Fi communications protocols; security protocols; different phone-app protocols; protocols that make it work with Google’s, Apple’s, or Amazon’s assistants; protocols for storing information in the cloud; and protocols that let it work in concert with other bulbs and smart products. “It can be an incredibly complex undertaking,” he says. “A company may know a lot about bulbs but nothing about these lower-level protocols.”

A new overarching solution called Matter is entering the scene, and it promises to fit any product easily into the smart-device ecosystems that are burgeoning in homes everywhere.

Why Do We Need Matter?

Matter is a set of standards, underlying code, development tools aimed at simplifying the demands of fitting into the Internet of Things (IoT)—the conglomeration of all the devices in the world that communicate wirelessly, whether it’s a bulb that changes color, a speaker that streams music, a fitness tracker that counts steps, a clothes dryer that texts you when your jeans are ready, or a doorbell camera that watches for a delivery.

The IoT is growing explosively, with the number of devices hooked into it expected to grow from 12 billion in 2021 to 27 billion by 2025—and more and more of us are depending on it to keep our homes and daily lives functioning smoothly when it comes to entertainment, security, comfort, and convenience. If set up properly, the smart devices in our own personal corner of the IoT can work in concert to provide a seamless control experience. “You might just say, ‘Alexa, it’s movie time,’ and maybe your shades automatically lower, the lights dim, the TV and stereo turn on, and your favorite streaming service comes up,” says Alexander. “It’s great when you have that ability to control things so easily.”

But providing that convenient, automatic control can be a nightmare for the smart-device developers who have to wrestle with different protocols and ecosystems. “These implementers may be experts in door locks or toaster ovens, but they don’t want to have to build up expertise in wireless protocols,” says Alexander. “Putting together everything you need for the IoT can be an incredibly complex undertaking.”

And it can be trying for users, too, he adds, when hooking up their devices means mastering multiple phone apps and remote controls, being put through the wringer by complex and glitchy set-up procedures, and realizing that some devices just won’t get with the program.

That’s where Matter comes in. The basic idea is that Matter standardizes and spells out all the code needed to create a nonproprietary IoT ecosystem that any smart-device developer can plug into easily—and that can connect users’ smart gadgets under one control interface, be it an app, a remote, a voice assistant, or any combination. “You don’t have to know much about low-level protocols to build a website or use a web browser,” says Alexander. “Matter does the same sort of thing for the IoT.”

How Does Matter Work?

Matter was devised by a nonprofit industry consortium called the Connectivity Standards Alliance, or CSA. Alexander, who has been participating in CSA activities since 2006 and has served on its board of directors, notes that the CSA is run by industry players without being dominated by any one of them.

That means the organization has been in a perfect position to make sure that Matter works with most of what’s available, he says, while ensuring that no developer or user is locked into a proprietary ecosystem. “If you like Google’s, Apple’s, Amazon’s, or anyone else’s ecosystem, you can stick with it and add Matter-compatible devices under it,” he explains. “Or you can run devices that are in those ecosystems under Matter.”

To build Matter-compatible devices easily, Matter spells out high-level control options for specific types of devices. “Developers specify what kind of user commands they want their devices to handle,” says Alexander. “If it’s a smart window shade, the messages might be ‘open all the way,’ ‘close to the maximum length,’ ‘open 25% of the way,’ and so on. That’s all Matter needs to generate the low-level code needed to do all that wirelessly, and the developer can just plug into the Matter code at a high level. Matter can abstract away all the details.”

Matter can already handle the most popular types of smart devices—yes, including bulbs—and it’s continually adding new types, as well as the ability to provide more types of commands. “Right now, we still have to tackle some of the more complex devices and tasks, like scheduling a robotic vacuum so it doesn’t start doing its thing in the middle of a dinner party,” says Alexander. But new Matter capabilities, compatibilities, and tools are coming online quickly in preparation for the imminent official launch of Matter, he notes.

That progress will only accelerate, he adds, as Matter makes inroads into the market by bringing more manufacturers into the ecosystem and gaining more recognition and interest from users. “Just as with the early days of the Internet and social media, there’s going to be a network effect,” he says. “The more companies and people who participate, the more useful it will be, and the more other companies and people will want to join in.” Companies like Silicon Labs sit in between Matter and device developers, providing plug-and-play, Matter-compatible hardware and software components and tools.

How Will Matter Benefit Users?

Alexander emphasizes that Matter doesn’t have to replace any existing smart-device apps or proprietary IoT ecosystems. Rather, he notes, it offers more freedom of choice for users. Users can pick their favorite existing ecosystem and stick with it, combine different ecosystems under Matter, or simply mix and match different ecosystems and apps. In all situations, Matter can provide the glue that holds everything together.

In that way, Matter can update and even future-proof some older smart devices, contends Alexander. “There are some smart devices that we buy once a decade, like a washing machine or refrigerator,” he says. “Once we buy them, we don’t want to think about replacing or upgrading them; we just want them to keep working.” By adding them into a Matter-compatible network, he notes, users will be able to monitor and control them remotely with the same up-to-date app they use to control everything else, even if the devices’ original proprietary apps or remotes become obsolete.

Matter can even keep entire networks updated, says Alexander, noting that many IoT ecosystems and apps were developed years ago. “A lot has happened with protocols and security since then,” he says. “There’s a real advantage to having an ecosystem that’s been designed with the latest features.” He adds that even if users stick with other ecosystems, making them Matter-compatible will add those features.

Matter will also spur the development of new apps and remotes designed to run Matter-compatible home networks of IoT devices, enabling users to swap them and upgrade to the latest offerings any time. And because Matter will launch with the ability to work with existing major ecosystems, including those offered by Google, Apple, and Amazon, notes Alexander, it will hit the ground running with what is essentially a massive installed base.

What’s more, manufacturers and developers will be free to create their own customized versions of Matter, retaining its core features and compatibilities while adding their own look and feel along with any special features. “It gives developers a chance to provide users with enhanced experiences, without having to reinvent the wheel,” says Alexander.

Still, notes Alexander, some proprietary, single-device control apps and remotes will likely always be needed for special applications. As an example, he points out that some garage-door openers connect to their remote controls over proprietary networks capable of blasting signals down long driveways. “No technology is going to be perfect for every use case,” he says. But he adds that even in cases where proprietary approaches make more sense, Matter compatibility can still be helpful with the ability to monitor device activity remotely over the Matter network.

Conclusion

Critical to Matter’s acceptance will be users becoming able to identify Matter compatibility when shopping for new devices and to have complete confidence that any claims for compatibility are trustworthy. To that end, CSA is establishing rigorous testing and validation processes, along with a distinctive logo that will help users see at a glance that a product has made the grade. “People need to have trust that a compatibility claim is authentic,” says Alexander.

After all, no one wants to end up sitting in the dark waiting in vain for a light bulb to turn on.