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STMicroelectronics 2024 11 Mastering The Matter Ecosystem There are three types of Matter network devices: gateways, border routers, and end devices. Gateways support remote access to Matter devices with an internet connection. Matter bridges enable connection and communication of the Matter network to other non-Matter wireless networks. Bridges are instrumental in connecting Matter-incompatible devices with Matter-compatible nodes and networks. Some devices can be upgraded via software to become Matter compatible, but this varies by manufacturer. Many legacy devices may not receive such software upgrades, which makes Matter bridges essential for smart homes with legacy devices. A border router is a device that connects Thread devices to a smart home Wi-Fi or Ethernet network, allowing for communication between devices that can connect to the Wi-Fi network but do not have a Thread radio, such as a smartphone or tablet. Matter uses AES-CCM encryption with 128-bit keys for end-to-end encryption of every message sent between devices. This means a Matter message is encrypted before transmission and can only be decrypted by the intended recipient through the network. This level of encryption works from Matter-compatible devices to other Matter- compatible devices and through gateways and bridges. Matter uses public key infrastructure (PKI) with certificates to authenticate devices and encrypt the transmissions. Each Matter device is issued a unique certificate with its public key and information used to identify the device. These certificates are assigned by a trusted certificate authority (CA) that verifies the identity of each device that has approval to participate in the network. Matter uses a hierarchical trust model with a Matter root CA that assigns certificates to intermediate CAs and issues certificates to the network devices. For two Matter devices to communicate, they first must share their certificates and determine if they have permission to communicate. Then, they use their public keys to establish and share a secret key that is then used to encrypt all the transmission between devices. These security methods help to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Conclusion The Matter standard continues to be updated with support for more device types. These developments indicate that the future smart home will grow more diverse as more device manufacturers embrace IoT solutions in their product lines and new manufacturers attempt to carve out niches in the smart home. With the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in IoT networks, more AI/ML will inevitably find its way into the smart home beyond the capabilities of smart speakers connected to automated assistant services. With greater security and seamless communication among smart home devices, end-user confidence in smart home technology is rising. A more capable smart home networking infrastructure is also integral to the increased adoption of in-home robotic solutions. These new solutions could lead to coordinated in-home robotic services that are much more advanced and useful than today's robotic vacuums.