Matter is an open-source standard, ensuring interoperability and hosted by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).
Matter ensures seamless interaction between connected smart homes and smart building devices across different IP technologies. The standard ensures that multiple brands can interact smoothly and securely ensuring data privacy.
The Matter application layer allows wide adoption by addressing many applications in an open-source delivery and certification infrastructure.
Applications
The roles of connected devices in a Matter network
In smart homes, connected devices run based on Wi-Fi or Thread technologies, and each device has a specific role within the Matter network.
These devices support a connectivity technology within Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread as a network communication protocol. Such devices also need to support Bluetooth® Low Energy technology, to allow users to add a new device to their existing network, also called “commissioning”.
- End devices are connected objects serving a final application like lights or door locks.
- Router/Bridges objects such as gateways route data from an end device, transferring it from one protocol to another (Wi-Fi to Thread for example).
- Controllers are devices such as smartphones or tablets used to commission an end device into a Matter network through Bluetooth® Low Energy.
USEFUL LINKS
How to bridge Matter to no-Matter technologies?
STM32 MCUs bridges Matter to any other technology like Zigbee. Many IoT devices support Zigbee and will now also enable Matter. Supporting such type of dual infrastructure requires a solution able to bridge the communication between Matter-based device and Zigbee-based devices.
The bridge device usually integrates high-performance MCUs with Ethernet capability to link connectivity products to the cloud.
The dual-core STM32H7 MCU offers the right features to address this role, as it can embed the Matter layer and translate it into the Zigbee protocol and vice versa.
Product types
STM32WB wireless MCU runs in Matter networks
The STM32WB is ideal for Matter networks because it can run concurrently Thread and Bluetooth® Low Energy used for device commissioning. It features 1 Mbyte of flash memory and 256 Kbytes of RAM to support application layer and connectivity stacks as well as Quad-SPI peripherals to extend the memory size externally. It allows over-the-air firmware updates, regardless of the application and the connectivity stack.
The STM32WB MCU is available on the NUCLEO-WB55RG and the STM32WB5MM-DK discovery board with sensors, external flash memory, a screen, and touch sensors.
Matter software samples for STM32
ST provides example projects showing the usage of Matter with our STM32 MCUs for two use cases.
One demonstrates a Matter device over Thread and a gateway in RCP mode implemented on our STM32WB series of 2.4GHz wireless microcontrollers, while the other showcases how to create a Matter to no-Matter technology bridge based on our STM32H7 high performance series.
X-CUBE-MATTER, making Matter development accessible and easy for developers and engineers
With 2-3 releases per year, the Matter SDK integration offers seamless integration with the STM32 family, supporting Matter technologies like Thread, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet.
The SDKs also include Matter functionalities like OTA support, provisioning services, and sleeping end devices. The development environment is available on Linux, Mac, and Windows for broader accessibility.
The reference hardware includes development boards preintegrated with STM32 ecosystem tools, making it easier to prototype and start developing applications.
Online content, and support are available, including a dedicated Wiki site, ST FAE team, and ST Community.
A wide range of application examples are available, including end devices like lighting apps, window coverings, Thread Border routers and Matter-to-non-Matter bridges. Other applications are available upon request.
Discover our portfolio
Several STM32 MCUs support Matter standard, and are suitable for different device types:
Benefits
- The ST portfolio covers all Matter device types
- Low-power solutions for battery-operated devices
- Comprehensive ecosystem for rapid development
- Multiprotocol wireless support required for Matter
- Product quality assurance for longevity requirements
How to bridge smart home devices to a Matter network
Many IoT devices support Zigbee and will now also enable Matter. The supporting infrastructure requires a solution that can bridge the communication between Matter-based and Zigbee-based devices.
The bridge device usually integrates high-performance MCUs with Ethernet capability to link connectivity products.
The dual-core STM32H7 MCU offers the right features to address this role, as it can embed the Matter layer and translate it into the Zigbee protocol and vice versa.
STM32 Matter Bridge proof of concept
Featured Videos
X-CUBE-MATTER, making Matter development accessible and easy for developers and engineers.
STM32WB is a solution for Matter that brings seamless device interoperability to smart homes. Smart assistants like SmartThings and Homepod, smart phones & electronics controllers are becoming Matter enabled. • Matter creates a seamless network for smart home devices • Control devices on different fabrics using Multi-Admin capabilities • Easy device setup via comissioning with a QR code
The first version of X-CUBE-MATTER package
