The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has announced the Matter 1.2 is available with nine new device types, revisions, and additions to existing categories, core improvements to the specification and SDK, and certification and testing tools.
Matter is an IOT connectivity standard that aims to improve the smart home industry. Matter 1.2 adds support for nine new device types, bringing new layers of interoperability, simplicity, reliability, and security while unlocking new use cases and features for the future.
Support for refrigerators will extend beyond basic temperature control and monitoring and will be applicable to other related devices like deep freezers, wine and kimchi fridges. HVAC and thermostats were already part of Matter 1.0, but standalone room air conditioners with temperature and fan mode control are now supported.
Basic functionality is included for dishwashers, such as remote start and progress notifications. Dishwasher alarms are also supported, covering operational errors such as water supply and drain, temperature, and door lock errors. Laundry washers will include progress notifications, such as cycle completion, which can be sent via Matter.
Robotic vacuums will feature remote start and progress notifications, and there is support for key features like cleaning modes and additional status details. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will support notifications and audio and visual alarm signalling. Additionally, there is support for alerts about battery status and end-of-life notifications and self-testing.
Air quality sensors will be supported for PM1, PM 2.5, PM 10, CO2, NO2, VOC, CO, Ozone, Radon, and Formaldehyde. Furthermore, the addition of the Air Quality Cluster enables Matter devices to provide AQI information based on the device’s location.
Purifiers utilise the air quality sensor device type to provide sensing information and also include functionality from other device types like fans and thermostats. Air purifiers also include consumable resource monitoring, enabling notifications on filter.
Matter 1.2 includes support for fans as a separate, certifiable device type. Fans support movements like rock/oscillation and new modes like natural wind and sleep wind. Additional enhancements include the ability to change the airflow direction and step commands to change the speed of airflow.
There is a number of core improvements to Matter 1.2 such as Enhancements for European markets that capture the common configuration of a combined latch and bolt lock unit. There will be added descriptions of device appearance, so that devices can describe their colour and finish.
Devices can now be hierarchically composed from complex endpoints allowing for accurate modelling of appliances, multi-unit switches, and multi-light fixtures. Semantic tags will provide an interoperable way to describe the location and semantic functions of generic Matter clusters and endpoints to enable consistent rendering and application across the different clients. For example, semantic tags can be used to represent the location and function of each button on a multi-button remote control.
Matter 1.2 brings important enhancements in the testing and certification program which aims to helps companies bring products, including hardware, software, chipsets and apps to market faster.
These improvements include new Platform Support in SDK for new platforms, providing more ways for developers to build new products for Matter. There is also enhancements to the Matter Test Harness. The Test Harness ensures the specification, and its features are being implemented correctly. The Test Harness is now available via open source, making it easier for Matter developers to contribute to the tools, and to ensure they are working with the latest version.