The Connection Standards Alliance (CSA) has released version 1.2 of Matter, an open source standard for smart homes. The new version adds support for nine new device types, revisions and expansions of existing product categories, and important improvements to existing technical specifications, SDKs, certification policies and testing tools.
The nine new device types supported in Matter 1.2 are:
- Refrigerators
- Room air conditioners
- Dishwashers
- Washing machines
- Robot vacuum cleaners
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Air quality sensors
- Air purifiers
- Fans
- Latch and bolt door locks
The new version of Matter also includes a number of other improvements, such as:
- Device appearance: Devices can now describe their color and appearance, making it easier for them to be identified across different clients.
- Device and endpoint compositions: Devices can now be constructed from complex, hierarchical compositions of endpoints to accurately model appliances, multi-unit switches, and multi-head light fixtures.
- Semantic tags: Semantic tags provide an interoperable way to describe the location and semantic capabilities of common Matter feature sets and endpoints to enable consistent presentation and application across different clients.
- Generic description of device operating states: Representing the different operating modes of a device in a common way makes it easier for Matter to generate new device types in future revisions and ensures that devices receive basic support across clients.
The certification process for Matter 1.2 is currently open, and alliance members will be able to put these new device types and improved functions on the market from the end of this year to the beginning of 2024.
The release of Matter 1.2 is a significant milestone for the smart home industry. It brings new levels of interoperability, simplicity, reliability and security to smart home devices, and unlocks new use cases and capabilities for the future.
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