Certification Requirements and Protocol Selection for Smart Home Automation Project

[Adarsh_N]

Hello,

We are currently in the R&D stage for our Smart Home automation project, and we are evaluating the use of the nRF54L15 SOC with Matter support for our products. Our product lineup includes Smart Switches, Gate Controllers, and Curtain Controllers, and we are considering two protocol combinations for communication: Thread + BLE and Wi-Fi + BLE.

We have a few specific questions regarding the development and certification process, as well as protocol performance and suitability for our use cases:

1. Certification Requirements:
   Could you please clarify the certifications needed during the production and development phases of a Matter-supported Smart Home product? What certifications should we anticipate for compliance, particularly for using Thread + BLE or Wi-Fi + BLE?

2. Protocol Selection:

   • Thread + BLE vs. Wi-Fi + BLE:
     Which combination of protocols would be more suitable for our Smart Home products, considering devices such as Smart Switches, Gate Controllers, and Curtain Controllers?

     • Can Thread + BLE effectively handle the communication requirements for Smart Switches and similar devices?

3. End Device Handling:

   • How many end devices can Thread and Wi-Fi handle or control simultaneously? Are there any limitations in terms of device communication for either protocol?

4. Protocol Limitations in Communication:

   • As we plan to place these devices in the wall, are there any specific limitations in range or performance that we should be aware of with either the Thread or Wi-Fi protocol?

   • Between Thread + BLE and Wi-Fi + BLE, which one is likely to offer better range and performance for wall-mounted end devices?

We are looking for advice on which protocol combination will provide the best range, performance, and scalability for our product lineup while also ensuring compliance with relevant standards and certifications.

Regards 
Adarsh

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi Adarsh,

I recommend contacting your local sales representative from Nordic Semiconductor for help deciding which protocol best suits your requirements and use case.

Certification Requirements:
Could you please clarify the certifications needed during the production and development phases of a Matter-supported Smart Home product? What certifications should we anticipate for compliance, particularly for using Thread + BLE or Wi-Fi + BLE?

You need Matter, Bluetooth, and Thread certifications. Bluetooth and Thread certifications can be inherited from Nordic Semiconductor. For more certification information, see Matter certification.

Protocol Selection:

• Thread + BLE vs. Wi-Fi + BLE:
  Which combination of protocols would be more suitable for our Smart Home products, considering devices such as Smart Switches, Gate Controllers, and Curtain Controllers?

  • Can Thread + BLE effectively handle the communication requirements for Smart Switches and similar devices?

Both Thread + BLE and Wi-Fi + BLE can work well for these kinds of devices. The power consumption is lower for Thread than Wi-Fi, so you might want to go for Thread instead if this is an important factor. However, with Thread, you will need a border router to control the device from, for example, a smartphone, as most phones do not have Thread support.

End Device Handling:

• How many end devices can Thread and Wi-Fi handle or control simultaneously? Are there any limitations in terms of device communication for either protocol?

In theory, a Thread network can support 32 routers, with each router supporting up to 511 children. Our solution supports 32 children per router by default and not 511. Regarding Matter over Thread, the maximum number of SRP entries a single border router can support must be considered. Still, the border router should be able to support at least 300 Matter devices.

There is no explicit hard limit for Wi-Fi, but the access point itself could be a limiting factor.

Protocol Limitations in Communication:

• As we plan to place these devices in the wall, are there any specific limitations in range or performance that we should be aware of with either the Thread or Wi-Fi protocol?

• Between Thread + BLE and Wi-Fi + BLE, which one is likely to offer better range and performance for wall-mounted end devices?

If the device is placed inside the wall, then the material of the wall might affect the range.

One advantage of Thread regarding range is that since Thread is a mesh protocol, other Thread devices in the network can extend the range by acting as routers, while Wi-Fi typically requires devices to be within range of the access point or use range extenders. For reliability, Thread is a self-healing mesh that can adapt to devices added to or removed from the network. However, Wi-Fi offers higher bandwidth.

Remember that actual performance will depend on your specific environment, wall materials, and the presence of other wireless devices.

Best regards,
Marte

[Adarsh_N]

Hi Marte 

Thank you for replaying.

Best Regards 

Adarsh Narayan N