With Matter continually expanding support for new device types and functionalities, as well as optimizing user experiences, creating products that are compatible with the evolving Matter standard has become crucial. Consumers want their Matter devices to remain relevant and secure for years to come.
This is where Silicon Labs's latest xG26 series comes in. The series comprises the multi-protocol MG26 SoC, low-power Bluetooth (Bluetooth LE) BG26 SoC, and PG26 MCU. A standout feature of these three products is that their flash and RAM capacities and GPIO pin counts are twice that of Silicon Labs's other multi-protocol products like the xG24. With configurations of up to 3200 KB of flash and 512 KB of RAM, device manufacturers can connect them to a greater number of peripherals and achieve better system integration to meet the demands of future IoT applications, particularly suited for new types of Matter applications such as smart homes, smart cities, and industrial settings.
"MG26 is the most advanced multi-protocol wireless SoC supporting the Matter standard to date, suitable for mesh wireless connections of Matter, OpenThread, and Zigbee protocols, applicable in smart homes, lighting, and building automation products," noted Rob. With key features like high-performance 2.4 GHz radio, low power consumption, AI/ML hardware accelerators, and Secure Vault™ security suite, IoT device manufacturers can create smart, robust, and energy-efficient products, resilient against remote and local network attacks.
MG26 also provides dynamic headroom for Matter over Thread. Target applications include gateways, hubs, LED lighting, switches, sensors, door locks, glass breakage detection, predictive maintenance, wake-word detection, and more.
The BG26 Bluetooth SoC utilizes low-power Bluetooth and Bluetooth mesh networking for wireless IoT connectivity, suitable for smart homes, lighting, and portable medical products. With attributes like high-performance radio, low energy consumption, built-in AI/ML hardware accelerators, ample memory, and flash, its target applications include gateways/hubs, sensors, switches, door locks, smart plugs, LED lighting, fixtures, glucometers, and pulse oximeters.
The PG2632 MCU is a chip that is software compatible with the xG26 wireless SoC platform, primarily used for various low-power, high-performance embedded IoT applications.
Furthermore, Silicon Labs has introduced the SiWx915 and SiWx917 Wi-Fi 6+ Bluetooth combination SoCs, offering support for Matter over Wi-Fi on a low-power single-chip SoC.
Rob mentions that for selecting development options for different types of end products, Silicon Labs's Matter Development Journey tool can provide guidance. Moreover, the tool can offer step-by-step guidance and expert advice throughout the entire development process.