Scottsdale, Arizona-based hardware and firmware engineering specialist, Fanstel, has recently unveiled a new line of Bluetooth® LE and Wi-Fi modules designed to facilitate the development of innovative smart home products compatible with the Matter standard. The WT02E40E Series modules, equipped with Nordic Semiconductor's nRF5340 high-end multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) and nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 Companion IC, provide developers with a compact and energy-efficient solution. Matter, an application layer developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, aims to establish a unified framework for smart home applications.

To meet the requirements of most Matter applications, which necessitate two antennas, Fanstel's module series offers a range of antenna options to accommodate various application needs. These options include the WT0E40E, featuring u.FL connectors for Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi 6 antennas; the WT02C40C, with integrated Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi 6 antennas; the WT02V40V, equipped with vertically-mounted chip antennas for Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi 6; the WT02E40C, offering a u.FL connector for a Wi-Fi 6 antenna and an integrated Bluetooth LE antenna; and the WT02E40F, featuring a u.FL connector for a Wi-Fi 6 antenna and a high-performance Bluetooth LE PCB antenna. This versatility in antenna selection provides developers with flexibility in designing their connected home products.

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What is Matter?

Matter is a smart home application layer developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). Formerly known as "Project CHIP," Matter is designed to make smart home devices and apps work together more easily. By supporting common wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE and Thread, Matter aims for these devices to interact seamlessly with each other.

Matter aims to standardize devices that are part of a smart home ecosystem. This standard is designed to ensure that the devices produced by different brands and manufacturers work in harmony and in an integrated manner. Matter covers many different categories of devices, for example, various smart home devices such as lighting systems, thermostats, locks, security cameras and more can work harmoniously with each other using the Matter standard.

Matter aims to give homeowners more flexibility and compatibility when choosing products from different brands and creating a smart home ecosystem. Matter certified devices allow users to easily control and manage various devices in their home through a single platform. Thus, users can combine devices from different brands to create their preferred smart home experience.