A bridge device that makes sense in the world of Matter

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A bridge device that makes sense in the world of Matter [Copy link]

Matter is an industry standard designed to provide reliable and secure connectivity so that devices can work seamlessly across multiple smart home platforms, both now and in the future. One of Matter’s main goals is to make it easy for consumers to connect smart devices to their homes without having to figure out which platform the product is compatible with.

As Matter enters the smart home space, a question that is often asked is, “Will my existing devices that use other technologies work with Matter devices?” The challenge is that smart home devices need to speak the same language in order to work together, but there are many languages in the smart home space. While Matter natively supports Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread, its goal is to simplify smart home applications and also include devices that use other network technologies such as Zigbee or Z-Wave. To achieve this, it is necessary to rely on Matter bridge devices to do the translation work so that devices using other protocols (i.e. other languages) can work with Matter devices. Bridging capabilities can be built into various hardware devices, such as hubs, TVs, routers, or smart speakers, thereby spanning existing non-Matter and Matter devices to provide an interconnected user experience.

The concept of bridging

How Matter bridge device works

Matter bridge devices can map non-Matter devices to virtual Matter devices on the other side of the Matter network, making non-Matter devices part of the Matter network. In this way, an app or controller that only supports Matter will treat both Matter lights and bridged Zigbee lights as Matter devices and control them in the same way.

Let’s take a real-life example. Let’s say your home has a mix of Matter lights and Zigbee lights connected via a bridge device. A user with the Matter app or controller can group all of these lights together as a “living room light.”

Living Room Light Combination

1
Living room light combination can be controlled by users using various Matter control devices, including Matter-enabled smart speakers, smart displays, mobile apps or switches.

2

The control device sends a command through the Matter network to turn on the living room light.

3

The Matter light in the living room light combination comes on.

4

At the same time, the bridge device receives this command and converts it into a Zigbee command that the Zigbee lights connected to the bridge can understand, so that the Zigbee lights in the living room light combination are also lit. So for the user, all his lights, no matter what protocol they use, will respond together.

This mechanism also works in reverse, allowing non-Matter control devices (such as buttons, switches, and sensors) to control Matter devices through a bridge device. In the following example, a user sets up an automation on a smart home platform to automatically turn on the porch light when opening the door:

1
The user unlocks the door, activating the Zigbee door lock connected to the bridge device.
2
The bridge device interprets the message and sends the "door unlocked" status command from the door lock via the Matter network.
3
The smart home platform responds to this signal by activating the automation and turning on the hallway light.
4
The smart light turns on.

Conclusion
Bridging connects Matter devices and non-Matter devices in a smart home system, allowing users to control all smart home devices freely. Some device manufacturers have or plan to upgrade existing hubs to support bridging. Bridging is an important part of Matter's commitment to achieve industry-wide interoperability.

led2015

In the short term, we will not live in the era of all-round smart homes. We can only enjoy the happiness of one by one, rather than the integrated feeling.