Silicon Labs is redefining smart home connectivity with a new concurrent multi-protocol SoC

Silicon Labs, a global leader in building a more connected world with secure, intelligent wireless connectivity technologies, announced that its MG26 series of wireless system-on-chip (SOCs) are now fully available through Chips and its distribution partners. As the industry's most advanced, high-performance Matter and concurrent multi-protocol solution to date, the MG26 SoC has twice the flash and RAM capacity of other multi-protocol products from Chips, advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) processing capabilities, and best-in-class security. Enable developers to design Matter apps for the future.

Jacob Alamat, senior vice President, Home & Living Business Unit, SMIC, said: "With MG26, we are not only setting a new standard in multi-protocol wireless performance for battery-powered, low-power smart home applications, but also redefining the future possibilities of Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity through Matter. This family of products enables developers to create smarter, safer and more powerful solutions in an increasingly connected world."

Sinic further enhances security through its Custom Part Manufacturing Service (CPMS) and is the only manufacturer of Matter SoC products to support customers to customize orders using their own Matter Device Certification (DAC). By using Chips' Matter-enabled SOCs, product launches can be simplified and accelerated while preventing intellectual property (IP) theft and counterfeiting.

The MG26 SoC supports advanced iot applications and Matter

The MG26 SoC greatly promotes the adoption of the Matter protocol with its concurrent multi-protocol capabilities, enabling the integration of various smart home and building devices such as LED lighting, switches, sensors and door locks into both Matter and Zigbee networks. In this way, users can create automated applications and routines with more devices in different ecosystems.

In addition, the MG26 uses its embedded accelerator to implement AI/ML capabilities, further enhancing performance in critical tasks such as predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, keyword detection, vision, and a growing number of cross-iot applications. To help developers build devices capable of running advanced iot applications, the MG26 family offers the following features:

Increased computing power with multi-core ARM® Cortex-M33 cpus and dedicated cores for RF and security subsystems, helping to free up the main core for customer applications.

Flash memory, RAM, and GPIO capacity are all doubled compared to the MG24 family, enabling iot device manufacturers to develop advanced edge applications that leverage larger, more accurate machine learning models to improve performance. The MG26 also supports handling larger machine learning workloads, such as higher-resolution vision.

Embedded AI/ML hardware acceleration enables machine learning algorithms to process up to 8 times faster with 1/6 of the power consumption compared to running the same application on a CPU. Core's new AI/ML Developer Guide provides an easy way for developers to start building new models to take advantage of this processing power.

● Optimal security with CORE Secure Vault™ technology and ARM TrustZone technology, meeting all Matter security requirements.

● Using SMIC's custom component manufacturing services, the MG26 series can also be programmed as needed during manufacturing using the customer's Matter Device Certification Certificate (DAC), security keys and other features to further enhance their vulnerability resistance.

● Secure over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates are combined with secure boot to prevent malware installation and enable vulnerability patching.

● Concurrent multi-protocols enable simultaneous running of Zigbee and Matter over Thread, simplifying SKU management for product manufacturers and providing ease of use for end users.

● Industry-leading RF performance and energy efficiency: Transmit power of up to +19.5 dBm as well as world-leading receiver sensitivity and ultra-low transmit, receive and sleep currents give battery-powered iot devices long service life and superior wireless performance.

An industry standard has been established for designs using the Matter protocolConsumers need Matter devices that are secure, interoperable, and easy to use. Austrian smart lock manufacturer Nuki, which will enter the U.S. market in 2025, has selected Core Technology as its Matter standard partner for its latest smart locks for reliable, efficient connectivity. This is Nuki's first electronic lock, compatible not only with European locks, but also with latches in the United States. Smic's Matter-enabled SoCs enable Nuki's smart locks to operate for extended periods of time without frequent battery changes, use Matter to support a variety of wireless protocols, and ensure seamless connectivity to home networks.

Jurgen Pansy, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Nuki, said: "SMIC's Matter enabled SoCs enable us to bring to market ultra-compact, battery-powered devices that support multiple communication protocols in parallel. "Our latest innovation, the award-winning Smart lock, saves energy and space in lock design by using Chips hardware to support Matter via Thread, and enables the integration of additional connectivity such as Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi."