Summary of Arduino and Silicon Labs collaborate to bring Matter to Arduino boards and IDE
Arduino and Silicon Labs announced a collaboration to bring Matter-compatible Silicon Labs wireless microcontrollers to the Arduino IDE and to release an Arduino Nano built on the SiLabs MGM240 MCU supporting Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Bluetooth LE. An Arduino Core for Silicon Labs devices is available now and supports four existing wireless boards. A Matter-compatible Arduino Nano using the MGM240 family is planned for Arduino Day March 2024. Source code, setup instructions, and known issues are on GitHub.
Parts used in the Arduino Nano Matter Project:
- SparkFun Thing Plus Matter MGM240P (MGM240PB32VNA Arm Cortex-M33 MCU)
- SiLabs xG27 Dev Kit (EFR32BG27C140F768IM40 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU)
- SiLabs xG24 Explorer Kit (EFR32MG24B210F1536IM48 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU)
- SiLabs BGM220 Explorer Kit (BGM220PC22HNA Bluetooth 5.2 PCB module)
- Upcoming Arduino Nano Matter board (based on MGM240SD22VNA Arm Cortex-M33 MCU)
Arduino and Silicon Labs have joined hands to both bring Matter-compatible SiLabs wireless microcontrollers to the Arduino IDE and then design an upcoming Arduino Nano based on SiLabs MGM240 Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller with Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Bluetooth LE protocols.
Available now: Arduino Core for Silicon Labs devices
The first phase of the collaboration involves getting Arduino core for Silicon Labs development boards so that compatible devices can be programmed in the IDE. The good news is that it’s available now and works with four existing wireless boards:
- SparkFun Thing Plus Matter MGM240P based on MGM240PB32VNA Arm Cortex-M33 MCU with Matter, Thread, Zigbee 3.0, and Bluetooth 5.3 LE connectivity
- SiLabs xG27 Dev Kit based on EFR32BG27C140F768IM40 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU with Bluetooth LE 5.3, Bluetooth Mesh, Proprietary 2.4 GHz connectivity
- SiLabs xG24 Explorer Kit based on EFR32MG24B210F1536IM48 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU with Bluetooth 5.3 LE, Bluetooth Mesh, Matter, OpenThread, Zigbee, Proprietary 2.4 GHz
- SiLabs BGM220 Explorer Kit equipped with BGM220PC22HNA Bluetooth 5.2 PCB module
You’ll find the source code, instructions to get started, and current known issues/limitations on GitHub.
Upcoming Arduino Nano “Matter” board
The second phase of the collaboration will culminate with the launch of a new Matter-compatible Arduino Nano board based on SiLabs MGM240SD22VNA on Arduino Day in March 2024. The new board should be similar to the Sparkfun board from a software/firmware perspective and will be the first official Arduino board with a Silicon Labs microcontroller and Matter compatibility.
The Matter firmware on customer devices is normally locked, as I understand that’s a security requirement and also needed for certification, but the Arduino Core for Silicon Labs devices and the new Arduino Nano should make it easier to experiment with the new Smart Home standard and other wireless protocols.
Source: Arduino and Silicon Labs collaborate to bring Matter to Arduino boards and IDE
- What did Arduino and Silicon Labs collaborate on?
They collaborated to bring Matter-compatible Silicon Labs wireless microcontrollers to the Arduino IDE and to design an Arduino Nano based on a SiLabs MGM240 MCU with Matter and other wireless protocols. - Is the Arduino Core for Silicon Labs devices available now?
Yes, the Arduino Core for Silicon Labs devices is available now and works with four existing wireless boards. - Which existing boards are supported by the Arduino Core for Silicon Labs?
Supported boards are SparkFun Thing Plus Matter MGM240P, SiLabs xG27 Dev Kit, SiLabs xG24 Explorer Kit, and SiLabs BGM220 Explorer Kit. - What protocols does the SparkFun Thing Plus Matter MGM240P support?
It supports Matter, Thread, Zigbee 3.0, and Bluetooth 5.3 LE. - When will the Arduino Nano Matter board be launched?
The Arduino Nano Matter board is planned to launch on Arduino Day in March 2024. - Which MCU will the upcoming Arduino Nano Matter board use?
The upcoming board will use the SiLabs MGM240SD22VNA Arm Cortex-M33 MCU. - Will the new Arduino Nano be the first official Arduino board with a Silicon Labs microcontroller?
Yes, it will be the first official Arduino board with a Silicon Labs microcontroller and Matter compatibility. - Where can I find the source code and instructions?
The source code, instructions, and known issues are available on GitHub. - Is Matter firmware on customer devices editable?
The article states Matter firmware on customer devices is normally locked for security and certification reasons.
