The technology industry loves a coalition. Sometimes those coalitions lead absolutely nowhere, but I doIn one particular case, large companies working together are actually beneficial to consumers.
Or at least that’s the hope for Project CHIP, an open-source initiative introduced in 2019 as a unifying smart home standard in all ecosystems. Conformable The Verge, Zigbee Alliance has announced earlier this week, certification for the original batch of CHIP-compatible devices will arrive later this year, following delays due to the pandemic. We may see that some of these smart gadgets have reached the shelves in time for the 2021 shopping season. The first wave of products could include lights, blinds, HVAC controls and TVs, the Zigbee Alliance said.
CHIP stands for Connected Home over IP and aims to make it easier to connect Apple, Alexa Amazon, Thread and Zigbee HomeKit devices. Apple, Google, Amazon and ZigbThey are the original members of the alliance and have partnered with 170 other companies to build it.
CHIP works in addition to a combination of Bluetooth LE, wifi and Thread to facilitate connectivity, acting as a kind of facilitator depending on the load. For example, Bluetooth is usually reserved for the setup process, while wifi serves the connection needs for high-bandwidth devices, for example.
Wire protocol is the most important player here, as it is essentially a mesh network for smart devices at home. Google bought Thread back in 2014 to help unify the company’s Nest devices, but it wasn’t until Apple came on board in 2018 that it began to find traction.
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Wired devices can communicate with any other compatible device, regardless of manufacturer, and require little to boot. It has a lower power specification than wifi and Bluetooth, so the batteries last a little longer on smart sensors and other wireless accessories. Thread can also support up to 250 devices, which is exactly what gadget makers want you to consider when building your connected home.
Older smart gadgets that are not CHIP compliant may also need a bridge device from the manufacturer to allow compatibility.
You may already have several Thread-enabled devices in your home. Google Nest Hub, Bec Nanoleaf Essentials and smart light strip and Apple HomePod Mini they are all ready for yarn.
Adding another protocol to the mix of an already cluttered and quiet smart home ecosystem can sound overwhelming if you’re the person shopping. But there is hope that the specifications will take off across the industry, as Apple, Google and Amazon have all committed to the initiative.