The tech industry likes a coalition. Sometimes those coalitions lead nowhere, but I doIn one case, the cooperation between the big companies is actually beneficial to the consumer.
At least that’s the hope for Project CHIP, an open-source initiative introduced in 2019 as a unifying smart home standard across all ecosystems. According to The edge, the Zigbee Alliance announced earlier this week, that certification for the first batch of CHIP-compliant devices would arrive later this year after delays due to the pandemic. We may see some of those smart gadgets hit shelves in time for the 2021 Christmas shopping season. The first wave of product could be lighting, blinds, HVAC controls and TVs, the Zigbee Alliance said.
CHIP stands for Connected Home over IP and claims to make it easier for Apple’s HomeKit, Amazon’s Alexa, Thread and Zigbee devices to connect. Apple, Google, Amazon and Zigbee are the original members of the alliance and have partnered with 170 other companies to build it.
CHIP works on top of a combination of Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi and Thread to support connectivity and acts as a kind of facilitator depending on the task. For example, Bluetooth is typically reserved for the setup process, while Wi-Fi meets the connection needs of, for example, high-bandwidth devices with video.
The Wire protocol is the leading player here as it is essentially a mesh network for smart home devices. Google bought Thread in 2014 to unify the company’s Nest devices, but it wasn’t until Apple got on board in 2018 that it started to gain traction.
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Thread devices can communicate with other compatible devices regardless of manufacturer and require little to boot. It is a lower energy specification than WiFi and Bluetooth, which means that batteries on smart sensors and other wireless accessories last a little longer. Thread can also support up to 250 devices, which is exactly what gadget makers want you to consider when building your ultimate connected home.
Older smart gadgets that are not CHIP compliant may also require a bridge device from the manufacturer to enable compatibility.
You may already have some Thread compatible devices at home. The Google Nest Hub Nanoleaf Essentials light bulb and smart light strip, and the Apple HomePod Mini are all Thread ready.
Adding a different protocol to the mix of an already cluttered and shielded smart home ecosystem can sound overwhelming if you’re the person making the purchase. But there is hope that the specification will take off across the industry as Apple, Google and Amazon have all committed to the initiative.