Matter 1.3 Specification announced

The CSA Alliance is pleased to announce the latest update to Matter, version 1.3 of the specification and SDK, is now available for device makers and platforms to integrate into their products.

This latest release marks an important step forward, enabling devices that can be more helpful to users in the kitchen and laundry room, enhance entertainment and smart home interaction on screens, and make the smart home more efficient and safer with new energy and water management support.

The addition of these new device types and functionalities in Matter 1.3 enables product manufacturers and controllers to begin implementing and certifying these features into new and existing products. As our member companies invest the time needed to integrate, test, and deploy new features, updates, and new devices to the market, we look forward to future announcements of products delivering these new capabilities to users through Matter.

With the support of our Membership and the active participation of a strong community of engineers and product experts from across the globe, the Connectivity Standards Alliance and its Members remain committed to Matter as the industry’s best path to delivering increased simplicity, interoperability, security, and value to consumers. With the release of version 1.3, Matter continues to expand its footprint across the smart home industry and the IoT ecosystem.

To help users understand and manage their energy use, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint, Matter 1.3 introduces new energy reporting capabilities. This enables any device type to include the ability to report actual and estimated measurements, including instantaneous power, voltage, current, and others, in real-time, as well as its energy consumption or generation over time.

Electric Vehicle Charging — Matter 1.3’s energy features also enable new energy-centric devices, the first of which is Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). This enables EV charging equipment manufacturers to present a consumer-friendly way to control how and when they charge their vehicles. It features the ability to manually start or stop charging, adjust the charging rate, or specify how many miles of range to be added by a set departure time, leaving the charging station to automatically optimize the charging to happen at the cheapest and lowest carbon times.

Water Management — Support for leak and freeze detectors, rain sensors, and controllable water valves provide homeowners with enhanced monitoring, management, and protection over water in and around their homes.

Among the newly supported device types:

Microwave Ovens — Users can control the cooking time, power level, and mode of operation and receive notifications, such as “end of cycle” or “food ready” when the microwave completes operation. For a microwave installed in an “over-the-range” configuration, the specification also supports control of an extractor fan and light typical in such scenarios.
Ovens — Configurations including built-in, stand-alone, or as part of a range with an associated cooktop are included in the Matter 1.3 update. Each oven compartment can be individually controlled from an operational mode (standard, convection bake, roast, steam, broil/grill, proofing) and temperature-setting perspective with information related to the state of the oven (i.e., preheating or cooling). Notifications such as preheating and target temperature achieved are supported.
Cooktops — With Matter 1.3, there is support for cooktops, allowing for remote access and control (typically induction-based devices). The cooktop’s individual elements allow for temperature control and measurement (where regulation allows).
Extractor Hoods (Cooker Hoods, Vent Hoods) — Matter 1.3 supports cooktops and ranges in conjunction with cooktop hoods. It allows for the control of both the light and fan settings in such devices, as well as the status/end-of-life of any filter material used (e.g., HEPA filters).
Laundry Dryers — With Matter 1.2 including support for laundry washers, Matter 1.3 completes the pairing with the addition of support for laundry dryers. Users can set the dryer mode and target temperature and, depending on local safety regulations, remotely start and stop the dryer. Notifications like “end of cycle” and alarms on error states (as vendor-specified) are supported.