Matter

Matter 1.3 adds support for more appliances and EV chargers

Ben Schoon | May 8 2024 - 7:25 am PT

The Matter smart home standard is getting another update, with version 1.3 bringing support for more home appliances, EV chargers, and more.

In an update announced today, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has revealed the next wave of devices that the Matter standard will support. The biggest additions come in the form of home appliances. Specifically, Matter 1.3 adds support for microwaves, oven ranges, cooktops, extractor hoods/fans, and laundry dryers (the standard already supports washers as of last October).

The CSA explains:

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.

Beyond that, this new update also brings support for new energy devices.

Matter 1.3 now supports EV chargers with the ability to manually start or stop charging (assuming the vehicle is already plugged in). Users can also change the charging rate including the option to set a specific number of miles of range to be added by a particular time which, in turn, could be used by apps to optimize power consumption based on fluctuating prices or power needs.

There’s also added support for energy and water management devices. Energy devices will be able to report back power consumption to apps via Matter in real time. Meanwhile, water management devices will include devices that control water valves, but also leak, freeze, and rainfall sensors.

But, as has been the case with all Matter devices thus far, all of these new device types and features will rely on the apps that support them to be updated with the needed components.