Reduce project risk and shorten time-to-market for smart home accessory manufacturers

Silicon Labs (Country Manager Baek Woon-dal) announced the launch of a Bluetooth software solution that enables developers to efficiently develop accessories for Apple HomeKit.

Silicon Labs' Bluetooth solution supporting Apple HomeKit has completed Apple's pre-testing. This solution enables developers to shorten time-to-market and reduce engineering effort, and allows end product manufacturers to minimize risk when launching accessories for their HomeKit.

Supported by a library with a clean and easy-to-use API, this Bluetooth 4.2 compatible software has been pre-tested and certified by Apple, providing a low-risk solution that enables accessory developers to accelerate product launches.

Silicon Labs supports Apple HomeKit development projects through a diverse portfolio of Wireless Gecko SoC and module families, the easy-to-use Simplicity Studio™ development tool, plugins for Bluetooth Developer Studio, example accessory applications and source code, iOS apps with source code support, and extensive documentation and technical support.

The development of accessories based on Apple HomeKit protocols and security technologies may require various interoperability tests. Since Silicon Labs' Bluetooth solution for Apple HomeKit has already undergone pre-testing and certification by Apple, it does not require separate certification testing for HomeKit specifications. This pre-certification enables developers to shorten time-to-market and reduce engineering effort, and allows end product manufacturers to minimize risk when they need to obtain Apple's certification for their products.

In addition to implementing the features required for developing Apple HomeKit accessories, Silicon Labs’ Bluetooth 4.2 compatible protocol stack supports key features such as LE secure connections for secure Bluetooth pairing, LE packet extensions for improved throughput, and LE dual topology and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates for flexible network configuration.

Silicon Labs provides comprehensive software tools that simplify Apple HomeKit development. Simplicity Studio improves IoT design efficiency by enabling one-click access to an Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE), energy profiling, configuration and network analysis tools, demos, software examples, documentation, technical support, and community forums. Silicon Labs' BGScript language simplifies Bluetooth development with easy-to-use BASIC-like syntax. Simplicity Studio also supports third-party tools, such as the Bluetooth SIG's Bluetooth Developer Studio, which allows developers to automatically generate code for Apple HomeKit accessories and get them running within an hour.

The core of Silicon Labs hardware provided for Apple HomeKit development is the Wireless Gecko SoC portfolio, including the Blue Gecko SoC for Bluetooth applications. Along with this, Silicon Labs offers several families of Bluetooth modules, including the new ultra-compact BGM12x SiP (system-in-package) module. Because these wireless modules feature built-in antennas and are regulatory certified, they are highly suitable for developers seeking to reduce engineering costs and accelerate time-to-market. Silicon Labs also supports designers with easy-to-use development kits, including the new Thunderboard Sense sensor-to-cloud kit.