NXP Advances IoT Connectivity with Industry’s First Secure Tri-Radio Device
January 04, 2022
News
NXP Semiconductors announced the IW612, the industry’s first secure tri-radio device to support the Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 802.15.4 protocols. Part of NXP’s new family of tri-radio products, the device enables secure connectivity for smart home, automotive, and industrial use cases, and supports the Matter connectivity protocol.
CES 2022, LAS VEGAS – One of the primary challenges facing the IoT is limited interoperability, which can restrict the consumer’s ability to mix smart home products from different companies. Matter, a new standardized IoT connectivity protocol designed by a consortium of industry leaders including NXP, addresses these limitations by unifying how devices communicate independent of the manufacturer or wireless technology.
The IW612 frees consumers from the restrictions of single protocol ecosystems, allowing interoperability across different ecosystems and wireless network technologies.
To support a new era of interoperability, the IW612 integrates three of the industry’s leading connectivity radios onto a single device for the first time, delivering robust radio performance and integrating a high-performance RF front end. This technology combination enables true interoperability in the smart home. The solution overcomes hardware coexistence challenges that developers face today while enabling advanced security protocols to help counter security threats faced by the IoT.
The IW612 offers secure boot, debug, and over-the-air firmware updates for ongoing protection, as well as WPA3 security and hardware encryption engines.
Additional Details:
The IW612 is a solution for border routers, bridges, and gateways in the smart home that require connecting Thread or Bluetooth devices to the cloud using the integrated Wi-Fi 6 radio. Additionally, the IW612 enables communication between Matter devices regardless of whether the devices use Wi-Fi or Thread. This allows Matter-over-Wi-Fi products to control and monitor Matter-over-Thread devices, and vice versa.
Key features of IW612 include:
- Tri-Radio Integration
- Wi-Fi 6 reduces network congestion, extends range, improves robustness, and lowers power
- Bluetooth 5.2 for audio (A2DP, LE Audio), voice, and network commissioning
- 802.15.4 for Matter with Thread mesh networking
- Pre-validated connection to NXP’s broad microprocessor and microcontroller portfolio
- Integrated RF front-end including LNAs, high-power PAs, and switches for system cost savings, reduced bill-of-materials, and footprint
The IW612 will be demonstrated live at CES 2022. For more information, visit NXP.com/Matter.
Read more of Embedded Computing Design’s CES 2022 coverage at https://www.embeddedcomputing.com/ces-2022 or stay up to date by following the @embedded_comp twitter handle.
