While it's nice to think that smart home devices just do whatever they want, in reality, strict wireless protocols are what make the "magic" happen. The latest addition to this whole phenomenon is 'Thread', which every smart home enthusiast should be familiar with!
At Yabune Home, we naturally follow trends and strive to provide up-to-date solutions for those interested. We read more about what Thread is and how it differs from previous systems…
In a nutshell: Thread is a low-power wireless radio protocol for the smart home that allows devices to communicate directly with each other.
In fact, it aims to unify the well-known Z-Wave and Zigbee mesh networks in the smart home space, eliminating some of their long-standing shortcomings. Unlike these, Thread creates a mesh network by turning each device in your arsenal into an access point. So when it comes to creating routines, your smart home controller—Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa—no longer has all-encompassing power.
Another feature is that it offers high-speed hubs similar to Z-Wave and Zigbee - and is supported by Apple - and thanks to the advantages of the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC / PHY protocol, enabled devices consume less power.
Why is Thread so interesting to us? The answer is simple: it is a network layer on which any application can be developed. For us, it is important to create unique solutions and this new technology creates additional options and implementation options. We have mainly moved in the direction of Wi-Fi and Z-wave so far, sometimes flirting with Zigbee, but never committing. This may change with Thread.
It's true that Thread is still a very new name on the market, but its potential is proven by the fact that big companies like Apple, Google, Nanoleaf, and Eve have already started working with it.
Accordingly, with Yabune Home, we are constantly monitoring information about the new system, and if necessary, we will implement support for new devices into our portfolio!
Source: https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/156083-what-is-thread-smart-home
For those interested in the topic in more depth, we recommend the Smart Home Guru's summary of Matter:
https://okosotthon.guru/hirek/mar-neve-is-van-a-gyereknek-matter/