The Home Assistant SkyConnect is designed to be a perfect match for Home Assistant Users. The device provides an easy connection with Zigbee and will support Matter specifications in the future with a firmware update from Home Assistant*. The product supports Over-The-Wire (OTW) Firmware Update via the USB interface, which allows easy and quick firmware updates for both protocols.
The device is an EFR32 Series 2 (Silicon Labs EZSP v8) adapter that will transmit at a power of +20 dBm. The drive supports full-speed USB 2.0 when plugged into the included USB extender.
Home Assistant will provide an add-on to upgrade the SkyConnect firmware in the future to allow it to simultaneously communicate with both the Zigbee and Thread networks.
The USB Stick will be Plug and Play, tightly integrated with the Zigbee Home Automation integration allowing for a beginner-friendly experience.
* The SkyConnect will not run Matter immediately on launch, but when using Home Assistant, the firmware will be updated to enable Matter when it is finished being developed. This is due to the Matter protocol not being finalized and released until November (not all of the protocol specifications are currently available). Home Assistant is already working on the Matter implementation, but more information will come after November 2022.
