Microchip's Wi-Fi® SDK with Apple HomeKit

Microchip’s Wi-Fi^® SDK with Apple HomeKit – support now available

Key Facts:

Fully-certified software development kit leverages hardware-based calculations
Creates fast, low-power solutions providing an optimised customer experience
Dramatically reduces execution time for HomeKit commands for a seamless user experience
Provides pairing speeds of less than one tenth of a second
System power consumption during critical commands comparable to Bluetooth Low Energy
Security features provided by hardware cryptography-enabled MCU

Microchip announces the availability of a fully-certified Wi-Fi^® Software Development Kit (SDK) with Apple HomeKit support. This SDK enables MFi licensees to create fast, low-power designs on the industry’s first hardware cryptography-enabled Wi-Fi-based development kit for HomeKit.

Microchip’s Wi-Fi SDK combines hardware cryptography suites within the CEC1702, a full-featured ARM^® Cortex^®-M4-based microcontroller (MCU), with the industry-proven WINC1510, a low-power 802.11 b/g/n certified Wi-Fi module. The hardware-based security engines within the Wi-Fi HomeKit solution greatly reduce system calculation times, resulting in a fast and friendly end-user experience. With the dramatic reduction in execution time for HomeKit commands such as pairing – with pair setup in 0.95 seconds and pair verify in less than one tenth of a second – system reaction is accelerated for seamless consumer experiences such as instantly unlocking a front door. This reduced time of system activity enabled by the Wi-Fi SDK results in lower system power consumption. Power consumption of the Wi-Fi SDK, while performing critical commands such as pairing, is so low that it’s on par with Bluetooth^® low energy-based systems while retaining the enhanced functionality of a Wi-Fi solution.

The Wi-Fi SDK also offers unrivaled hardware security features due to its hardware cryptography-enabled microcontroller. The CEC1702, a low-power but powerful, programmable 32-bit MCU offers security measures such as secure boot which allows equipment manufacturers to establish a hardware-based root of trust to protect against a security breach. Developers can also leverage integrated security features such as easy-to-use encryption, authentication, private and public key capabilities and customer programming flexibility to minimise application risk. Additionally, the CEC1702 features 480 KB SRAM code plus data, which gives developers ample code space for the HomeKit protocol as well as their application-specific code.

Developers can begin designing their application with the new SecureIoT1702 development board which includes the CEC1702 MCU, a compact, high-contrast, serial graphic LCD display module, push buttons and two expansion headers compatible with the MikroElektronika mikroBUS^™ Expansion interface. When paired with a WINC1510 Wi-Fi click board™ and a separately available MFi chip, the SecureIoT1702 board and Wi-Fi SDK provide MFi licensees the basic building blocks to create HomeKit applications.

The SecureIoT1702 development board is priced at $99.99 each
The CEC1702Q-B1-SX MCU and ATWINC1510 Wi-Fi module are available now for production volume

The Wi-Fi SDK is available to MFI licensees only. To get more information on the platform or to request access to the Wi-Fi SDK, contact applesupport@microchip.com for verification of your MFI license.

Who are Microchip?

Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.

For more information about Microchip’s solutions, or to talk to us about how we can help you to improve your technology offering, please contact us via email on sales@lineonesales.co.uk and telephone on +44 (0) 845 453 1169