NXP's IW612 Offers Simultaneous Secure Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and Matter Networking for the IoT
Designed for routers, gateways, and hubs, the IW612 talks three networks — and can bridge Thread and Wi-Fi networks for Matter devices.
NXP has announced the release of what it claims is the industry's first secure monolithic tri-radio part to offer support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 802.15.4 — all simultaneously: the NXP IW612.
"With the IW612, developers can leverage different wireless connectivity protocols on a single device to create an easy-to-use, secure product for smart home, industrial and automotive use cases," claims NXP's Larry Olivas of his division's latest product. "From door locks and smart speakers to in-vehicle entertainment and telematics, products can now benefit from our tri-radio solutions that address multiple technologies and ecosystems, including Matter. This provides developers with a more cost-effective solution while streamlining deployment for the consumer."
Designed to boost interoperability in the Internet of Things (IoT) by giving designers the ability to communicate across three different communications standards, the IW612 includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 802.15.4 support — the latter compatible with Matter, formerly known as Connected Home over IP (CHIP), with Thread mesh support.
Adding an IW612 into a Matter network, meanwhile, allows devices to communicate with each other regardless of whether they're connected on Wi-Fi or Thread — effectively bridging the two networks.
The triple-radio design isn't the only selling point of NXP's IW612, though: The company is heavily pushing its security features, including secure boot functionality, secured debug capabilities, and over-the-air firmware updates, as well as hardware cryptographic accelerators and support for WPA3 security on compatible Wi-Fi networks.
The part is designed, NXP says, for border routers, bridges, and gateways, and it comes pre-validated for connection to NXP's microprocessors and microcontrollers. While the part has been shown in action at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, however, NXP hasn't announced a launch date or price — though with sample quantities are available on request.
More information is available on the company's product page.