Chip maker Broadcom today announced its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) software development kit (SDK) has been certified by Apple for full HomeKit support. The company is the first vendor to offer HomeKit’s specs for Wi_Fi and Bluetooth Smart communications.
Compatible HomeKit devices are some of the more common automated items that have been released to market thus far, including doors, locks, lights, thermostats and security cameras. Other pieces that have been hitting the market more recently that were mentioned including smart plugs and switches. However, no devices have been released by Apple themselves. Devices will be able to be securely paired to an iOS device, as well as have control given on an individual basis. Groups of “scenes” can be setup using the tool, allowing sections of automated devices in a home to be controlled under a single command.
Broadcom’s WICED platform enables developers hardware vendors to use Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. By helping companies create HomeKit compliant products, Broadcom is reducing time-to-market for those goods that can be controlled from a HomeKit-supported app on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The Broadcom offering can also connect endpoints through a process known as bridging that delivers the benefits of HomeKit through a hardware module. This allows a product like a Bluetooth Smart light bulb to connect to a smart plug containing Broadcom’s WICED module, creating a bridge from the light bulb to the user’s HomeKit-supported app.
