Manufacturers of wireless devices are always looking to design products that deliver valuable and differentiated experiences to customers. While developing any wireless product involves complexity, building a Z-Wave hub or gateway brings a distinct set of controller responsibilities. The gateway must securely onboard and manage devices from different manufacturers, understand their capabilities through Z-Wave Command Classes, maintain network and device state, manage security and network operations, and support devices with different behaviors and capabilities. Implementing and maintaining this host-side controller functionality can require significant engineering effort before developers can focus on the features and experiences that differentiate their products.

Manufacturers of wireless devices are always looking to design products that deliver valuable experiences to customers. But for developers building Z-Wave hubs and gateways, significant engineering effort is required before creating that differentiated experience.

Network management, secure device onboarding, device discovery, firmware management, application integration, and support for diverse Z-Wave device capabilities all need to work together reliably.

The new Z-Wave Protocol Controller (ZPC) from Silicon Labs is designed to simplify that foundation, helping developers accelerate Z-Wave controller development and focus more of their engineering resources on the applications and experiences that differentiate their products.

A Modern Foundation for Z-Wave Controller Development

ZPC provides the host-side functionality needed to control and manage a Z-Wave network using a Silicon Labs Z-Wave Network Co-Processor (NCP). It operates as a central static controller and provides network management, device control, and state synchronization capabilities through an MQTT-based communication interface.

Z-Wave Protocol Controller Architecture Diagram

The ZPC architecture creates a clear separation between the customer application and the underlying Z-Wave network.

ZPC works with Silicon Labs’ Z-Wave NCP on the EFR32ZG23 and EFR32ZG28 SoCs, creating a complete host-to-network development path. The NCP provides the Z-Wave connectivity and communicates with ZPC through the Serial API, while ZPC manages the host-side controller functionality and application integration.

For developers, this means the application can focus on product functionality while ZPC provides the foundational controller capabilities needed to interact with the Z-Wave network.

The MQTT-based interface also provides a flexible integration point for customer applications, GUIs, cloud services, and bridges to other protocols or services.

Bringing Essential Z-Wave Controller Capabilities Together

A Z-Wave controller must support much more than simply sending commands to devices, and ZPC brings a broad set of controller services together within one solution. Its MQTT-based APIs support network management, Z-Wave SmartStart, device discovery and interviewing, network status, over-the-air updates, firmware updates, and Z-Wave Command Class control. ZPC also maintains a persistent attribute store with reported and desired value synchronization for Z-Wave device states.

Together, these capabilities help simplify key stages of the device lifecycle, like adding and discovering devices to monitoring network status and maintaining deployed products through firmware updates.

ZPC Makes Application Integration Simpler

As products evolve, gateways need to be able to interact with multiple applications and services.

ZPC uses MQTT as its application-facing communication interface, providing APIs that abstract Z-Wave controller operations from the customer application. This enables applications to interact with Z-Wave devices and network services without directly implementing the underlying Z-Wave protocol behavior.

This separation also makes it easier to build different experiences on top of the same controller foundation.

ZPC Enables Extensible Development

Product requirements continue to evolve after the initial controller implementation. ZPC is designed with extensible development in mind, giving developers the resources and flexibility to build on the controller foundation as their requirements grow.

Silicon Labs provides comprehensive documentation, API references, release information, and development resources to support integration and customization. For developers adding Z-Wave functionality, an automated code-generation solution streamlines new Command Class implementation, thereby reducing repetitive development effort and provides a structured approach to extending controller capabilities.

Extending the Opportunity with Z-Wave Long Range

Z-Wave applications are increasingly moving beyond devices located within the traditional boundaries of the home. Z-Wave Long Range expands the opportunity to reach devices across larger properties and commercial applications.

ZPC works with Silicon Labs Z-Wave NCP to provide a controller foundation capable of supporting both Z-Wave and Z-Wave Long Range deployments with compatible hardware and software configurations.

For customers, this provides a path to address evolving Z-Wave use cases without changing the fundamental host-controller model.

Z-Wave Protocol Controller is Progressing Toward Certification

ZPC is now generally available (GA) and ready for certification, providing customers with a platform to develop commercial Z-Wave controller products.

Z-Wave certification is targeted for completion by the end of Q4 2026, marking a key milestone toward certified commercial deployments.

Focus Engineering Where It Matters

Developers shouldn’t have to recreate foundational connectivity functionality every time they build a new gateway or controller product.

By bringing together network management, SmartStart, device discovery, monitoring, OTA firmware management, Command Class control, MQTT-based application integration, and extensible development, ZPC provides a modern foundation for developing the next generation of Z-Wave controller solutions.

Combined with the development tools, documentation, and deep Z-Wave expertise, ZPC will help developers spend less time building the controller foundation and more time creating the products and experiences that make their solutions different.

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October 8, 2026

[Press Release]

Silicon Labs Expands AI Developer Platform to Simplify IoT Development and Scale Edge Intelligence

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Works With Summit 2026 – Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), the leading innovator in low-power wireless connectivity, today announced a set of developer initiatives that makes it easier to build, extend, and operate increasingly capable IoT devices. Unveiled at the company’s seventh annual Works With Summit, the new offerings expand what developers and their AI agents can create on the Silicon Labs platform, while helping customers develop, deploy, and manage intelligence at the edge.

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News at a Glance

Design with AI: The Simplicity AI SDK is now in public Beta and supports AI coding assistants including GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Codex. Silicon Labs is also introducing Simplicity Design Intelligence, a broad and growing set of capabilities designed to understand hardware and software intent, help customers turn that intent into a working product, and verify the implementation against the original intent. Hardware Intent is the first capability.
Build and extend: The Silicon Labs open-source community is launching in Beta with Bluetooth^® Low Energy (LE), giving developers access to sample applications and tooling and a direct way to raise issues, propose fixes, contribute code, and extend the Silicon Labs software platform.
Scale edge intelligence: Silicon Labs’ platform-agnostic edge AI and machine learning tools can now connect with Databricks, the data and AI company, so customers can manage data, models, embedded optimization, and hardware test results with governed enterprise data and AI workflows on the Databricks Data + AI platform.

Development Complexity Cannot Scale with IoT

As connected products add intelligence and custom hardware, building them grows more complex. Developers navigate specialized SDKs, configuration tools, debugging environments, and hardware constraints while using general-purpose AI assistants that do not inherently understand Silicon Labs devices or embedded workflows. Development teams also need better ways to share improvements and manage AI models as intelligence moves from the cloud onto edge devices. If workflows become harder with every new capability, development complexity becomes a barrier to scaling IoT.

“More capable silicon should not create more development complexity,” said Manish Kothari, Senior Vice President of Software at Silicon Labs. “We are giving developers and their AI agents a connected path from hardware and software intent through implementation, community contribution, and the complete AI lifecycle.”

Simplicity AI SDK and Simplicity Design Intelligence Connect Intent to Product

Simplicity AI SDK has entered public Beta, giving developers and their AI coding assistants structured access to Silicon Labs SDKs, tools, documentation, and connected hardware. Rather than requiring a proprietary AI assistant, the SDK works with tools developers may already use. GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Codex are supported in the Beta. This grounding gives general-purpose AI assistants Silicon Labs-specific context. The first officially supported experience focuses on Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE), with workflows spanning project creation and configuration, building, flashing, debugging, network and power analysis, documentation search, and hardware interaction.

Simplicity Design Intelligence extends that foundation. It is a broad and growing set of Silicon Labs capabilities designed to understand hardware and software intent, help customers realize that intent in a working product, and verify the implementation against the original intent. Hardware Intent is the first capability. It uses product requirements, board schematics, and other input hardware documentation from datasheets to meeting notes to guide pin, peripheral, and software configuration, then compares the result with the original intent. This can find pin conflicts, peripheral mismatches, and missing constraints before fabrication and help reduce avoidable board respins.

“We’ve been working closely with Silicon Labs as an Alpha customer, evaluating how the Hardware Intent Agent can streamline hardware development across our current and future products while providing feedback on new features as it progresses towards general release,” said Limor Alkelai, Co-CEO, at Risco Group. “We see its potential in enabling quicker and more robust development.”

Collaborate, Build, and Extend Through the Open-Source Community

Drawing on its experience advancing open-source development for Matter, Thread, and Zephyr, Silicon Labs is launching its open-source developer community in Beta, beginning with Bluetooth LE. The mantra is simple: build and extend. Developers can build with Silicon Labs sample applications and tooling, then extend the platform by raising issues, suggesting fixes, and contributing through pull requests.

Accepted contributions can move through the company’s normal engineering and testing processes into future SDK releases. Even before acceptance, proposed fixes and discussions can remain visible to other developers, giving the community another way to share knowledge and solve common problems. The Silicon Labs applications team will support issues raised on GitHub, and Silicon Labs plans to expand this approach to additional wireless technologies over time.

Scale the Complete Edge AI Lifecycle with Databricks

As edge AI grows, model development also needs to connect with the data and AI infrastructure enterprises already use. Silicon Labs is partnering with Databricks to bring embedded edge AI into Databricks, creating a unified, governed foundation for connecting edge devices with enterprise data, AI, and machine learning workflows.

An initial Silicon Labs MLOps SDK experience connects devices with Databricks to help capture data from the device fleet. Once the data is in Databricks, all the familiar MLOps tools and training pipelines and GPU resources are available directly for training. Once a model is trained, the Silicon Labs ML Profiler can provide directionally accurate feedback on whether a model fits target hardware and its memory and CPU requirements. That feedback can help ML engineers iterate while remaining in a familiar Databricks environment, connecting model development with the enterprise data and governance that underpin production AI. This approach helps enterprises extend AI from the cloud to the edge without creating separate data and AI stacks for embedded workloads.

A Platform that Developers Can Build and Extend

Together, these initiatives scale the development system at three levels:

The Simplicity AI SDK and Simplicity Design Intelligence help developers and their AI agents move from hardware and software intent to a working product, with Hardware Intent as the first of a growing set of Design Intelligence capabilities.
The open-source community gives developers a direct way to build and extend the platform.
Silicon Labs edge AI tools and Databricks connect embedded AI development with enterprise data and AI governance. Silicon Labs intends to make increasingly capable silicon easier to use and earn the position of platform of choice for embedded wireless development.

Availability and Next Steps

The Simplicity AI SDK Beta is publicly available, with official support initially focused on Bluetooth LE and support for GitHub Copilot and Codex. An alpha release of Hardware Intent, the first capability in Simplicity Design Intelligence, is planned for January 2027.

The Silicon Labs open-source community Beta launches with Bluetooth LE, and its sample applications are accessible on GitHub for code review and contributions.

Initial Silicon Labs MLOps tools are available in Databricks today.

About Silicon Labs

Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is the leading innovator in low-power connectivity, building embedded technology that connects devices and improves lives. Merging cutting-edge technology into the world’s most highly integrated SoCs, Silicon Labs provides device makers with the solutions, support, and ecosystems needed to create advanced edge connectivity applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has operations in over sixteen countries and is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities markets. Learn more at https://www.silabs.com.

SOURCE Silicon Labs

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September 23, 2026

[Press Release]

Silicon Labs Announces Executive Keynote Lineup for Works With Summit 2026

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), the leading innovator in low-power wireless connectivity, today announced the executive keynote lineup for its seventh annual Works With Summit 2026, an invitation-only gathering of customers, technology leaders and ecosystem partners.

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The Technologies Shaping What’s Next

Silicon Labs President and CEO Matt Johnson will open the October 7 keynote at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, joined by Daniel Cooley, senior vice president and chief technology officer, and Manish Kothari, senior vice president of software development.

Together, they will share Silicon Labs’ perspective on the technology, AI tools and ecosystem collaboration required to scale the next generation of intelligent systems as connected devices become more capable and deeply integrated into homes, businesses and infrastructure.

During the keynote, Silicon Labs will unveil new products with new-to-industry performance and capabilities, giving attendees an early look at innovations designed to help advance the next generation of connected products.

“Works With brings together the customers, developers, partners, and innovators shaping the future of connected devices,” said Johnson. “The conversations taking place at the Summit directly contribute to helping turn new technology into industry-leading products and deployments. For leaders building the connected future, it is a must-attend event.”

The keynote will explore how advances in secure, intelligent wireless technology, edge AI and developer tools can help customers build, deploy and manage connected products more effectively. Attendees will also hear Silicon Labs’ perspective on the role of connectivity, power, security and ecosystem collaboration in supporting IoT at scale.

A Forum for the IoT Ecosystem

Works With Summit 2026 will take place October 6-7 across two distinctive downtown Austin venues: ACL Live at the Moody Theater and Silicon Labs’ lakeside headquarters. The invitation-only event will convene some of the industry’s most influential IoT innovators for executive keynotes, focused roundtable discussions, and hands-on technology showcases.

Attendees will explore the decisions shaping the next generation of connected products and deployments, including connectivity, batteries and power, security, Matter and Thread, sub-GHz technologies, Wi-SUN, Z-Wave, asset tracking and AI-enabled IoT development. A sponsor technology lab will provide opportunities to experience new solutions and demonstrations in person.

Together, the Summit will offer a setting for Silicon Labs and its ecosystem to exchange perspectives on how low-power wireless, edge intelligence, developer tools and enterprise practices can come together to support IoT at scale.

Attendance is by invitation only, and space is limited. Interested technology leaders can learn more and request an invitation at silabs.com/about-us/events/works-with-2026. Requests are reviewed by the Silicon Labs team, and submission does not guarantee attendance.

About Silicon Labs

SOURCE Silicon Labs

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September 8, 2026

[Blog]

From Factory Floor to the Field: Protecting IoT Firmware in the Age of AI-Assisted Reverse Engineering

Firmware is one of the most valuable assets in a connected product. It contains the algorithms that differentiate a device, the logic that connects it to an ecosystem, and often the security controls that determine whether it can be trusted. Firmware exposure has always carried risk, but today, AI is changing the economics of that risk.

Skilled analysts have used tools like Ghidra for years to reconstruct source code and behavior from compiled binaries. But it’s getting more accessible: AI-assisted tools can now help explain unfamiliar code, identify common structures, and organize findings across a firmware image faster than before, lowering the specialized expertise historically required for that work. AI can’t automatically defeat properly implemented device security, and it doesn’t eliminate the need for physical access or an exposed firmware image. But where firmware is available in readable form, AI can meaningfully speed up analysis for defenders and attackers alike. That shift isn’t theoretical. In one internal test, Silicon Labs Staff FAE Mark Umina fed the compiled firmware binary from one of his own projects into a widely available AI assistant with no other context. It correctly inferred the underlying hardware design and device behavior, then outlined a path to building a functionally equivalent prototype.

For IoT manufacturers, firmware protection can’t stop once a device is deployed. Protection needs to begin before firmware ever reaches the manufacturing line and continue throughout the product’s operational life.

The Manufacturing Environment Is Part of the Attack Surface

Most IoT manufacturers rely on contract manufacturers (CMs) to program, assemble, test, and package their products. This model offers real advantages in cost, capacity, and geographic flexibility. It also creates a security dependency: a conventional programming workflow can require handing a CM a plaintext firmware image, production credentials, device certificates, or security configuration instructions.

Even when a CM is acting in good faith, that exposure can create real business risk, including unauthorized firmware copying, product cloning or counterfeiting, production beyond authorized quantities, and leaked provisioning keys or certificates. The goal isn’t to assume every manufacturing partner is a threat, but to minimize how much sensitive material the process requires in the first place.

Protecting IoT Firmware Before it Reaches the Contract Manufacturer

Silicon Labs Custom Part Manufacturing Service (CPMS) moves critical programming and security provisioning into the Silicon Labs manufacturing environment. Instead of handing a CM an unprotected firmware image, a device maker can use CPMS to provision security controls before parts ever leave Silicon Labs, so the CM receives only what it needs to assemble the product, not the sensitive material behind it.

Protect iot firmware from factory floor to the field manufacturing and deployment

CPMS can also help reduce cloning and unauthorized production. Customer-specific part numbers and provisioned device identities give manufacturers more visibility into what’s shipped and can help a cloud service distinguish an authentic, provisioned product from a clone that merely copies application firmware.

Extending Protection After IoT Device Deployment With Secure Vault

Once a device leaves the factory, the threat model changes. Physical access, exposed interfaces, and firmware modification all become possible. Silicon Labs Secure Vault™ is an integrated collection of hardware and software security features, including secure boot, secure debug, hardware cryptographic acceleration, and device identity, that help ensure only authorized firmware runs, restrict access to sensitive interfaces, and protect key material even under physical attack.

In 2025, Series 3 Secure Vault on the SiXG301 became the first product reported to achieve PSA Certified Level 4, a certification focused on resistance to sophisticated physical and side-channel attacks.

One Firmware Protection Strategy, Two Critical Stages

CPMS and Secure Vault address different parts of the product lifecycle. Together, they enable a more continuous approach to firmware protection.

During manufacturing: reduce firmware exposure, provision device identity, and limit dependence on the contract manufacturer’s security infrastructure.

After deployment: verify authorized code, protect key material, control debug access, and raise the difficulty of device-level attacks.

Protect iot firmware from factory floor to the field silicon labs cpms

Neither technology replaces secure software development, threat modeling, or supply-chain governance. Security is a system property, and the final protection level depends on how silicon, firmware, backend, and operational controls work together.

Designing Secure Firmware for a Lower-Trust World

AI will continue to improve both defensive and offensive engineering. Device makers can’t rely on firmware obscurity, or on the assumption that reverse engineering is too costly to be practical. The stronger approach is to ensure that valuable firmware is not unnecessarily exposed, that devices only execute authorized software, and that keys and identities are protected by hardware-backed controls appropriate to the product’s threat model.

With CPMS and Secure Vault, Silicon Labs helps customers build security into two of the most important stages of an IoT product’s lifecycle: when the device is manufactured, and when it is operating in the field. In an era of faster, more accessible analysis, that end-to-end view is becoming essential. For a deeper technical look at configuring these protections, including how secure boot and secure debug work together to protect firmware during programming, see the CPMS documentation on docs.silabs.com.

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August 26, 2026

[Blog]

Enabling Smarter, More Energy-Efficient Hotels and MDUs Through Z-Wave Long Range

Energy efficiency has become a key differentiator for hotels and multi-dwelling units (MDUs). Rising utility costs, ambitious sustainability goals, and increasing guest expectations are driving property owners to address this by investing in smarter building automation. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Energy Efficiency 2025 report, buildings account for around 30% of global energy demand, making hotels and MDUs two of the largest opportunities for improving operational efficiency.

For developers building next-generation connected buildings, meeting this challenge requires creating scalable energy-management solutions. This starts with secure, low-power endpoints that communicate reliably across an entire property. Z-Wave Long Range provides the wireless foundation to connect these endpoints at scale, enabling hotels and MDUs to sense, connect, and respond intelligently.

Why Energy Management Needs Smarter Endpoints

Energy management is becoming a broader priority across the connected-device ecosystem. In smart homes, for example, Matter Energy Management is expanding how devices can share energy information and coordinate their operation. Hotels and MDUs take this challenge to a different scale, where wireless coverage, endpoint scalability, and long-term operation become critical.

Today’s Hotels/MDUs already contain connected thermostats, occupancy sensors, smart locks, lighting controls, and environmental sensors. But many energy-saving opportunities remain untapped because these devices often operate independently rather than as an intelligent system.

Consider a hotel room after a guest checks out. Without occupancy awareness, HVAC systems may continue conditioning an empty room, lights remain on unnecessarily, and housekeeping receives no automated indication that the room is vacant. Similar inefficiencies occur in apartment buildings, where common-area lighting, environmental controls, or vacant units continue consuming energy regardless of actual occupancy.

Solving these problems requires endpoints that can securely exchange information, respond locally to occupancy changes, and scale across hundreds or thousands of devices without increasing deployment complexity.

In other words, scalable energy management starts with scalable wireless endpoints.

Why Z-Wave Long Range for Energy Management Devices?

Hotels and MDUs present unique connectivity challenges. Devices are distributed across multiple floors, concrete walls reduce signal propagation, and many endpoints must operate on batteries for years with minimal maintenance.

Z-Wave Long Range addresses these challenges by extending reliable Sub-GHz communication while supporting significantly larger endpoint populations than traditional residential deployments. The combination of long-range communication, low-power operation, and certified interoperability enables occupancy sensors, thermostats, lighting controls, leak detectors, and smart locks to work together as a coordinated energy-management system.

Similarly, certified interoperability allows manufacturers to develop products that integrate into an established ecosystem, giving building operators greater flexibility when selecting devices while reducing deployment risk and protecting long-term infrastructure investments.

For developers, this means building products that can support both today’s installations and tomorrow’s larger, more intelligent properties without redesigning the underlying wireless architecture.

Designing Better Energy-Management Devices with Z-Wave Long Range

Building intelligent endpoints requires more than selecting a wireless protocol. Developers must balance battery life, security, installation simplicity, application complexity, and long product lifecycles within a single device.

Silicon Labs addresses these challenges through a combination of low-power wireless hardware, integrated security, certified software, and a comprehensive development ecosystem. The EFR32ZG28 demonstrates how these capabilities come together for next-generation Z-Wave Long Range products.

One practical challenge is commissioning hundreds of devices across a large property. The EFR32ZG28 combines Z-Wave Long Range connectivity with optional Bluetooth^® Low Energy, enabling installers to use familiar mobile workflows for device commissioning and servicing while maintaining robust connectivity through the Z-Wave network. Part of the Z-Wave 800 family, the ZG28 combines energy-efficient operation, strong RF performance, long-range connectivity, and industry-leading security.

Connected thermostats, locks, and environmental sensors may remain deployed for more than a decade while controlling critical building functions, making security a non-negotiable aspect of development. Secure Vault™ provides hardware-rooted protection for device identities, cryptographic keys, secure boot, and firmware integrity, helping developers build products designed for long-term operation and evolving cybersecurity requirements.

Application complexity also continues to grow. Modern energy-management devices increasingly combine sensing, user interfaces, local control algorithms, firmware updates, and multiple communication interfaces. The EFR32ZG28 provides additional memory and processing resources that give developers room to expand application functionality without requiring a hardware redesign as products evolve.

Edge processing is becoming equally important for practical energy-management applications. Rather than transmitting every sensor event to the cloud, endpoints can locally distinguish between brief movement and sustained room occupancy before triggering HVAC or lighting adjustments. This reduces unnecessary network traffic while enabling faster responses to changing conditions. Integrated AI/ML acceleration provides additional headroom for these evolving endpoint functions as occupancy sensing and environmental monitoring become more sophisticated.

Accelerating Commercial Energy Management Product Device Development

Developing a commercial energy-management product involves considerably more than selecting a wireless SoC. Engineering teams must integrate protocol software, implement security, complete certification, optimize battery life, validate wireless performance, and maintain products throughout long deployment lifecycles.

Developers building energy-management applications can accelerate their workflow using Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio, a unified development platform that brings together SDKs, network analysis, and energy-profiling tools in one place. By handling the complexity of foundational technology integration, Simplicity Studio makes it possible for engineers to focus on building differentiated features that deliver real, measurable value to property operators.

Building the Next Generation of Intelligent Buildings

The next phase of energy management will be defined not by the number of connected devices, but by how intelligently they work together to understand occupancy, anticipate energy demand, and adapt building operations in real time. As buildings continue to evolve, developers will face new questions. How can endpoints make more decisions locally while maintaining ultra-low power consumption? How can thousands of connected devices remain secure throughout decade-long deployments? How can building systems become more autonomous without increasing complexity for installers and operators?

The answers to these questions will shape the next generation of intelligent buildings, and the wireless endpoints being designed today will play a central role in enabling that future.

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July 29, 2026

[Blog]

Mastering the Multi-Radio Challenge of Coexistence in Modern IoT Devices

The IoT has evolved, and so have consumers. End users have come to expect more from their connected devices, including being able to communicate with the entire home ecosystem. Driven by standards like Matter, the market is demanding devices that speak multiple wireless languages. It’s not enough for a smart hub, digital assistant, smart speaker, or set-top box to have only Wi-Fi. Now, these products are increasingly expected to act as full-fledged Thread Border Routers or Zigbee hubs. This requires integrating 802.15.4 radios alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into a single, compact design.

Silicon Labs addresses this complex challenge head-on with its wireless SoCs and modules, which are purpose-built for robust, multi-protocol environments.

The Growing Pressure on 2.4 GHz Networks and What Interference Means for 802.15.4

The pressure on the 2.4 GHz band is relentless. Every new Wi-Fi router adds to the noise. For a low-power, low-data-rate protocol like 802.15.4, Wi-Fi interference is an existential threat to its reliability, which is its core value proposition

When an 802.15.4 radio encounters interference from a strong or nearby Wi-Fi transmission on an overlapping channel, it experiences several detrimental effects, including:

Reduced range: The interference raises the effective noise floor through in-band interference. For a receiver to successfully decode a packet, the signal must be significantly stronger than the interference. As this interference increases, the effective range of the device shrinks dramatically.
Increased latency: When a packet is corrupted by interference, it has to be retransmitted by the protocol. Additionally, CSMA/CA backoff delays increase. Each retry adds delay, leading to a sluggish and unresponsive user experience.
Reduced battery life: Radio transmissions are the most power-hungry operations for a battery-powered IoT device. A high number of retries keeps the radio active longer, significantly reducing battery life potentially from years to months depending on conditions.
Network Instability: In severe cases, a device may be unable to successfully transmit after multiple attempts, causing it to lose its connection to the network and require a rejoining process.

Understanding these impacts is key to appreciating why a robust coexistence strategy is a fundamental requirement for any successful IoT product.

The Limitations of Unmanaged Wireless Coexistence

The first line of defense against interference is unmanaged wireless coexistence, where systems operate independently but are designed to minimize conflict. This approach relies on a combination of physical design, protocol behavior, and radio performance.

One of the most effective techniques is frequency separation. By selecting channels that are distant from active Wi-Fi channels, 802.15.4 networks can reduce the likelihood of overlap. However, this strategy has limitations. Wi-Fi signals are wideband and often strong enough to interfere even with channels that are nominally non-overlapping. This is particularly true in environments where access points are located within a meter to IoT devices.

Spatial separation is another important consideration. Increasing the physical distance between devices or improving antenna isolation can significantly reduce interference. This is relatively straightforward for distributed end devices but becomes more challenging in compact, multi-radio products.

For devices interacting with a noisy external environment, “unmanaged” coexistence using a robust radio to passively resist interference – is beneficial. However, when multiple radios are operating tens of millimeters apart on the same circuit board, this strategy is insufficient. The raw power of a nearby Wi-Fi radio can completely overwhelm a low-power 802.15.4 radio.

For the complex multi-radio devices that are now becoming standard, a proactive, managed wireless coexistence strategy is needed.

Managed Wireless Coexistence: Packet Traffic Arbitration (PTA) is the Foundation of Cooperation

Managed coexistence moves from passive resilience to active, hardware-level coordination. The industry-standard mechanism for this is Packet Traffic Arbitration (PTA). Silicon Labs’ EFR32MG24 SoCs provide flexible hardware support for all standard PTA configurations, allowing seamless integration with a wide variety of Wi-Fi chipsets.

As shown in the diagram below, Packet Traffic Arbitration operates on a simple but highly effective principle of request and grant signals exchanged between the MG24 (handling 802.15.4) and the Wi-Fi radio.

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image1

How Packet Traffic Arbitration Works

802.15.4 Needs Access
The 802.15.4 radio has data to send or receive.
Request Sent
The 802.15.4 radio asserts a REQUEST to the Wi-Fi radio.
Wi-Fi Evaluates
The Wi-Fi radio evaluates the request based on its internal policy (e.g., priority, fairness, current activity).
Grant Sent
The Wi-Fi radio asserts a GRANT back to the 802.15.4 radio.
Access Granted
The 802.15.4 radio uses the channel; the Wi-Fi radio pauses or defers its transmissions.

The level of coordination can be scaled depending on the system’s needs:

2-Wire PTA: A COEX_REQ signal from the MG24 and a COEX_GRANT signal from the Wi-Fi radio.

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image2

Normal Operation: Wi-Fi is using the airwaves (No request — 802.15.4 is idle.)
802.15.4 Requests Access: MG24 asserts COEX_REQ to request the airwaves.
Wi-Fi Grants Access: Wi-Fi acknowledges by asserting COEX_GRANT.
802.15.4 Transmits: MG24 now has the airwaves and can transmit/receive.

3-Wire PTA: Adds a COEX_PRIORITY signal, allowing the MG24 to flag the urgency of its request (e.g., a high-priority ACK vs. a low-priority sensor reading).

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image3

802.15.4 Needs Access: The MG24 has data to send or receive. (Wi-Fi may already be using the airwaves.)
Request + Priority Sent: MG24 asserts COEX_REQ and sets COEX_PRIORITY to indicate urgency (High or Low).
Wi-Fi Evaluates Priority: Wi-Fi evaluates the priority level and decides whether to grant access (immediate grant or delay/defer).
Grant Returned: If access is granted, Wi-Fi asserts COEX_GRANT.
802.15.4 Uses the Airwaves: MG24 transmits or receives without Wi-Fi interference.

4-Wire PTA: Provides the richest context by adding signals that can specify the exact packet type (TX or RX), giving the Wi-Fi arbiter maximum information to manage traffic most efficiently.

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image4

802.15.4 Needs Access: The MG24 has data to send or receive.
COEX_REQ + COEX_PRIORITY + COEX_FREQ Sent: The MG24 asserts COEX_REQ and provides context using: COEX_PRIORITY for urgency and COEX_FREQ for frequency/channel information.
Wi-Fi Evaluates Request + Frequency Context: The Wi-Fi radio evaluates the request using current activity, priority level, and COEX_FREQ frequency/channel information.
COEX_GRANT Returned: If access is allowed, the Wi-Fi radio asserts COEX_GRANT.
802.15.4 Uses the Airwaves: The MG24 transmits or receives in a protected window while Wi-Fi defers its activity.

The timing diagram below illustrates how MG24 uses PTA to create clear, protected windows of operation. The MG24 asserts its REQ signal before its transmission begins. It keeps the REQ asserted not only for its own transmission (TX) but also for the critical window when it is waiting to receive an acknowledgment (RX ACK). Only after the entire transaction is complete does it de-assert the REQ. This process guarantees that the full 802.15.4 transaction is protected from self-interference.

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image5

Duty-Cycled Packet Traffic Arbitration for Advanced Management

For battery-powered devices where power conservation is important, the MG24 platform also supports duty-cycled PTA. Instead of a continuous request, the MG24 can be programmed to request access only during very specific, scheduled windows. The Wi-Fi radio, aware of this schedule, can proactively quiet itself just for those brief, critical moments. This minimizes the time the Wi-Fi radio is paused, increasing throughput while still helping to manage essential 802.15.4 traffic and saving power.

The Signal Identifier: A Patented Leap in MG24 Intelligence

Normal PTA allows the 802.15.4 radio to request access to the shared medium and can defer Wi-Fi activity to avoid collisions. However, this approach has inherent limitations. Without awareness of ongoing Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) or Zigbee activity during Wi-Fi idle periods, the system has to rely on conservative or aggressive scheduling strategies such as increased priority or duty cycling. These approaches can either degrade Wi-Fi performance or fail to guarantee reliable low-power wireless communication.

The Signal Identifier (SI), a unique and patented hardware feature integrated into the Silicon Labs MG24 SoC, adds a higher level of coexistence intelligence. Rather than detecting Wi-Fi packets, SI continuously monitors the airwaves for valid Bluetooth LE and Zigbee signals with protocol awareness.

During natural gaps between Wi-Fi transmissions, the SI listens for active Bluetooth LE or Zigbee packet activity. If a valid signal is detected, SI immediately asserts a high-priority PTA request to delay the next Wi-Fi transmission. This creates a protected receive window, allowing the Bluetooth LE or Zigbee packet to be successfully received without interference.

This intelligent coexistence mechanism enables the MG24 to dynamically protect critical low-power wireless traffic while minimizing unnecessary impact on Wi-Fi performance, delivering a major improvement in robustness and coexistence efficiency.

Wireless coexistence engineering for multi radio devices image6

The following sequence highlights how the MG24’s Signal Identifier intelligently protects BLE and Zigbee traffic during Wi-Fi coexistence, enabling far more efficient and reliable operation than conventional PTA-only approaches:

Wi-Fi transmission starts: The Wi-Fi radio is actively transmitting and occupying the channel.
A Wi-Fi gap occurs: A natural gap appears between Wi-Fi packets, creating a short opportunity for other radios to communicate.
SI detects a valid Bluetooth LE/Zigbee Signal: During the Wi-Fi gap, the Si detects a valid Bluetooth LE or Zigbee packet on the airwaves.
SI requests Wi-Fi delay: The SI immediately asserts a high-priority PTA request to delay the next Wi-Fi transmission.
Wi-Fi defers transmission: The Wi-Fi radio honors the PTA request and temporarily pauses its next transmission.
Bluetooth (LE)/Zigbee communication proceeds: The MG24 safely receives or transmits the Bluetooth LE/Zigbee packet during the protected window.
Transaction completes: The Bluetooth LE/Zigbee communication finishes successfully without Wi-Fi interference.
Wi-Fi resumes transmission: The PTA request is released, allowing Wi-Fi to resume normal transmissions.

This patented, intelligent coexistence mechanism transforms coexistence from a static scheduling problem into a dynamic, protocol-aware protection system. By selectively delaying Wi-Fi transmissions only when valid Bluetooth LE or Zigbee activity is detected, the MG24 delivers significantly improved wireless robustness and coexistence efficiency, serving as a key differentiator for the platform.

Managed Wireless Coexistence is a Requirement for the Modern Smart Home

As the smart home accelerates and standards like Matter push for more integrated functionality, managed coexistence is no longer a niche feature. The proliferation of OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) and hub functionality into a wider range of consumer devices makes it an essential requirement. By leveraging the comprehensive coexistence toolkit built into the Silicon Labs MG24 family, from flexible multi-wire PTA to the patented, intelligent Signal Identifier, developers can build the reliable, high-performance, multi-protocol devices that will power the next generation of the IoT.

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July 16, 2026

[Blog]

Zephyr Brings the SiWx917 Ultra-Low-Power Wi-Fi to Everyone

With the Q2 release of Simplicity SDK for Zephyr, support for the SiWx917 is expanding. This is a meaningful step forward and provides developers a more mature Zephyr path for building with the SiWG917, supported by continued validation with a focus on product development.

This release offers an opportunity to take a fresh look at the SiW917 and what it represents for manufactures of energy-sensitive IoT devices. A key feature is that the SiWx917 brings together ultra-low-power Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), and application processing integrated on one device. In this blog, we’re going to take a closer look at what the SiWx917 + Zephyr means for developers.

The General Availability of Simplicity SDK for Zephyr Represents Full Quality Assurance

The quality levels associated with Simplicity SDK for Zephyr map to concrete commitments and provides insight into a fully tested development tool. These levels include:

Feature completeness – a complete implementation of the documented feature set, not a partial preview.
Verification – fully verified according to the test plan, rather than the incomplete verification that defines earlier stages.
Bug and security fixes – critical fixes land in the latest GA release as well as the development branch.
Technical support – issues in tagged releases raised through Silicon Labs support channels are handled by our support staff.

The Industry’s Leading Ultra-Low-Power Wi-Fi Device, Now With the Flexibility of Zephyr

If you’re unfamiliar with the SiWx917, or haven’t looked closely at it lately, here’s why this is interesting. The SiWx917 is an ultra-low-power Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth LE 5.4 wireless SoC with an integrated Arm Cortex-M4F application processor (up to 180 MHz), radio, and security — all in a single 7×7 mm package. It’s available with as much as 8 MB of in-package Flash and includes a full complement of digital and analog peripherals.

It’s built for the kind of devices where battery life and board space are at a premium, including smart home sensors, wearables, connected health, asset tracking, and industrial IoT devices. On Zephyr, the SiWx917 is supported as a wireless SoC, giving developers a flexible path for building connected applications on a single device. Now all of that is available with the flexibility of Simplicity SDK for Zephyr.

Bringing the SiWx917 to GA brings much of its Wi-Fi capability into production-ready Zephyr environments. On Zephyr, the SiWx917’s Wi-Fi feature set covers the core requirements real products depend on, including reliable connectivity, security, power-aware operation, and the flexibility needed to support connected devices across a range of IoT use cases.

Station (STA) mode for connecting to existing networks
Access Point (AP) mode for provisioning and standalone deployments
Power Save modes for battery-sensitive designs
Target Wake Time (TWT) – the Wi-Fi 6 scheduling feature that lets a device negotiate exactly when it wakes to talk to the AP, a big lever for low-power operation

These features have been through additional levels of testing and a few capabilities continue to mature at earlier quality levels, so the Quality Levels page remains the authoritative, feature-by-feature reference — always worth checking against your specific design.

Broad Bluetooth LE Support for Multi-Protocol IoT Designs

The SiWx917 isn’t just a Wi-Fi part, and its Bluetooth LE support moves to GA in this release as well. The Bluetooth LE feature set on Zephyr is genuinely broad and includes:

PHYs: 1 Mbps, 2Mbps and Coded PHY
Advertising: legacy, extended, and periodic advertising, plus advertising extensions
Scanning: active and passive
Roles: concurrent roles and Data Length Extensions
Connectivity: L2CAP connection-oriented channels and Enhanced ATT
Security and privacy: LE privacy, LE security mode 1 (levels 1–4) and mode 2, LE Secure Connections, Just Works and Passkey Entry pairing, and Out-of-Band support

That’s enough to build modern, secure Bluetooth LE applications, from simple peripherals to more sophisticated multi-role designs, on the same chip handling your Wi-Fi.

Why Zephyr SDK Support for the SiWx917 Matters

The appeal of the SiWx917 has always been the combination of capabilities: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE, and an application MCU. What the Q2 release changes is the foundation you build that combination on. A GA-quality Zephyr target means a complete feature set, full verification against the test plan, and a real support path — the things you need to take a design from prototype to production with confidence.

The full, feature-by-feature breakdown of quality levels for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, drivers, security, and bootloaders lives here: Quality Levels — Simplicity SDK for Zephyr.

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July 2, 2026

[Blog]

Takeaways From Unify 2026

This month, I had the opportunity to attend Unify 2026, hosted by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). As a senior campaign manager on the Global Marketing team, I work closely with Product Marketing to translate product strategy into integrated campaigns that educate and engage audiences around emerging technologies, thought leadership, and Silicon Labs solutions. Unify gave me a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the people shaping these technologies and to better understand where the industry is headed.

The goal of Unify was to bring together leaders and product makers across the IoT ecosystem to explore the future of connected technology. Through technical sessions, product demonstrations, and networking, the event highlighted the industry’s shared goal of accelerating adoption of open, interoperable IoT standards.

After experiencing a range of panels and networking events, I left with one overarching takeaway: the future of IoT isn’t just about connecting devices, it’s about building smarter, more secure, and more interoperable experiences through collaboration.

A Message from Kevin Ashton

Photo courtesy of the CSA

The event opened with IoT pioneer Kevin Ashton, best known for coining the term “Internet of Things”. His message challenged us to think beyond today’s smart home devices and imagine technologies that solve meaningful, everyday problems.

Rather than creating connected products simply because we can, Ashton encouraged us to focus on innovations that genuinely improve people’s lives, including ways to detect if someone is sick or making everyday chores easier with a self-folding dryer. Think bigger!

Security is No Longer Optional

Photo courtesy of the CSA

Although there was a dedicated security panel, security quickly emerged as a theme throughout the entire conference.

The key message we heard consistently was that security is now a baseline expectation. Consumers, enterprises, and regulators expect connected devices to be secure from day one, and that responsibility extends across every layer of the ecosystem from silicon and devices to networks, applications, and cloud services.

This reinforced Silicon Labs’ approach to security. Security isn’t treated as just a feature, it’s a foundational design principle. Through features like Secure Boot, Secure Over-The-Air updates, and through third-party security evaluations and testings, we help customers build products that are protected throughout their lifecycle. As an active contributor to Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-SUN, and Z-Wave, we’re also helping strengthen the security of the broader IoT ecosystem.

Silicon Labs Helping Shape the Conversation

Photo courtesy of the CSA

One of my favorite parts of the week was watching fellow Silabers take the stage to share their expertise.

Colin Cureton, Product Line Vice President of Home, explored one of today’s hottest topics: Edge AI.

As AI continues to transform the industry, IoT devices are becoming more intelligent and capable of making decisions locally rather than relying entirely on the cloud. Running AI at the edge reduces latency, improves privacy, and enables faster, more reliable decision-making for applications ranging from manufacturing and smart buildings to predictive maintenance and energy management.

For me, the main takeaway was that the future of IoT is about more than just connecting devices. It’s about enabling devices to think and respond in real time.

Rob Alexander, Principal Product Manager and Vice Chair of the CSA Board of Directors, spoke about how companies can actively shape the future of Matter by participating in alliances.

The key message here was that Matter evolves through collaboration. The standard can’t be built in a silo. It needs to be shaped through contributions from Alliance members, technical working groups, implementation feedback, and real-world experience. Rather than waiting for new capabilities to arrive, companies have an opportunity to help define what’s next.

Our very own Campaigns Team Manager and Vice President of Marketing for Thread, Ann Olivo, joined two sessions focused on Thread and Matter. She helped attendees better understand how the technologies work together and where they fit into a product roadmap.

One of the biggest misconceptions addressed throughout the week was the idea that it’s “Thread or Matter.” In reality, it’s both.

Thread provides the reliable, low-power mesh networking foundation for many connected devices, while Matter builds on that foundation to deliver interoperability across ecosystems. Together, they allow manufacturers to focus less on ecosystem-specific development and more on building innovative, high-quality products.

The conversations also reinforced that these technologies extend far beyond the smart home. From commercial buildings and energy management to industrial and enterprise deployments, Thread and Matter are enabling connected solutions at much larger scales.

In fact, Silicon Labs is already demonstrating this through our Large-Scale Matter over Thread Deployment in our Boston office, proving that Matter-over-Thread networks can deliver reliable, enterprise-scale performance. Check out our white paper on Matter over Thread to learn more.

Innovation Happens Through Collaboration

Photo courtesy of the CSA

Beyond the sessions, the demo showcase offered a chance to see the latest innovations up close. At the Silicon Labs booth, attendees experienced demos featuring technologies like Aliro, while our booth neighbor, Thread Group, demonstrated how Thread connects devices across a growing ecosystem.

Some of my most engaging conversations actually happened between sessions. Whether attendees were just beginning to explore Thread or were already building Matter products, it was clear that people were excited to learn more and contribute to open standards.

I left Unify energized, both by the expert-led panels and the collaboration I saw firsthand between the companies driving the industry forward.

I gained a much deeper appreciation for the work happening across the CSA community. From security and AI to interoperability and open standards, every company has a role to play in shaping the future of IoT.

Seeing Silicon Labs contribute not only through our technology, but also through leadership, technical expertise, and active participation in standards development made me especially proud to be part of the team helping build what’s next!

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June 17, 2026

[Press Release]

Silicon Labs Advances Large-Scale Matter Deployments with 200-Node Matter-over-Thread Validation Network

AUSTIN, Texas, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), the leading innovator in low-power wireless connectivity, today announced the successful deployment and operation of a 200-node Matter-over-Thread validation network, demonstrating the scalability, reliability and performance of Matter for large-scale smart building, commercial IoT and next-generation smart home applications.

Announced at the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s (CSA) inaugural Unify event, this highlights a key evolution in the Matter ecosystem: the industry is moving beyond proving interoperability and toward demonstrating scalability for real-world deployments. Silicon Labs’ 200-node Matter-over-Thread validation network provides evidence that Matter can support the larger, more complex environments expected in commercial buildings, multi-dwelling units and next-generation smart home installations.

“Matter is rapidly evolving from a smart home technology into a platform capable of supporting much larger deployments,” said Daniel Cooley, Chief Technology Officer at Silicon Labs. “This work demonstrates not only that Matter-over-Thread can theoretically scale to thousands of devices, but also how Silicon Labs is helping customers deploy, manage and future-proof those networks through innovations spanning Matter, Thread, and Concurrent Multiprotocol technologies.”

Largest Public Validation Network Demonstrates Matter Scalability for Industrial and Commercial Applications

Believed to be among the largest publicly documented Matter-over-Thread performance test networks to date, the deployment was designed to evaluate how Matter performs as networks expand beyond traditional residential use cases. Unlike a controlled laboratory simulation, the network operated across Silicon Labs’ Boston Connectivity Lab and office environment, with devices distributed throughout the facility and exposed to real-world wireless conditions including active Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth and Thread traffic. The network tested multicast messaging, unicast communications, commissioning workflows and long-term network stability under deployment-like conditions.

The validation effort reflects Silicon Labs’ ongoing commitment to advancing the Matter ecosystem and helping device manufacturers confidently deploy Matter-enabled products at scale. As one of the industry’s leading contributors to Matter, Silicon Labs provides wireless SoCs, software, development tools Thread Border Routers based on the OpenThread implementation, certification resources and ecosystem support that help developers accelerate Matter adoption from concept through production.

The results come as the Matter ecosystem continues to mature and expand. Silicon Labs supports the latest Matter specifications, including Matter 1.6 capabilities that broaden device interoperability, expand supported device categories and enable new smart home and smart building experiences. Through its comprehensive Matter portfolio, Silicon Labs helps developers build products that work seamlessly across major ecosystems while simplifying development, certification and deployment.

Key findings from the 200-node Matter-over-Thread validation network include:

Successful deployment and sustained operation of a 200-node Matter-over-Thread network in a real-world office environment.
100% commissioning success using on-network commissioning.
Reliable multicast and multi-hop unicast communications with mean multicast latencies as low as 87 ms and less than 1% packet loss across most payload sizes.
Consistent operation despite active Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread traffic, with no specialized topology engineering required.
Validation that Matter-over-Thread can support commercial-scale lighting, building automation and large IoT deployments.

Silicon Labs OpenThread Border Router and Concurrent Multiprotocol Technology Provide Stable Matter Foundation

The 200-node Matter-over-Thread validation network was built using the OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) implementation, which provided the Thread network infrastructure used to commission and manage devices participating in the test. As Matter-over-Thread deployments scale, Border Routers play a critical role in securely connecting Thread devices to controllers, cloud services and broader IP networks. Silicon Labs provides developers with OTBR solutions and development resources that help simplify deployment of large Matter networks.

The results also reinforce the value of Silicon Labs’ leadership in Concurrent Multiprotocol (CMP), a technology pioneered by Silicon Labs that enables devices to simultaneously support multiple wireless protocols on a single radio. CMP enables support for both Zigbee and Matter-over-Thread networks within the same device, helping manufacturers simplify migrations while preserving compatibility with existing deployments and future-proofing product portfolios.

This capability allows manufacturers to support current customer installations while preparing for future Matter adoption, reducing development complexity, streamlining inventory management and enabling a smoother transition between ecosystems. Silicon Labs supports CMP across its latest wireless platforms, including MG26 and Series 3 devices, helping developers build interoperable products that span multiple wireless ecosystems.

The complete Matter Large Network Performance report is available at: https://www.silabs.com/wireless/matter/matter-over-thread-large-network-performance-testing.

About Silicon Labs

Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is the leading innovator in low-power connectivity, building embedded technology that connects devices and improves lives. Merging cutting-edge technology into the world’s most highly integrated SoCs, Silicon Labs provides device makers with the solutions, support, and ecosystems needed to create advanced edge connectivity applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has operations in over 16 countries and is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities markets. Learn more at https://www.silabs.com.

SOURCE Silicon Labs

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June 2, 2026

[Press Release]

Powered by Silicon Labs, Comminent Ships 500,000 Wi-SUN Modules

BENGALURU, India and AUSTIN, Texas, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Comminent®, an innovator in next-generation IoT communication network platforms, and Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), the leading innovator in low-power wireless, today announced a major milestone for India’s smart grid infrastructure with the successful shipment of over 500,000 Wi-SUN-compliant communication modules powered by Silicon Labs’ EFR32FG28 Wireless SoC.

Scaling Wi-SUN for India’s Smart Grid Modernization
India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) is driving one of the world’s largest infrastructure transformations. To support this ambitious smart meter rollout, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) officially adopted the global Wi-SUN Field Area Network (FAN) specification (IEEE 2857-2021 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 32857:2026) as the national standard (IS 18010) for smart meter RF communication networks. This standardization ensures secure, interoperable wireless mesh networks for large-scale Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), smart cities, and IoT applications.

“Comminent’s 500,000-unit milestone highlights the growing adoption of Wi-SUN in large-scale deployments,” said Ross Sabolcik, Senior Vice President of Product Lines at Silicon Labs. “We are proud to partner with Comminent to provide the robust, scalable, and highly secure underlying technology needed to support India’s ambitious grid modernization efforts and deliver reliable connectivity to millions.”

Solving Complex Deployment Challenges at Scale
Comminent’s deep focus on solving India’s complex deployment challenges is central to delivering scalable and reliable rollouts. As utilities move closer to real-time monitoring and grid resilience, interoperable and self-healing networks like Wi-SUN are functioning as the primary infrastructure for large-scale deployment.

“India’s smart metering rollout is one of the largest infrastructure transformations, and this milestone reflects the growing shift toward scalable, utility-grade communication networks like Wi-SUN,” said Amarjeet Kumar, Founder & CEO of Comminent. “Our collaboration with Silicon Labs strengthens our ability to deliver high-performance communication modules engineered for advanced smart grid deployments.”

Built on the EFR32FG28 Wireless SoC for Resilient, Utility-Grade Connectivity
To meet these demands, Comminent’s communication module is powered by Silicon Labs’ EFR32FG28 Wireless SoC, architected specifically for large-scale smart grid and industrial IoT applications. The EFR32FG28 platform enables reliable, long-range connectivity in demanding field environments, offering key advantages including:

Optimized Dual-Band Connectivity: Combines a high-performance, long-range Sub-GHz radio optimized for India’s RF environment with a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth LE radio for increased design flexibility.
Resilient Processing & Infrastructure: Features a high-performance multi-core architecture with dedicated ARM cores for application processing, radio, and edge intelligence, complemented by ample memory to deliver robust mesh networking performance in dense urban and geographically distributed deployments.
Enterprise-Grade Security: Powered by Silicon Labs’ Secure Vault™ technology with PSA Level 3 certification, delivering secure key storage, anti-tamper capabilities, and advanced hardware cryptographic acceleration.

This combination enables utilities to deploy scalable, secure, and future-ready Wi-SUN networks capable of supporting millions of endpoints. With capabilities proven in India’s large-scale deployments, Comminent is expanding into global smart grid markets, including the United States, Japan, and emerging energy-transition regions.

To learn more about how Silicon Labs is powering the next generation of smart grids, explore the EFR32FG28 Wireless SoC and our Wi-SUN solutions.

About Comminent
Comminent Pvt Ltd, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, offers IPv6-compliant open standards-based machine-to-machine (M2M) communication solutions that are device agnostic and built to provide high reliability. The company’s state-of-the-art device management platform is powered by AI/ML tools combined with edge-computing technologies to ensure faster decision-making and trigger control actions based on predefined policies. Comminent has proven expertise in large-scale IoT networks, providing a variety of communication solutions and engineering tools to silicon vendors, module and product OEMs, system integrators, and service providers.

About Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is the leading innovator in low-power connectivity, building embedded technology that connects devices and improves lives. Merging cutting-edge technology into the world’s most highly integrated SoCs, Silicon Labs provides device makers with the solutions, support, and ecosystems needed to create advanced edge connectivity applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has operations in over 16 countries and is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities markets. Learn more at https://www.silabs.com.

SOURCE Silicon Labs

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