Thanks for the clarification @Darwyn_Inovelli
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So…
Since @Eric_Inovelli and @Darwyn_Inovelli are here.
Has there been any concideration to let people void their warranty, by open sourcing the firmware so people that are comfortable flashing the firmware customize it for their setup?
I think I saw they are using a SiLabs radio, as long as the fw is not locked /protected you should be able to compile and run your own. Silicon Labs just opened up the sdk which used to require at least a $99 debug kit purchase to get access.
The better option would be for you all to use a chip that can be firmware updated to Thread. Similar how Eve devices and Wemo remotes were updated via an OTA firmware update to switch from Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to Thread.
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I think I remember @Eric_Inovelli saying that the first version isn’t able to be OTA updated. And my guess it is because of the amount of memory you need space for the old and the new firmware when you are doing an OTA update. I don’t actually know, but that is the most common problem.
My hope, and once it is released I will be asking again, is that I will be able to manually flash the new firmware.
Pictures have already been posted where the the pads are to do it.
There has been consideration, yes :).
We briefly touched on it here: Use the community to help with development
This is definitely something that I’d love to pursue as I do believe in open source firmware. There are obviously some security points to consider such as figuring out how to make it so that the code can only be used for Inovelli switches and can’t be ripped off easily by competitors. I don’t know enough about how that all works, but when we go down that path, it’s something I’d love to figure out.
I truly believe this is more of a benefit than a risk though in that now people can make their own firmware versions and people can download certain versions based on their preference (similar to the custom Android ROMS).
Yes, this is correct – I think it’s just bc the chip itself isn’t capable of OTA (MG21) – or at least that’s what we’re told. MG24 is set to release shortly which does have OTA capabilities, but we haven’t been able to source that yet. Given the fact that most people are going to use this simply as a device to connect to SmartThings, Hubitat, HA, etc, we felt we would release the first version of the switch with MG21 and when MG24 is released, we will update the switch to this chip.
There will be a port where you can update your firmware, however, on the MG21 version of the switch. So, not OTA, but rather via cable.
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Is your attorney back from vacation yet? 
I would bounce the questions about how opening up the firmware will impact your product certifications and corporate liability before you open that Pandora’s box…
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It’ll be in the EULA.
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Agree with the better intermediate solution being to utilize 802.15.4 radios and hardware that is OTA updatable between Zigbee and thread. Bluetooth is separate and will need to be there for fallback networking and for the OTA upgrade most likely.
Lastly having a plan to make a current (Via upgrade) or near future Inovelli Zigbee hub Matter compliant/compatible would solve most if not all of the issues with bringing previously purchased switches into Matter compatibility without the absolute necessity of voiding consumer warranties or Inovelli going through corporate lawyer hoops. The hub would handle Zigbee communication to older switches and then speak the universal Matter application layer to all smarthome hub ecosystems. Any newly released thread switches you make skip that hub and go straight to all smarthome hub ecosystems via matter.
Plus, hubs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The automations of the big 3 that will be supporting matter are (and will probably always be) limited. Building complicated automations, will likely always require a 3rd party hub.
@grooves12, I have to agree hubs aren’t going anywhere till they are incorporated into everyone’s wi-fi routers. I have to say I don’t think hubs fix the complicated routines problem, consumer hubs are marketed as being easy, there is always another level of complexity. HA Yellow, and future generations, are probably the closest thing to an advanced hub well see.
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That’s actually one of the advantages of Thread: it doesn’t require a hub. Just a device that acts as a Thread border router and connects to your LAN, like the Nanoleaf panels. Thread is also being activated in wifi routers like Nest Wifi. Then any middle layer like Matter can communicate with those devices. Obviously for automation engines and the like, you’ll also need a hub to control those Thread devices. I do like that hubs are becoming more embedded instead of standalone devices. They’re in smart speakers, smart screens, soon will be in Samsung TVs and fridges, etc.
(we’re really starting to derail this post 
)
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First time posting! I am all in on HomeKit and found Inovelli by accident. After reading a few threads and seeing the red series, I thought I hit the jackpot to see the roadmap for the blue series. I had to read up on Zigbe and Matter to learn that it should be able to be updated to work with HomeKit. At least in the Apple community, anything with Thread support gets TONS of free publicity/reviews…and apparently sells very well. I understand Matter to be the “language” that is mostly coding…Thread is the hardware that people worry about when buying something. Stressing future compatibility with Thread vice Matter is what would make me buy it instantly. Instead I went down this rabbit hole to figure out matter, thread, and Zigbe to see if I need to wait or not. I also discovered this great community! Great for the techie guy here but I don’t think a regular non-tech type would do any research. Just look for the Made for Apple or Thread support. Sorry if this is long winded and all over the place, I just want to buy these Blue Series! Would be good to see some HomeKit love here…when signing up, HomeKit wasn’t even an option for a community.
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I am getting excited!
the official hype video is out.
@Eric_Inovelli, is it too soon to ask when?
Maybe a better question is what hurdles do you have left? I know you mentioned the UL testing has been backed up.
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Lol good point. I also need to chill on the spending so it will wait a tad haha.
Welcome! I’m in a similar boat believe it or not – Everyone always assumes I am this super techie guy who owns a smart home company, but the reality is @EricM_Inovelli is the brains behind all the protocols and languages, whereas I know how to draw pretty pictures to make this stuff look cool. I know enough to be dangerous, but that’s about it lol.
I am super excited about the future though and what Matter hopefully can bring to the table and I definitely understand the love for Thread and the HomeKit community. Your post is a good reminder that I need to add some more love to HomeKit 
Thanks so much for checking us out and again, welcome to the community, we’re excited to have you my friend!
LOL, nah, never too soon. I will admit, I’m way more hesitant with this one based on the 5-Button fiasco, but I’m extremely confident in this one (one because I’m managing this project myself and two because we’re in a really good spot with beta testing).
If I had to put a wager on it, I’d say likely April will be the release date.
The hurdles we have left are the following:
- We’re on version 7 of beta firmware – I think we likely have 1-2 more iterations left.
- Philips Hue integration (not a deal-breaker for release, but I’m pushing hard bc it’s a huge opportunity if we can pull it off) – right now, we can’t get the switch to work with the gateway (something to do with the key – we’re working with the ZigBee Alliance as Hue has not been much help)
- UL Certification – it’s been submitted, but we’re waiting on finalization
- FCC/IC/ZigBee Certification – this isn’t really a hurdle, but it’s what we have left to do
Honestly, the hard part is behind us – hardware has tested amazingly in multiple scenarios (neutral, non-neutral, etc) and the beta testers are crushing it. I can say from the bottom of my heart that this has been the best group I’ve ever worked with and this switch is going to be the new flagship (and that’s saying a lot bc I never thought anything could beat the Red Series Dimmer).
NET: I feel good about an April release (let’s say late April to be conservative) – I plan on opening up pre-orders once beta testing is complete and there’s a production run scheduled. I wish I could take more risks, but man that 5-Button really made me nervous about any pre-orders lol.
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Really there is no need or expectation from me for anything more exact than that. That was a great run down of where the project stands. Thank you.
My only follow up is how long after the US release do you see it taking to reach Canada?
@Eric_Inovelli – first of all, I’m super excited that you guys are entering the Zigbee/Matter market. Personally, I’ve found Zigbee to be much more robust than Z-Wave and have removed almost all Z-Wave devices from my home automation system.
I am looking to replace the Homeseer HS-WD200+ dimmer which has individually controlled RGB LED’s. (In fairness, the device has been performing well – the issue is that it will lose routing as I continue to migrate off of Z-Wave.) My primary use case is to have a colored LED per person to display their occupancy in the house. A different LED blinks red when a family member’s Dexcom glucose meter indicates low blood sugar, etc.
Question: is it possible to add individual segment control of the LED’s instead of addressing the whole bar? I think it would open up a significant and valuable “statusing” capability.
Stay tuned….
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Great question. The switched will be available to Canadians via our website the same time they’re available to US customers.
There will be a higher shipping fee of course but I promise we’re not making any money off of it.
In regards to when they’ll be on Amazon Canada or we have some sort of Canadian distributor, that remains to be seen. I am working on a few things behind the scenes that I hope to release to the public in the next couple of weeks. It’s taking a bit to solidify the details, but I promise it will be worth it as we have attracted some pretty large backers who can help us from an operations side of things.
I would bet they have distribution in Canada that we could tap into as they are one of the largest IoT companies (that many of you I’m sure use) - how’s that for a tease lol?
Thanks, I get more excited by the day too! We were hesitant to get into ZigBee bc we love Z-Wave and it’s what we’ve done for so long, but ZigBee has impressed us big time. I kind of wish we took the opportunity we had 3yrs ago to explore ZigBee… Oh well, never too late!
Wow, this is really incredible. I’ve never thought about the health benefits of notifications, but that makes total sense. What glucose meter are you using? I’d love to use this as an example down the road if you don’t mind. Once we get more staff that can write up tutorials, I think this would be huge to let ppl know it’s possible and then how to do it.
It’s like you are in our beta chat and have been monitoring it haha. We’ve been talking about this and how to pull it off for the first release.
We do plan on adding individually addressable notifications and the team is working on it for the next release of beta firmware. I’m not entirely sure on if there will be animations for each individual LED, but at the very least, they can turn different colors.
The problem we’re facing, however, is that the way our LED bar is set up, it has a diffuser in the design so that it can dissipate light to give that smooth effect of the LED bar going up and down (hard to explain - when I get to the office, I can edit this with pictures).
The individual LED notifications may look weird as it wouldn’t be as defined as the HomeSeer one that has individual dots.
So, we’re left with a challenge, if sell replacement paddles that look more like HomeSeers dot design, we gain the individual LED look, but we lose the smooth bar design (which is our signature look and also used to indicate dim levels). However if we keep the current design, my fear is that it will look weird.
This is why @harjms likely said, “stay tuned” lol.
TLDR: it will be built into the firmware, we’re just now working on how to best display it.
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Will the Philips Hue Integration work like the with Friends of Hue functionality? I’ve installed a couple of Lutron Aurora dimmers, but the look is awful and they will be removed soon.
Since this look is similar to Sunnata dimmers, this would save me a BOATLOAD of cash on RadioRa3 Sunnata dimmers!