The German ABB subsidiary Busch-Jaeger now offers a wireless stick for its free@home system. The Busch-free@home Thread USB stick (link) connects to the system’s access point and transforms the control center into a Thread Border Router. This eliminates the need for an external border router, which was previously required for the integration of Thread devices.
To control products using the Thread radio protocol, Busch-Jaeger previously used a corresponding controller from Apple, Google, etc. The devices first had to commissioned on the respective platform and then shared with the access point via the Multi-Admin function. This intermediate step is now no longer necessary: on request, the Thread Stick can take over the direct connection via radio. However, a detour via external border routers and Matter platforms is still possible.
As before, the controller add-on on Access Point 2.0, which transforms the control center into a Matter Controller, is required for the stick to operate. For more information, see the article “Matter for Electricians: an Overview of Pro Solutions”. In addition, firmware version 3.5.2 or higher must be installed on Access Point 2.0. This allows it to recognize basic device categories of the Matter standard. These are the same categories for which ABB subsidiary Eve Systems offers products:
- Light
- Electricity (e.g., Eve Energy, Eve Energy Outdoor)
- Thermostats (e.g., Eve Thermo)
- Shading (e.g., Eve MotionBlinds)
- Sensors (e.g., Eve Door & Window, Eve Motion)
According to the manufacturer, there are still some limitations at present. For example, the number of Matter products that can be connected is limited to 16. An opening contact such as the Eve Door & Window cannot be linked to thermostats in the free@home system, and the user interface does not currently display energy data from Matter plugs. However, the software is being further developed, so changes are to be expected in the future.
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