Nordic Semiconductor and Qorvo reference application for Aliro and Matter accelerates time-to-market for access control and smart lock applications
2025
The reference application will enable developers to easily and quickly get started on Aliro and Matter access control, making smart lock design accessible to all manufacturers
Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in low-power wireless connectivity solutions, and Qorvo, a leading RF and power technologies company, have announced availability of a reference application targeting access control systems utilizing Connectivity Standards Alliance’s (CSA) Aliro and Matter. The solution is based on Nordic’s nRF54L Series ultra-low power multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) and Qorvo’s QM35825 ultra-wideband (UWB) SoC. The reference application will enable developers to easily and quickly get started on Aliro and Matter access control - making the smart lock design process accessible for any manufacturer.
“Through our partnership with Nordic, we continue to demonstrate the synergy of UWB and Bluetooth LE technologies,” says Luc Darmon, Senior Director of Global Marketing and Applications at Qorvo. “Addressing Aliro compliance supports our common goal of enabling more intuitive and reliable location-based capabilities in next-generation, ultra-secure access control solutions, which have already been proven in smartphones and car access applications.”
“At Nordic, we are committed to driving innovation in secure and power-efficient wireless solutions," says Bjørnar Hernes, Senior Product Director of Short-Range at Nordic Semiconductor. "By combining our expertise in Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Wi-Fi with Qorvo’s UWB technology, we are enabling developers to create the next generation of smart access solutions with ease. This collaboration underscores our dedication to simplifying development while maintaining the highest standards of security and reliability.”
Standardized protocol for connecting access control systems to user devices
Aliro is a CSA communication protocol under development which aims to standardize using a smartphone or wearable (for example, a smartwatch) in place of a key. The reference application will help developers come up with applications based on Nordic’s Bluetooth® LE, Thread, and Wi-Fi solutions, and Qorvo’s UWB technology, that will be compliant with the Aliro v1.0 specifications and certification program when they are released by the CSA.
The reference application will offer a versatile solution enabling developers to customize and support combinations of wireless protocols and application layers including: Aliro (NFC, Bluetooth LE, UWB), Matter over Thread, Matter over Wi-Fi, and proprietary application layers over Bluetooth LE.
Combining micro-location accuracy with ultra-low power
The QM35825 UWB SoC addresses Aliro’s precision and security requirements by enabling micro-location accuracy and reliable distance ranging. Nordic’s nRF54L Series SoC integrates an ultra-low power multiprotocol 2.4 GHz radio and Arm Cortex-M33 MCU. The SoC brings the ultra-low power consumption and security demanded by smart locks. It features secure-boot, -firmware update, and -storage, as well as offering a trusted execution environment enabled by Arm TrustZone, a cryptographic engine with side-channel leakage protection, and tamper detectors.
An early version of the Nordic and Qorvo Aliro and Matter smart lock reference application is ready to be shared with early technology adopters and will be regularly updated to offer new functionality.
Live demonstration at Embedded World
At the upcoming Embedded World in Nurnberg, Germany on March 11-13, 2025, the companies will demonstrate the reference application using the Qorvo QM35825 and Nordic´s nRF54L15. As key exhibitors, Nordic and Qorvo will be located in Hall 4 at booths #310 and #578.