A binary-distribution, ready-to-run Matter end-node reference from u-blox.
Status: This repository hosts prebuilt, signed release binaries of the u-connect Matter reference application. The source tree is not (yet) mirrored here — see Releases for downloads or contact u-blox for source access.
NORA-W36 firmware requirement: Matter requires u-connect Express firmware 3.4.0 or newer on the NORA-W36 module (earlier firmware lacks the platform mDNS + IPv6 multicast features Matter depends on). Check your module's version with
AT+GMRand update via the u-connectXpress NORA-W36 release notes if needed.
A Matter 1.5.1 end-node reference application that runs on a wide range of host platforms, using the u-blox NORA-W36 module for dual-band Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 + 5 GHz) and Bluetooth LE 5.3 connectivity. It demonstrates how to ship a CSA-certifiable Matter product on top of u-connect Express firmware with minimal host-side code.
Out of the box it implements the standard Matter end-node device types:
- Lighting — On/Off + Level Control
- Door Lock
- Switch (action button)
- Temperature / humidity / occupancy sensor
- Thermostat (combo configuration)
Commissioning is the standard Matter flow: scan the QR code from the device's serial console (or web dashboard) with the Apple Home / Google Home / Amazon Alexa / SmartThings app.
All host platforms get the same wireless capability from the NORA-W36 module: dual-band Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 + 5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth LE 5.3.
| Host platform | Hardware | Artifact |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 x64 | PC + NORA-W36 EVK (USB-UART) | signed .exe |
| Linux x86_64 | PC / SBC + NORA-W36 EVK | .tar.gz |
| STM32 H7 (H753, H743, H735, H723, H750) | NUCLEO / Discovery + NORA-W36 | .bin / .hex / .elf |
| STM32 F4 (F407, F429, F439) | NUCLEO + NORA-W36 | .bin / .hex / .elf |
| Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) | Pico + NORA-W36 | .uf2 |
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350) | Pico 2 + NORA-W36 | .uf2 |
Every release artifact ships with a SHA-256 checksum sidecar
(<file>.sha256). The Windows .exe is Authenticode-signed.
For Windows / Linux PCs there is no wiring: the EVK-NORA-W36 evaluation
kit exposes the module's UART through its on-board USB-UART bridge. Plug in the
USB cable, the host enumerates a virtual COM port (COMxx on Windows,
/dev/ttyUSB0 on Linux), and the launcher auto-detects it.
For the STM32 and Pico targets the host's UART is wired directly to NORA-W36's UART. Cross TX↔RX, share GND, supply 3.3 V. Hardware flow control (CTS/RTS) is not required — the firmware runs reliably without it on all supported boards.
| Host board | Host UART | Host TX → NORA RX | Host RX ← NORA TX | Baud | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUCLEO-H753ZI | USART1 | PB6 — Morpho CN7 pin 1 | PB7 — Morpho CN7 pin 21 | 1 Mbit/s | High-speed; CTS/RTS available on PA11/PA12 but unused |
| NUCLEO-H743ZI | UART4 | PA0 — CN11 pin 28 | PA1 — CN11 pin 30 | 1 Mbit/s | No HW flow control |
| NUCLEO-H723ZG | UART4 | PA0 | PA1 | 1 Mbit/s | No HW flow control |
| NUCLEO-H735IG / Disco | USART1 | PA9 — Arduino D8 (CN12) | PA10 — Arduino D7 (CN12) | 1 Mbit/s | |
| NUCLEO-H750ZB | UART4 | PA0 | PA1 | 1 Mbit/s | No HW flow control |
| NUCLEO-F407 (Disco / dev board) | USART1 | PA9 | PA10 | 1 Mbit/s | |
| NUCLEO-F429ZI | USART1 | PA9 | PA10 | 1 Mbit/s | |
| NUCLEO-F439ZI | USART1 | PA9 | PA10 | 1 Mbit/s | |
| Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) | UART0 | GP0 — pin 1 | GP1 — pin 2 | 115 200 | |
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350) | UART0 | GP0 — pin 1 | GP1 — pin 2 | 115 200 |
Always required, every wired target:
- GND ↔ NORA-W36 GND
- 3.3 V → NORA-W36 VCC (do not use 5 V; NORA-W36 is 3V3-only)
- (recommended) NORA-W36 RESET_N to a host GPIO so the launcher can hard-reset the module
Debug output (Matter logs, QR code) is printed on a second UART on the host: ST-Link Virtual COM Port on all NUCLEO boards (USART3 PD8/PD9 on H7/F439, USART2 PA2/PA3 on F407/F429) and the Pico's USB serial. No extra wiring needed for the debug console.
NORA-W36 module pinout, electrical characteristics and EVK schematics are in the NORA-W36 data sheet on the u-blox product page.
- Download the latest
u-connect-matter-windows-x64-<version>.exefrom Releases. - Plug in your EVK-NORA-W36 evaluation kit via USB.
- Run the
.exe. The launcher auto-detects the EVK's COM port, opens the serial link to the module, starts the Matter stack, and prints the commissioning QR code on the console. - Scan the QR code from your phone's Matter-compatible smart-home app.
A built-in web dashboard (default http://localhost:8080) shows live link
state, fabric/subscription health, and current cluster values.
- Wire NORA-W36 EVK UART to the NUCLEO header (RX/TX/CTS/RTS + 3V3 + GND).
- Drag-and-drop the matching
.bin/.hexfor your board (e.g.u-connect-matter-stm32-h753-<version>.bin) onto the NUCLEO's mass-storage programmer, or flash with STM32CubeProgrammer /st-flash. - Open the NUCLEO virtual COM port at 115200 8N1 to see the QR code.
- Hold BOOTSEL while plugging in the Pico/Pico 2.
- Drag
u-connect-matter-pico-<version>.uf2(orpico2) onto theRPI-RP2/RP2350mass-storage drive. - Open the Pico's USB serial port to see the QR code.
NORA-W36 is a u-blox
short-range module providing dual-band Wi-Fi 4 (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n,
2.4 + 5 GHz) and Bluetooth LE 5.3 in a single
14.3 × 10.4 × 1.9 mm SMD package. In this application NORA-W36
runs u-connect Express firmware (AT-controlled offload engine) so any
host MCU — from an STM32 F407 to a desktop PC — can run a full
Matter end-node by just driving a UART.
The host-side glue is provided by u-connectClient, the open-source u-connect Express C library.
- NORA-B26 + Thread end-node — planned. NORA-B26 is a u-blox Bluetooth LE 6.0 module based on Nordic's nRF54L10 SoC, whose radio also supports IEEE 802.15.4. A future release will add a single-SoC Matter-over-Thread end-node target on NORA-B26, mirroring the Wi-Fi end-node already shipped on NORA-W36. No source or binary is published yet — watch this repo's Releases page.
- NORA-W36 firmware updates — tracked against the u-connectXpress NORA-W36 release notes.
Application code is released under the Apache License 2.0. The Matter SDK (Connectivity Standards Alliance – Matter, formerly Project CHIP) is distributed under its own Apache 2.0 license; see connectedhomeip for details.
- u-blox support — https://www.u-blox.com/en/support
- Product page — https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/nora-w36-series
- u-connect Express — https://github.com/u-blox/u-connectXpress
- Matter specification — https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/