Espressif Brings Apple's Open Source HomeKit ADK to ESP32, ESP32S Devices

Espressif has launched an official development kit for building Apple HomeKit compatible devices on ESP32 and newly-launched ESP32-S2 microcontrollers — and has included a route for those looking to take their designs to production and commercial release.

"HomeKit is a framework developed by Apple for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user’s home using iOS devices. This project is a port of Apple's Open Source HomeKit ADK for ESP32 and ESP32S2," Espressif explains of the toolkit. "This can be used by any developer to prototype non-commercial smart home accessories."

The two key parts of that last sentence: "Prototype" and "non-commercial." Espressif has released the HomeKit Application Development Kit (ADK) under the same terms as Apple's original open source variant, released late last year, as a tool for hobbyists and those experimenting with the platform, but with a route to commercial licensing: While anyone is free to download the ADK and build a HomeKit device on an ESP32 or ESP32S2 microcontroller, those looking to commercialize their creations will need to sign up to Apple's MFi licensing program — and supply evidence of that licensing to Espressif.

Espressif's port of the ADK includes all the features of Apple's original release: An application programming interface (API) independent of the data transport method, end-to-end encryption and authentication, and compatibility with the latest HomeKit certification requirements. It is, however, limited to the company's top-end ESP32 and ESP32-S2 microcontroller families; those with the older ESP8266 in mind will need to look for third-party alternatives, like the Arduino HomeKit ESP8266 library.

The ESP Apple HomeKit ADK is now available on Espressif's GitHub repository, with more information on the licensable software development kit to be found on the Espressif website.