Espressif has just launched an official development kit for building devices which are compatible with Apple HomeKit, on ESP32 and ESP32-S2. Espressif’s development kit is available to all makers who wish to prototype non-commercial smart home accessories. Makers can now download the Accessory Developer Kit and build a HomeKit device on any ESP32 or ESP32-S2 microcontroller.

HomeKit is a framework developed by Apple for controlling and communicating with connected accessories, in a user’s smart home, where iOS devices are being operated. The ESP Apple HomeKit ADK is a port of Apple’s open-source HomeKit ADK for ESP32 and ESP32-S2.

Excerpt from Espressif’s Getting-Started Guide for Developers

Espressif’s Apple HomeKit Application Development Kit (ADK) can be used under the same terms as Apple’s original open-source ADK, which was meant as a tool for hobbyists and other developers experimenting with the platform. However, there is a route to commercial licensing. Anyone who is interested in commercializing their creations should register with Apple’s MFi licensing program first and, then, contact Espressif for more details on how to complete the process.

Espressif’s port of the Apple HomeKit ADK includes all the features of Apple’s original release:

• an application programming interface (API) that is independent of the data transporting method
• end-to-end encryption and authentication
• compatibility with the latest certification requirements for Apple HomeKit.

Please note that the ESP Apple HomeKit ADK can currently be used only with our ESP32 and ESP32-S2 series of microcontrollers. Users of ESP8266 SoCs, however, can look for an alternative in the Arduino HomeKit ESP8266 library.

Espressif’s ESP32 and ESP32-S2 SoCs, pictured left and right, respectively.

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 Espressif’s official website.