What Is the Alexa Connect Kit?

Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) is a managed service option that you can use to connect your smart home product to Alexa. With ACK, you don't develop an Alexa skill, manage a cloud service, or implement complex network and security firmware. Instead, you focus your development efforts on writing application code. The hardware implementation is typically done by the silicon vendor or a solution provider.

With ACK, you don't need deep expertise in multiple wireless protocols. All SDK options integrate wireless command and control communication for you. For all ACK solutions, Amazon provides managed services, software, security, and tools required for ongoing development and management of your Alexa-connected products.

Your customers enjoy the convenience of Alexa device control, Amazon Frustration-Free Setup (FFS), Amazon Dash Replenishment Service (DRS), and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates. With Matter-enabled ACK devices, Amazon provides a streamlined process for Light Touch Setup that works for products purchased in offline stores.

What can you build with ACK?

Use the Alexa Connect Kit to build smart home products that support the Alexa Smart Home API. The primary focus is lighting and electrical products. Other ACK products include small and large domestic appliances and home environment products.

Examples

The following examples show user interaction with ACK products. For more examples, see Example Products Built with Alexa Connect Kit.

Lighting, switches, and plugs

Create voice-first experiences that provide a more intuitive way to interact with lighting and electrical products. For example, your customers can control your product by saying, "Alexa, dim the bedroom light to 50 percent" or "Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree." Examples include: smart bulbs and plugs, lamps, recessed and surface-mounted lights, switches and dimmers, outlets, and more.

Cooking appliances

Create voice-first experiences that provide a more intuitive way to interact with microwaves, ovens, and other kitchen appliances. For example, your customers can control your product by saying, "Alexa, microwave the popcorn" or "Alexa, cook chicken for two minutes." Examples include microwaves, coffee machines, kettles, and dishwashers.

Fans and air conditioners

Create voice-first experiences that provide a more intuitive way to interact with fans or other air purifier devices, such as air conditioners. For example, your customers can control your product by saying, "Alexa, set the bedroom fan speed to high" or "Alexa, set the air conditioning to 75." Examples include fans, purifiers, air conditioners, and thermostats.

How is ACK different from other Alexa services?

Alexa provides multiple development options to connect your smart home devices to Alexa. These options include ACK, Alexa Smart Home Skills, and Local Connectivity Protocols. You can choose the development option best suited to your device type, development and management preference, and the experience you want to create. For details, see Alexa-Enabled Smart Home Development Options.

ACK benefits

ACK offers the following benefits to you and your customers.

For you

Accelerated launch of great products – Leverage pre-developed application code and wireless module hardware designs from Amazon partners.
No cloud management – Run your devices on an Amazon-managed cloud instead of building your own.
Minimal coding required – Connect existing device logic to an ACK SDK.
Streamlined certification – Build products that achieve WWA, FFS, Light Touch Setup, and Matter Simple Setup certifications.
Reduced device maintenance – Publish OTA updates to your device fleet and collect device logs and metrics.
Predictable cost structure – Pay a non-recurring, per-unit fee.

For customers

Simplified setup – Register devices seamlessly with Amazon FFS.
Familiar interaction – Control devices with Alexa voice commands and the Alexa app.
Reliable service – Backed by Amazon-managed cloud services and kept up-to-date through seamless over-the-air (OTA) updates.
High security and privacy bar – Built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) with data hosted within service regions.
Advanced capabilities – Automate devices with Alexa capabilities, such as routines.

ACK features

ACK-based products include the following features. For more details about these features, including which are mandatory and which are optional, see Device Features.

Out-of-the-box Alexa control – Use the Alexa app or an Alexa-enabled device, such as an Amazon Echo or an Alexa Built-in device, to control your product.
Frustration-Free Setup/Wi-Fi Simple Setup – ACK products use Amazon Frustration-Free Setup to connect devices to a Wi-Fi network and register them with Alexa. FFS and Wi-Fi Simple setup offer zero-touch setup, barcode registration, and customer-guided device registration flows. FFS is mandatory on all ACK-based devices and required for device operation.
Logs and metrics* – As part of the ACK Analytics Service, Amazon collects and analyzes operational metrics from your ACK-based devices to monitor health, security, and connection status. You can use the Amazon tools available through the ACK Analytics Service to define, collect, store, and view additional logs and metrics for your devices. You're a controller of the data you collect and store from your ACK devices. Amazon is a processor of this data, and can use it only to provide you the ACK managed services.
OTA firmware updates* – Send monitored and phased updates over the air to devices in the field.
Certification – Certify your device with the Works with Alexa (WWA) and FFS programs.
Amazon Dash Replenishment Service* – For devices with consumable items, such as ink in printers, dash replenishment enables automatic reordering of the consumables for your product. For more details, see About Dash Replenishment.

Note: *Available to commercial manufacturers only.

ACK development options

ACK offers three development options for device integration:

ACK SDK for Matter – Integrates Matter command and control. Targets original design manufacturers (ODMs) and solution providers (SPs). You build your own connectivity hardware or module, implement your Alexa-connected solution with the ACK SDK for Matter, and sell the reference solution to a device maker. For more details about building with the ACK SDK for Matter, see ACK SDK for Matter Development Overview.
ACK SDK – Available as software. Targets ODMs and SPs. You build your own connectivity hardware or module, implement your Alexa-connected solution with the ACK SDK, and sell the reference solution to a device maker. For more details about building with the ACK SDK, see ACK SDK Development Overview.
ACK module – Targets device makers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). You purchase an ACK module from an approved partner and a host microcontroller unit (HMCU) that satisfies ACK minimum requirements. Then, you develop your application logic with the ACK Device SDK. For more details about building with the ACK module, see ACK Module Development Overview.

The following table compares the features of these options.

Feature	ACK Matter SDK-based products	ACK SDK-based products	ACK module-based products
Connectivity hardware	Built by ACK SDK for Matter SP or ODM.	Built by ACK SDK SP or ODM.	Built by ACK module providers and based on Espressif chipset.
Connectivity firmware	ACK Matter SDK distributed by Amazon. ACK ODMs and SIs develop the final connectivity firmware.	ACK SDK distributed by Amazon. ACK ODMs and system integrators (SIs) develop the final connectivity firmware.	Managed by Amazon.
Device resources	Reference platform documentation. ACK ODMs and SIs provide additional resources for their solutions.	ACK console for device management and reference platform documentation. ACK ODMs and SIs provide additional resources for their solutions. Available to commercial manufacturers only.	ACK console and developer portal.
Virtual product creation	Managed by ACK support team. To create your virtual product, contact ACK developer support.	ACK console.	ACK console.
Manufacturing tooling, including provisioning, barcodes, etc.	Manufacturing tools distributed by Amazon. ACK ODMs and SIs can build additional manufacturing tools.	Manufacturing tools distributed by Amazon. ACK ODMs and SIs can build additional manufacturing tools.	ACK module utility.
Development Kit	ESP-C3F.	ESP-WROVER-KIT on Amazon.com, ESP-C3F.	Espressif development kit, USI development kit.
Supported System-on-Chip (SoCs)	Espressif, Beken, Boufallo.	Espressif ESP32 and other chipsets supported by ACK ODMs and SIs.	Espressif.
Product certification	Works With Alexa, Frustration-Free Setup, Matter Simple Setup from the Connectivity Standard Alliance (CSA).	Works With Alexa, Frustration-Free Setup, and additional certification for ACK SDK-based solution.	Espressif ESP32 and other chipsets supported by ACK Device SDK ODMs and SIs.
Smart home assistants	All Matter-certified admins, such as Alexa, Google Home, and more.	Alexa.	Alexa.
OTA updates	Unlimited OTA updates throughout lifetime of the device, confidence to offer security patches and feature updates without relying on Matter admins, and staggered roll-out of OTA updates.	Unlimited OTA updates throughout lifetime of the device, confidence to offer security patches and feature updates over the air, and staggered roll-out of OTA updates.	OTA updates.

Steps to build an ACK product

To build an ACK-based device, you complete the following steps. For more details, see the development option of your choice.

To sign up for ACK, contact Amazon about your project. Include as many details about your project as you can. Amazon assigns an ACK solution architect to your project.
Purchase an ACK SDK development kit for prototyping.
Set up your development environment with the silicon vendor-provided tools, as instructed in the provided documentation.
Contact your ACK solution architect for access to the ACK SDK for your project.
Create an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account. The AWS account gives you access to resources as part of the free tier of services. You access the ACK SDK from an AWS S3 bucket.
Download the ACK SDK version that corresponds to the ACK solution of your choice. The vendor might require you to download additional platform-specific packages from the silicon vendor website.

Amazon distributes the SDK as source code with example applications and additional development and manufacturing tools.
Develop device applications by using the ACK SDK APIs and adding Alexa capabilities that reflect the desired functionality of your device. Compile your source code for your specific target platform.
Create a virtual product.
Flash the source code to your device and provision the device as your virtual product.
Register your device with supported smart home assistants for device control.
Certify your product with certification programs, such as Works With Alexa, Frustration-Free Setup, and Matter Simple Setup.
Manufacture your device.
Launch your ACK-based product for sale.
Identify and resolve product issues with operational metrics and logs.

To create your own voice interaction model, consider Alexa Custom Skills.
If you want to connect your smart home device to Alexa with a skill, consider Alexa Smart Home Skills.
To deploy and manage Alexa-enabled devices at scale, in properties, such as hotels, hospitals, and senior living, consider Alexa Smart Properties.

Was this page helpful?

Provide feedback

Last updated: Jul 01, 2024