SparkFun Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P Hookup Guide

Contributors: El Duderino

Introduction

The SparkFun Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P is the first easily accessible board of its kind that combines Matter^® and SparkFun's Qwiic ecosystem for agile development and prototyping of Matter-based IoT devices. The board features the MGM240P wireless module from Silicon Labs^®. The MGM240P provides secure connectivity for both 802.15.4 (Matter, Zigbee^®, and OpenThread^®) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 protocols and is built to integrate seamlessly into the Matter IoT protocol using the Simplicity Studio IDE from Silicon Labs.

SparkFun Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P

DEV-20270

The SparkFun Thing Plus Matter is the first easily accessible board that combines Matter and SparkFun’s Qwiic ecosystem for…

$24.95

You may be curious as to what exactly Matter is. In a nutshell, Matter allows for consistent operation between smart home devices and IoT platforms without an Internet connection, even from different providers. This allows communication between major IoT ecosystems to create a single wireless protocol that is easy, reliable and secure to use.

This guide covers the hardware present on this Thing Plus development board, basic assembly, and a quick intro to using the Thing Plus Matter in Silicon Labs' Simplicity Studio development environment.

Required Materials

All you need to follow along with this tutorial is the SparkFun Thing Plus MGM240P as well as a USB-C cable to connect it to your computer for programming. You may also want a single-cell LiPo battery to power the board in your application.

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 0.3m

CAB-15426

These 0.3m cables have minor modifications that allow them to be be plugged into their ports regardless of orientation on the…

$4.50

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 2m

CAB-15424

These 2m cables have minor modifications that allow them to be be plugged into their ports regardless of orientation on the U…

$8.95

USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

CAB-14743

USB C is fantastic. But until we have converted all our hubs, chargers, and ports over to USB C this is the cable you're goin…

$5.50

Optional Accessories

Depending on your application's needs, you may want some additional accessories along with the Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P and USB-C cable.

LiPo Battery

The Thing Plus Matter includes a 2-pin JST connector to connect a single-cell lithium-ion battery for power in mobile applications. Below are a few options we recommend:

Lithium Ion Battery - 400mAh

PRT-13851

This is a very small, extremely lightweight battery based on Lithium Ion chemistry, with the highest energy density currently…

$5.50

Lithium Ion Battery - 110mAh

PRT-13853

This is a very small, extremely light weight battery based on Lithium Ion chemistry. This is the highest energy density curre…

$5.50

Lithium Ion Battery - 2Ah

PRT-13855

These are very slim, extremely light weight batteries based on Lithium Ion chemistry. Each cell outputs a nominal 3.7V at 200…

$13.95

Lithium Ion Battery - 1Ah

PRT-13813

Slim, extremely light weight batteries based on Lithium Ion chemistry. Each cell outputs a nominal 3.7V at 1000 mAh!

Retired

Headers

Headers allow you connect external parts to your board with just a set of jumper wires for prototyping circuits with a breadboard. The list below outlines a few options we recommend. If you don't find what you need, check out our Headers Category. If you need soldering tools, head over to our Soldering Category:

Break Away Headers - Straight

PRT-00116

A row of headers - break to fit. 40 pins that can be cut to any size. Used with custom PCBs or general custom headers.

$1.75

Break Away Headers - Long

PRT-10158

These are a longer version of our [standard](http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=116) break away he…

$3.25

Feather Stackable Header Kit

PRT-15187

These stackable headers are made to work with the [SparkFun ESP32 Thing Plus](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14689) to con…

$1.75

SparkFun Beginner Tool Kit

TOL-14681

This assortment of tools is great for those of you who need a solid set of tools to start your workbench on the right foot!

Retired

Solder Jumper Modification

The Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P has several solder jumpers users can modify to change behavior on the board. Modifying the jumpers requires a knife and soldering equipment. The list below covers some recommended options but in case you do not find what you need there, head over to our Soldering Category:

Chip Quik No-Clean Flux Pen - 10mL

TOL-14579

This 10mL no-clean flux pen from Chip Quik is great for all of your solder, de-solder, rework, and reflow purposes!

$7.95

Solder Lead Free - 100-gram Spool

TOL-09325

This is your basic spool of lead free solder with a water soluble resin core. 0.031" gauge and 100 grams. This is a good spoo…

$9.95

Hobby Knife

TOL-09200

It's like an Xacto knife, only better. We use these extensively when working with PCBs. These small knives work well for cutt…

$3.50

Weller WLC100 Soldering Station

TOL-14228

The WLC100 from Weller is a versatile 5 watt to 40 watt soldering station that is perfect for hobbyists, DIYers and students.…

Retired

Suggested Reading

Before getting started with this Hookup Guide, you may want to read through the tutorials below if you are not familiar with the concepts covered in them or want a refresher: