Alexa Connect Kit FAQ

The following frequently asked questions (FAQ) answer common questions about the Alexa Connect Kit (ACK). For more details about ACK, see What is the Alexa Connect Kit?

General

Q: What's ACK?
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. For all ACK solutions, Amazon provides managed services, software, security, and tools required for ongoing development and management of your Alexa-connected products.

With ACK-based devices, your customers gain Alexa device control and other features, such as Amazon Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) and Over-the Air firmware updates. For more details about ACK, see What is the Alexa Connect Kit?
Q: What types of products can I build with ACK?
You can use ACK to build any smart home product that supports the Alexa Smart Home API. Examples include lighting and electrical products (switches, outlets, plugs, power strips), small and large domestic appliances (microwaves, coffee machines), home environment products (fans, purifiers, air conditioners, thermostats), and more. For more details about what you can build, see Example Products Built with Alexa Connect Kit.
Q: Is ACK different from other Alexa services, such as the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK)?
For details about how ACK is different from other Alexa services, see Alexa-Enabled Smart Home Development Options.
Q: What development options are available for ACK?
ACK offers three solutions for device integration: ACK SDK for Matter, ACK SDK, and ACK module. For more details, see ACK development options.
Q: How do I access the SDK for ACK?
After you choose the development option for your product, contact your ACK solution architect for access to the SDK for your project. You download the ACK SDK from an Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 bucket.
Q: What support resources are available if I have a specific question about my ACK project?
For questions about ACK, see Contact ACK Developer Support.

Prototype and develop

Q: How does the ACK prototyping process work?
You use the ACK development kit to create an ACK-based device prototype. To start, you design and provision your virtual product. Next, you define the smart home capabilities for your prototype that map to your product features. Then, using a sample app provided with the selected ACK option, make modifications to the source code to support your product features and download your compiled code to the development kit.

For more details about this process, see Steps to build an ACK Product.
Q: What's a virtual product?
A virtual product represents your physical product in the cloud and defines how users can interact with your device. When you create or edit a virtual product, you choose its Alexa capabilities and define aspects of the Alexa app experience. You associate the virtual product with your physical product in a process called provisioning.
Q: How do I purchase an ACK development kit or module?
You can purchase ACK sample or production quantities from any of the ACK manufacturers listed on ACK Development Resources.
Q: What are over-the-wire updates?
Over-the-wire is a secondary update mechanism primarily intended for developers and factories to set the image for production. After you distribute your device, you use over-the-air (OTA) updates to upgrade your image.

Certification

Q: What's Frustration-Free Setup (FSS) certification?
To remove the complexities of setting up connected smart home devices, all ACK SDK solutions require certification with FFS. FFS certification includes Wi-Fi Simple Setup (WSS) and Matter Simple Setup (MSS). For more details, see Understanding Frustration-Free Setup. To launch your product with ACK, Amazon requires FFS certification.
Q: What's Works with Alexa certification?
To test your product's compatibility with Alexa, you must submit your ACK-based product for Works with Alexa (WWA) certification. Review the WWA certification requirements and Matter requirements, if applicable, and then apply for WWA certification. To launch your product with ACK, Amazon requires WWA certification.
Q: How do I apply for Matter certification?
To achieve compliance to Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) Matter specifications, apply for certification for your Matter-enabled device. For more details, see CSA Certification. To launch your product with ACK for Matter, Amazon requiresCSA Matter certification.

Launch

Q: Where can I distribute ACK-based devices?
Today, you can launch and distribute ACK-based devices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To distribute your device in other regions, contact ACK developer support.
Q: How do I mass-manufacture and distribute ACK-based devices?
After you complete your device prototype, apply to the ACK support team to approve your manufacturing process. For more details, see Contact Amazon about your project.
Q: How do I upgrade the firmware?
To upgrade firmware on devices built with any ACK solution, you use over-the-air updates.

Monitor your device

Q: How do I access device metrics?
All SDK options for ACK support access to device metrics. In the US, you can download metrics from the ACK developer portal. For all other regions, you can download metrics from an S3 bucket. To enable and access metrics, contact ACK developer support. For more details about metrics, see ACK Analytics Service.
Q: How do I access device logs?
All SDK options for ACK support access to device logs. After you enable logs on your device, you can request Amazon to upload the logs from a specific device to an S3 bucket. If you implement local control on your device, the customer can trigger a log upload from their device. To access logs, contact ACK developer support.
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Last updated: Jul 01, 2024