At SmartThings, we continue to review emerging open standards in the IoT space. The Open Connectivity Framework (OCF) defines an open standard for IoT resource types, similar to the SmartThings Capabilities model. This specification is referred to as the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) Resource Type specification, and is available for download on the OCF Specifications page.
As a first step towards supporting OIC Resource Types, we will be adding metadata to several of our Device Handlers. You will see these changes being made in the coming days in our public repository of SmartApps and Device Handlers.
This metadata specifies the OIC Resource Type of the device, and will look something like this:
metadata {
definition(name: 'device-name', namespace: 'my-namespace',
author: 'smartthings', ocfDeviceType: 'oic.r.button')
…
}
This allows the device to explicitly declare its OCF Resource Type. This is a first step towards supporting this new standard; we will continue to add support in an iterative way.
This change has no behavioral impact on your SmartThings-connected devices or automations, nor on any custom Device Handlers. It is, however, an important first step towards supporting an exciting new open IoT standard.
FAQ
Should I update my custom Device Handlers with this new ocfDeviceType metadata?
No. At this point there is no behavioral impact of this field. The ocfDeviceType metadata is only used for specific devices that are targeting initial OCF support, and only in cases where we cannot correctly determine the best OIC Resource Type to use from the device’s defined capabilities.
Will this impact any of my SmartThings-connected devices or automations?
No. There will be no behavioral impact on any SmartThings-connected device or automation.
When will SmartThings fully support the OCF standard?
There is no specific date targeted for full OCF support, but we are taking initial steps towards supporting it.
Where can I learn more about OCF?
https://openconnectivity.org/ is the best resource to learn more about OCF. There you will find the various specifications, developer resources, and latest news.
