Alexa Connect Kit SDK Development Guidelines

The Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) Software Development Kit (SDK) is a software package that enables you to build Alexa-compatible smart device solutions and communicate with ACK services using your preferred connectivity platform. The ACK SDK offers the same benefits as solutions built with ACK hardware modules and provides greater control over platform hardware and supported features. The ACK SDK is available as source code, enabling extensive customization, including fine-tuning power profiles by leveraging the SoC's low-power modes and providing better control over peripherals.

The ACK SDK is compatible with any Amazon-qualified system-on-chip (SoC), or you can apply to qualify your preferred SoC. These SoC options provide additional flexibility for your product architecture and hardware costs.

For other ACK solutions, see ACK development options.

ACK SDK benefits

The ACK SDK enables you to build smart devices, such as smart plugs, light bulbs, or fans, and adds the following benefits to ACK:

  • Product-tailored hardware – Provides a flexible hardware architecture that helps you select connectivity and peripheral components tailored to your products operation.
  • Optimize costs – Lowers your Bill-of-Material (BoM) cost by removing the need for host microcontroller unit (HMCU) and by enabling a single chip design.

The ACK SDK provides the same smart home features and Amazon managed services, including Frustration-Free Setup (FFS), diagnostic logs, customer metrics, over-the-air updates, low latency device control, device state query, and device notifications. For more details, see ACK benefits.

ACK SDK architecture overview

The following diagram shows a high-level architectural overview of the ACK SDK.

ACK SDK stack that includes device-maker software, ACK APIs, Amazon common software, and platform software.
ACK SDK high-level architectural diagram

The ACK SDK software includes the following components:

  • ACK APIs – APIs to implement ACK directives and call backs for smart device behavior.
  • Amazon Common Software (ACS) Components – Suite of memory efficient, portable, and security audited Amazon Common Software (ACS) components necessary to build your device, including connectivity.
  • Device Porting Kit (DPK) APIs – Provides abstraction from underlying hardware and operating system enabling portability.
  • Test Suites – Multi-tier test suites to localize defects/bugs in device software.

Differences between the ACK SDK and module solutions

Before you build your device, understand the differences between the ACK SDK and the ACK module solutions.

The following architectural diagrams shows the ACK module and the ACK SDK. The ACK SDK is a single chip solution, distributed as source code that allows you to integrate your device app into the connectivity platform. This solution helps optimize the overall cost of your solution.

ACK module architecture is a two-chip solution.
ACK SDK architecture is a single chip solution with no HMCU.
ACK module architecture compared to the ACK SDK architecture

Prerequisites

The ACK SDK primarily targets solution providers (SP) and original device makers (ODM). Before you start building your ACK SDK-based product, complete the following tasks:

  1. To sign up for ACK, contact Amazon about your project. Amazon assigns an ACK support engineer to your project. Include the following information in your request.
    • Indication of whether your product is a prototype or intended for public launch.
    • Default region. Valid regions: North America (NA), Europe (EU), and Far East (FE).
    • If you support more than one region, specify the fallback region.
  2. Select and purchase an ACK SDK development kit for prototyping.
  3. Create an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account. The AWS account gives you access to resources as part of the free tier of services.
  4. Contact your ACK support engineer to create your project and give you access to the ACK SDK software.

Steps to build an ACK SDK product

To build ACK SDK-based products, complete the following steps to develop and test a virtual product (prototype) and manufacture a production product.

  1. Set up your development environment with the silicon vendor-provided tools, as instructed in the provided documentation.
  2. Download the ACK SDK from the AWS S3 bucket. Amazon distributes the SDK as source code with example apps and additional development and manufacturing tools.
    Download any additional platform-specific packages from the silicon vendor website.
  3. Develop device apps by using the ACK SDK APIs and adding Alexa capabilities that reflect the desired functionality of your device. Compile your source code with the ACK SDK.
  4. Create a virtual product.
  5. Flash the source code to your device and provision the device as your virtual product.
  6. Register your device with the Alexa app for device control and test your device with voice on Amazon Echo devices and on the Alexa app.
  7. Certify your product with certification programs, such as Works With Alexa and Frustration-Free Setup.
  8. Manufacture your device.
  9. Launch your ACK-based product for sale.
  10. Identify and resolve product issues with operational metrics and logs.
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Last updated: Nov 12, 2025