Source: Zephyr
Published by the IoT Think Tank
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—— [Introduction] ——
Zephyr is built on the Wind River codebase, which has been tested in practical applications for over ten years. The original code has been extended through several key steps. First, modularity is enhanced through refactoring. At compile time, developers can adopt or remove any subsystem as needed to fit the hardware. This hardware includes “bare-bones Linux devices” and “the lowest-cost chips”.
As more and more RTOS products enter the market, developers are increasingly aware of the need for a scalable real-time operating system designed specifically for small IoT devices. Thus, the Linux Foundation launched the Zephyr project, a small, scalable real-time operating system designed for resource-constrained systems.
Modularity
The Zephyr project supports using RTOS as is or as a customized solution. The Zephyr project kernel (and its related modules) can run on systems with as little as 8kB of memory, and the project can be used as is or certain modules can be disabled as needed (using the kconfig tool). The Zephyr project plans to provide all necessary resources to integrate third-party modules.
Security
Security is critical for all IoT devices, and the last thing users want is for their connected devices to be hacked. The Linux Foundation plans to establish a team dedicated to maintaining and improving the security of the Zephyr project. As an open-source project, global open-source developers will review this code.
Wide Support
Zephyr has rewritten a low-power Bluetooth (BLE) implementation from scratch and has ported the IP stack from the open-source Contiki RTOS, supporting Bluetooth, low-power Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15.4, 6Lowpan, CoAP, IPv4, IPv6, NFC, Arduino 101, Arduino Due, second-generation Intel Galileo development boards, NXP FRDM-K64F Freedom development boards, and more.
The early supporters of the Zephyr project include Intel Corporation (including acquired Altera Corporation and Wind River), NXP Semiconductors (including recently acquired Freescale), Synopsys, and UbiquiOS Technology Limited.
Open Source Features
The open-source features of the Zephyr project help drive unprecedented innovation in IoT devices. Startups no longer have to worry about operating system licensing issues or struggle to develop their own systems during project implementation. Using an open-source platform also ensures that there are no restrictions on innovation, allowing the Zephyr project to meet business needs, and developers can smoothly achieve their goals through it.
Ultra-Low Capacity
Zephyr can run smoothly with 8KB of RAM and can even run with a minimum of 2KB of RAM. The Zephyr kernel can be configured in one of two modes. The minimal mode is the “microkernel” mode, which provides a basic multithreaded execution environment, inter-thread synchronization services (including semaphores and mutexes), message queues, and interrupt services. The microkernel mode is expected to be used for minimal and low-cost devices, such as environmental sensors, which require minimal processing work beyond collecting and sending data.
Built on Wind River
Zephyr is built on the Wind River codebase, which has been tested in practical applications for over ten years. The original code has been extended through several key steps. First, modularity is enhanced through refactoring. At compile time, developers can adopt or remove any subsystem as needed to fit the hardware. This hardware includes “bare-bones Linux devices” and “the lowest-cost chips”. The initial hardware products running Zephyr include low-end Arduino 101 and Intel Quark D2000, as well as high-end second-generation Intel Galileo.
In summary, Zephyr supports multiple architectures, has a wide range of contributors, and not only provides one “scheduler” but also offers excellent network support and a true security framework.
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Follow the official WeChat account of the Zephyr project by scanning the QR code below
