Embedded World 2023: Zephyr OS - The Open Source Real-Time Operating System

Real Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) have grown in popularity in recent years, though the term covers many different things. It could be a bare-bones scheduler that expects you to build your code from scratch around it, or it could be more like a fully featured set of libraries offering compatibility and abstraction alongside typical real-time needs.

Zephyr OS falls into the second category, and At Embedded World 2023, we caught up with Benjamin from Zephyr to discuss what it is, and why you might want to consider using it in your projects and designs.

Zephyr OS is an open-source real-time operating system that provides developers with all the services they need to build their next connected device, IoT device, or embedded device. It provides an abstraction layer that ensures that developers can source sensors and hardware targets without changing their application code. This abstraction layer is essential, especially during silicon shortages, where the developer wants to ensure the code works with any hardware target they may have. Many projects currently use Zephyr, and developers may not even realize it. Even Google uses Zephyr in its Chromebooks as a low-level firmware controller.

Zephyr has a vibrant community of people who are actively involved in the development process. Every hour, on average, two people commit code to the Zephyr repository. If you have questions, you can show up on their GitHub and Discord, and someone will be there to help. The Zephyr project website has plenty of getting-started guides, no matter whether you're coming from an Arduino background, an ESP32, or a Nordic Bluetooth developer kit, they are among hundreds of supported MCUs and embedded devices.

To find out more about Zephyr OS, head to their website and learn everything you need to get started with it today. It's an awesome project that's definitely worth checking out!