Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a significant shift in how devices communicate and operate. As part of this new landscape, we need operating systems tailored for IoT devices. The Zephyr Operating System is one such solution.
Zephyr is an open-source, real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for use on resource-constrained systems, from simple embedded environmental sensors and LED wearables to sophisticated smart watches and IoT wireless gateways.
This article aims to give you a thorough introduction to the Zephyr OS, its architecture, and its usage.
Zephyr OS Overview and Key Features
Zephyr OS is small, scalable, and comes with features that allow developers to create reliable and complex IoT applications. It supports a broad range of hardware, including x86, ARM, and RISC-V architectures. Zephyr OS also boasts multi-protocol network stacks and supports Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi connectivity, making it ideal for many IoT use cases.
Zephyr's Architecture
Zephyr's architecture is modular and based on a small microkernel designed for use on systems with as little as 8KB of memory. This microkernel provides basic services such as thread management and inter-thread synchronization. Here's a simplified view of Zephyr's architecture:
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Layer Description
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Hardware Physical devices on which Zephyr runs
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Kernel Handles thread management and synchronization
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Services Includes drivers, file systems, and network stacks
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Application User-level applications running on Zephyr
- Programming with Zephyr
Zephyr applications are written in C. Let's look at a simple "Hello, World!" application in Zephyr:
#include <zephyr.h>
#include <misc/printk.h>
void main(void)
{
printk("Hello World!\n");
}This application includes two Zephyr headers. zephyr.h is a catch-all header that includes other essential Zephyr headers. printk.h is for the printk function, similar to the printf function in standard C, which writes output to the console.
Also read - features of operating system
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