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Linux Foundation's Open Source Zephyr RTOS Gets Major Update
The Linux Foundation's open source Zephyr real-time operating system (RTOS) recently announced an update to version 1.14, offering a number of new features. Overall, the foundation says that, with the update, the software is now a "more stable, certifiable option for product makers and developers."
According to the developers, Zephyr -- a hardware OS, licensed under Apache 2.0, which is designed for use with multiple architectures and for "resource-constrained"/embedded systems -- now supports more than 160 boards and eight architectures, including x86_64.
Also in this edition the developers re-engineered the timing subsystem, "greatly simplifying the resulting driver, removing thousands of lines of codes and reducing a typical kernel build size by hundreds of bytes," they explained in the official announcement of this release.
Other improvements include a rework of the network packet API, new drivers for the native POSIX port, additional support for device idle power management, "major updates" to the logging and shell subsystems, plus a number of security-focused changes, among others.
The full list of improvements and changes can be accessed here.
Testing of Zephyr projects can be validated with supported simulators including QEMU, ARC Simulator, Renode and the native POSIX configuration.
The code for the updated RTOS is available here.
Find out more about Zephyr on the official project Web site here.
About the Author
Becky Nagel is vice president of AI for 1105 Media, where she specializes in training internal and external customers on maximizing their business potential via a wide variety of generative AI technologies as well as developing cutting-edge AI content and events. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Uses," regularly leads research studies on generative AI business usage, and serves as the director of AI Boardroom, a new resource for C-level executives looking to excel in the AI era. Prior to her current position she was a technical leader for 1105 Media's Web, advertising and production teams as well as editorial director for a suite of enterprise technology publications, including serving as founding editor of PureAI.com. She has 20 years of enterprise technology journalism experience, and regularly speaks and writes about generative AI, AI, edge computing and other cutting-edge technologies. She can be reached at bnagel@1105media.com.