The Linux Foundation is building an RTOS for the Internet of Things

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The Zephyr Project will offer a modular, connected operating system to support IoT devices.

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The Linux Foundation recently introduced the Zephyr Project, an open source collaborative effort that hopes to build a real-time operating system (RTOS) for the Internet of Things. Announced just days before Embedded World 2016, the project is looking to bring vendors and developers together under a single OS which could make the development of connected devices a simpler, less expensive process.

Industrial and consumer IoT devices require software that is scalable, secure and enables seamless connectivity. Developers also need the ability to innovate on top of a highly modular platform that easily integrates with embedded devices regardless of architecture.

While Linux has proven to be a wildly successful operating system for embedded development, some smart gadgets require an RTOS that addresses the very smallest memory footprints. This complements real-time Linux, which excels at data acquisition systems, manufacturing plants and other time-sensitive instruments and machines that provide the critical infrastructure for some of the world’s most complex computing systems.

If all goes to plan, the Zephyr Project has the potential to become a significant step in creating an established ecosystem in which vendors subscribe to the same basic communication protocols and security settings.

With modularity and security in mind, the Zephyr Project provides the freedom to use the RTOS as is or to tailor a solution. The initiative’s focus on security includes plans for a dedicated working group and a delegated security maintainer. Broad communications and networking support is also addressed and will initially include Bluetooth, BLE and IEEE 802.15.4, with more to follow.

The Zephyr Project aims to incorporate input from the open source and embedded developer communities and to encourage collaboration on the RTOS. Additionally, this project will include powerful developer tools to help advance the Zephyr RTOS as a best-in-breed embedded technology for IoT. To start, the following platforms will initially be supported:

• Arduino Due (Atmel | SMART SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 MCU)
• Arduino 101
• Intel Galileo Gen 2
• NXP FRDM-K64F Freedom board (ARM Cortex-M4 MCU)

Intrigued? Head over to the Zephyr Project’s official site to learn more.

OIC releases Internet of Things connectivity framework

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IoTivity is an open-source software framework that enables devices, products and services for the Internet of Things.

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While the number of connected devices are rapidly growing, there still exists a need for shared standards for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Last July, Atmel teamed up with several tech heavyweights to establish a new industry group focused on improving interoperability and streamlining connectivity. Now, the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) — which has more than 50 members and counting — has launched the the Preview Release version of its IoT certification and standard, IoTivity.

“The ability for devices and machines to communicate will unleash a whole new world of technology innovation. Open-source software and collaborative development are the building blocks to get us there,” explained Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation Executive Director. “IoTivity is an exciting opportunity for the open-source community to help advance this work.”

As a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project, IoTivity is governed by an independent steering group that liaises with the OIC. The project is open to all and includes RESTful-based APIs. It is expected to be available in various programming languages for a variety of operating systems and hardware platforms. In the next few months, the consortium will develop and release a 1.0 standard specification. At the same time, the IoTivity project will release a full open-source implementation of that specification.

Interested? Head over to IoTivity’s official page here.