Zephyr RTOS
Firmware Development with Zephyr RTOS
Employ our deep-rooted expertise in Zephyr, an open-source, vendor-agnostic RTOS by the Linux Foundation, and benefit from our top-notch firmware development services. Whether it's your current project or a new one from scratch, you can rely on our engineering support.
With its modular structure and support for multiple architectures, the Zephyr real-time operating system is well-suited for MCU-based projects and applications such as connected sensors, smart systems, tracking devices, modems, and wireless gateways.
Explore the Benefits of Zephyr-Based Development
Rapid project initiation
Zephyr real-time OS facilitates project kick-off by quick proof of concept or MVP development. Its meta-tool West with built-in command line tool and extensive peripheral driver base expedite engineering, especially when prototyping on boards directly supported by Zephyr or when the peripherals can be easily ported from the Linux Kernel driver base.
Easy maintenance and scalability
The OS is advantageous for projects involving device variability or families of devices with similar features but slight hardware differences. The overlays, applicable to Device Tree Source (DTS) and software configuration files, enable the creation of a foundational configuration with relative changes, simplifying development, scalability, and support.
Microcontroller transitions
Using Zephyr OS, we equip your solutions with swift and smooth transitions to microcontrollers from various manufacturers. This flexibility is beneficial when clients anticipate semiconductor supply chain challenges and require firmware adaptable to multiple microcontroller families from different vendors.
Pavel Moroshek, Head of Embedded Engineering Unit at Promwad
Versatility of Zephyr RTOS in Various Application Areas
Domains We Serve
IoT and smart home
Industrial automation
Consumer electronics
Automotive
Gaming
Telecom
Our Case Studies
Cycling Dash Cam Design
Our team assisted a German startup in designing and preparing a new camera for cyclists for mass production. Our engineers were responsible for developing the product's hardware and low-level software.
The system includes devices with an integrated dashboard camera, travel distance measurement, daytime running and reversing lights, a crash detector, and a ride tracker.
Key features
- Ambarella H32 module with ThreadX and Linux
- Sony imx390 image sensor​​​
- Bluetooth module by Nordic (Zephyr RTOS)​​​​
- Quectel L76-LB GNS module​​​
Â
Fleet Vehicle Tracking Device
We engineered a fleet vehicle tracking device equipped with alarms to prevent theft or damage. The device can be installed as a hidden one.
The functions include geofencing, tracking, over-speed alerts, aggressive driving and extreme event detection, ignition control, night mode, device diagnostics, and protection against vehicle activation or movement.​
Key features
- Main processor: Nordic nRF52840​
- Telit w910 LTE-M + 2G modem​​​​
- Bluetooth and various sensors​​​​​
- Works with Gurtam–Wialon on the server side​​​​
Â
Library for Testing Internal Processor Cores and CPU Peripherals
We developed a library for real-time hardware CPU testing without disrupting user software. It can execute low-level, real-time checks on the processor core and peripherals.Â
A test function checks address buses, data, caching, kernel exception handling, interrupts and almost the entire internal architecture of the processor.​Â
Key features
- Developed with ASM and C programming languages
- MCU complies with ISO 2626262 to ASIL-D standards
- Supports various CPU core configurations
- Detects anomalies ("1" and "0" sticks) on buses and CPU internal registers
- Achieves a 93% overall test result (exceeding the declared 90% threshold)
Â
Our Software Test Library (STL) achieved a 93% test coverage level across four standard CPU core configurations while monitoring peripheral connections.
The theoretically possible test coverage limit for this processor is 96%.
FreeRTOS vs Zephyr vs Linux
Click to study our comparison table
 | FreeRTOS | Zephyr | Linux |
| Designed for: | Microcontroller applications | Microcontroller solutions, SoCs with multiple cores, and ARM processors with clusters of high-performance Cortex-A cores and low-power Cortex-M or Cortex-R cores | Full-fledged systems, such as servers, desktops, and embedded devices with significant resources |
| Functionality: | Basic real-time scheduling and synchronisation features | A more extensive hardware support base and feature set, including advanced communication protocols and file system support | A rich set of system services and drivers |
| Supports: | Resource-constrained devices requiring lightweight and efficient OS | Multi-core architectures and scalable memory usage | Various hardware platforms, software, peripherals, and development tools |
| Application areas: | Embedded systems and IoT devices | IoT applications that require more comprehensive connectivity and functionality | Complex applications where resource-intensive tasks are more critical than real-time constraints |
Â
Chips We Work With
We create firmware based on all chips supported by Zephyr RTOS, including solutions from industry leaders such as Nordic Semiconductor, AMD, and our trusted partner NXP.
Zephyr Features
Configurative
– Kconfig for default configuration or full customisation with enabling/disabling features
– Device Tree tool for various boards and architectures
Robust
– Preemptible tickless kernel
– Advanced memory management functionality
– Supports multiprocessor SMP and AMP, as well as 32 and 64-bit architectures
Secure
– Security validation, static code analysis, fuzz and penetration testing, frequent code reviews, and threat modelling
– PSA Certified Level 1
Modular
– It operates on systems with a minimum of 8 kB of memory and can scale up to systems with megabytes or gigabytes of memory
– Support for custom toolchains and compiler optimisations
– Provides multi-repo configurations with West, facilitating cross-repo version control and including independent project repos
Adaptable
Universally adaptable, available under the Apache 2.0 open-source licence
Connected
– Optimised for low-powered devices with small memory footprints
– Support for Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, 802.15.4, Ethernet, USB, CAN, 6LoWPAN, CoAP, IPv4, IPv6, and Thread
Do you want to elevate your project with our end-to-end Zephyr-based development services?
Drop us a line about your project! We will contact you today or the next business day. All submitted information will be kept confidential.