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ARM Mbed OS VS Zephyr RTOS

Compare ARM Mbed OS VS Zephyr RTOS and see what are their differences

ARM Mbed OS logo ARM Mbed OS

The Arm® Mbed™ IoT Device Platform provides the operating system, cloud services, tools and developer ecosystem to make the creation and deployment of commercial, standards-based IoT solutions possible at scale.

Zephyr RTOS logo Zephyr RTOS

Primary Git Repository for the Zephyr Project. Zephyr is a new generation, scalable, optimized, secure RTOS for multiple hardware architectures. - zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr
  • ARM Mbed OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-09
  • Zephyr RTOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-01

ARM Mbed OS features and specs

  • Open Source
    ARM Mbed OS is open source, allowing developers to modify and enhance the code to suit specific project needs, promoting innovation and collaboration.
  • Platform Support
    Mbed OS supports a wide range of hardware platforms by different manufacturers, offering flexibility in choosing the appropriate microcontroller and development board.
  • Security Features
    Includes built-in security features such as secure boot, secure storage, and communication encryption, which are crucial for IoT applications.
  • Connectivity
    Offers comprehensive connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other networking capabilities critical for IoT devices.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    A large ecosystem of libraries and tools is available to speed up development, with a proactive community and forums providing support and shared knowledge.
  • RTOS Capabilities
    Provides real-time operating system capabilities, enabling the development of applications that require precise timing and task management.

Possible disadvantages of ARM Mbed OS

  • Resource Usage
    Mbed OS may have higher resource consumption compared to other lightweight operating systems, possibly requiring more memory and processing power.
  • Complexity
    The richness of features and options can introduce complexity, making the learning curve steep for newcomers without embedded systems experience.
  • Limited Non-ARM Support
    Primarily designed for ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, it offers limited support and functionality for non-ARM architectures.
  • Documentation Gaps
    While extensive documentation is available, occasionally, there are gaps or outdated materials that could hinder development processes.
  • Community and Support
    Being heavily community-driven, there may be inconsistencies in the support quality and timeliness compared to commercial RTOS options offering dedicated support.

Zephyr RTOS features and specs

  • Open Source
    Zephyr RTOS is open source, which means it is freely available for use, modification, and distribution. This can significantly reduce costs for developers and allows for community collaboration and contributions.
  • Scalability
    The RTOS is designed to be highly scalable, catering to a wide range of devices from simple embedded systems to more complex devices, making it adaptable to various project requirements.
  • Wide Hardware Support
    Zephyr supports a large number of hardware platforms and architectures including ARM, x86, RISC-V, and others, which increases its versatility for developers working with different boards and chips.
  • Modular Design
    Its modular architecture allows developers to include only the components they need, conserving memory and improving performance which is crucial for resource-constrained devices.
  • Active Community
    With backing from the Linux Foundation, Zephyr RTOS benefits from a vibrant and active community, providing extensive documentation, support forums, and regular updates.

Possible disadvantages of Zephyr RTOS

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Developers might face a steep learning curve, particularly those not familiar with RTOS concepts or the specific architectures supported by Zephyr, which can increase development time initially.
  • Immature Ecosystem
    Compared to some long-established RTOS environments, Zephyr's ecosystem of tools and third-party libraries might not be as mature or extensive, potentially requiring additional development effort.
  • Documentation Gaps
    While improving, some users report that the documentation can be inconsistent, lacking in detail for certain components or specific hardware integrations.
  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration and build system, while powerful, can be complex and challenging for newcomers to understand and use effectively, especially in larger projects.
  • Limited Real-Time Capabilities
    Zephyr is designed as an RTOS, but in some cases, its real-time capabilities might not meet the stringent requirements needed for certain high-performance or time-critical applications.

ARM Mbed OS videos

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Zephyr RTOS videos

Introduction to the Zephyr RTOS

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ARM Mbed OS and Zephyr RTOS)
Linux
63 63%
37% 37
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100
OS & Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
IoT Platform
39 39%
61% 61

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zephyr RTOS should be more popular than ARM Mbed OS. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ARM Mbed OS mentions (1)

  • 7 Step Learning Path for Embedded IoT Beyond Arduino
    The knowledge a learner would have built thus far would give enough idea of what RTOS scheduling might look like. Though, the choice to deploy an RTOS gets into more than just managing the scheduling of tasks. Here, it would be beneficial for a learner to practice deploying a lightweight RTOS like FreeRTOS or Mbed OS. You would find the Shawn Hymel Introduction to RTOS YouTube Playlist quite useful here. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago

Zephyr RTOS mentions (4)

  • My clock runs Linux now
    I can recommend [Zephyr](https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr) for these things. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Open source projects
    Zephyr, RIOT, NuttX are all open source RTOSes happy about contributions. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How to contribute to open source or Linux kernel?
    Microcontrollers are a good start. Boards are cheap and sensors are plentiful. You could get a yet unsupported board and port RIOT, Zephyr or NuttX. Source: over 3 years ago
  • CISA Advisory (ICSA-21-119-04) - CyberHoot
    Zephyr Project: Update to 2.5 or later.  Patches are available for prior supported versions. See the Zephyr security advisory for more information. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ARM Mbed OS and Zephyr RTOS, you can also consider the following products

Amazon FreeRTOS - Official Twitter Feed for Amazon Web Services. For support, go to @AWSSupport. Find out more about AWS #reInforce here: https://t.co/ZmyQhxo8uc

Particle Device OS - Particle's complete operating system for building logic and managing the low-level connections on your embedded hardware.

Nucleus RTOS - Nucleus RTOS is a proven, stable, and optimized real time operating system deployed on over 3 billion embedded devices

LynxOS - LynxOS is a Unix-like real-time operating system designed for controlling and monitoring laboratory instruments.

Windows 10 IoT - The operating system built for your Internet of Things

Tizen OS - An open source, standards-based software platform for multiple device categories, including smartphones, tablets, TVs, netbooks and automotive infotainment platforms.