The Open Source Summit Europe held from September 16-19, 2024, in Vienna, Austria, drew a vibrant crowd of 1,855 attendees representing 1,013 organizations. Participants came from across the globe, with the USA, Germany, and Austria being the most represented countries. The summit featured a diverse array of roles, including systems and embedded developers, application developers, and executive leaders. Among the many highlights, the Zephyr Project had a strong presence, offering insightful talks, an engaging mini summit, and a well-attended workshop.
The summit’s first Zephyr-focused session, “Bringing Existing Open-Source Code into MISRA Compliance,” was delivered by Roberto Bagnara from the University of Parma and BUGSENG on Monday, September 16. His talk addressed the complexities and strategic decisions involved in making open source codebases like Zephyr MISRA-compliant, a crucial step for obtaining functional safety certification in embedded systems.
Zephyr Project Micro Conference:
On Tuesday, the Zephyr Project hosted a full-day microconference that featured lightning talks and presentations covering a range of topics around Zephyr’s development and applications. This event provided a deep dive into Zephyr’s capabilities, trends, and innovations, drawing extensive participation from developers and stakeholders invested in embedded systems.
Sessions from the Zephyr Project Micro Conference:
- How to Contribute a Zephyr Sensor Driver – Maureen Helm, Analog Devices
- Zephyr Build System: Sysbuild and New Hardware Model – Torsten Tejlmand Rasmussen, Nordic Semiconductor
- Secure and Encrypted Boot in Zephyr RTOS – Parthiban N, Linumiz
- Zephyr Network Subsystem Status and Overview – Jukka Rissanen, Nordic Semiconductor
- Lightning Talk: The CFU: Custom Hardware with RISCV and Zephyr – Mohammed Billoo, MAB Labs Embedded Solutions
- Lightning Talk: Zephyr Portability with an AI Application on Very Different MCUs – Ales Ryska, NXP
- Lightning Talk: Using Zephyr to Power the Sustainable Cloud – Dan Kalowsky, Ampere Computing
- Lightning Talk: Implementing the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) in the Zephyr Project – Adam Wojasiński, BayLibre
- Developing Wildlife Camera Traps with Zephyr RTOS – Alex Bucknall, Arribada Initiative
- Exploring the Potential of Zephyr in Automotive and Software Defined Vehicles – Philipp Ahmann, Robert Bosch GmbH
- Lightning Talk: Open Source Fleet Management in Zephyr – Maciej Sobkowski, Antmicro
- Lightning Talk: Delta Firmware Over The Air (DFOTA) Update: Optimizing Device Updates in Zephyr – Romain Pelletant & Clovis Corde, Kickmaker
- Lightning Talk: How to Create an Asset Tracker With Zephyr and Thingsboard In No Time – Tobias Marquardt, grandcentrix GmbH
- Lightning Talk: From Ideas to 3 Firmwares Powering Railway-Infrastructure Monitoring in 2 Years – Tobias Meyer, Konux GmbH
- Preparing Zephyr for Safety Element out of Context Certification – Nicole Pappler, AlektoMetis.com
- Level Up Your Embedded Testing Game: FRETish, Robot, and Twister: A Dream Team – Christian Schlotter, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG & Tobias Kästner, TiaC Systems
- Zephyr LPWAN: Connectivity Options and When to Choose Them – Jordan Yates, Embeint
You can find all the above videos in this YouTube playlist.
Zephyr session at the Hackerspace
Zephyr developers hosted a dedicated hacking session in the Open Source Summit Europe hackerspace, where participants could dive deeper into the project, experiment with boards, and explore Zephyr’s features hands-on. This interactive session created an interactive atmosphere for collaboration and learning.
Zephyr Workshop: Hands-On Learning with Infineon
The Zephyr Workshop was designed to introduce participants to the Open Source RTOS built with safety and security in mind. Attendees learned why Zephyr is gaining the attention of developers and product makers. The session provided a general overview of the Zephyr OS along with guidance on building Bluetooth® Low Energy applications using Zephyr RTOS.
The hands-on portion of the workshop featured two connected applications using Infineon’s AIROC™ CYW20829 Bluetooth® LE MCU Evaluation Kit:
- Sensor to Phone application – Attendees programmed a Bluetooth LE peripheral Zephyr application on the AIROC CYW20829 evaluation kit and connected it to a phone running the AIROC™ Bluetooth® Connect App.
- Periodic Advertising with Responses (PAwR) application – Participants programmed a PAwR Zephyr application on the AIROC CYW20829 evaluation kit, creating a “many to one” Bluetooth LE network by communicating with a central node.
Sponsored by Infineon, the workshop provided an engaging, practical experience for attendees, offering insights into Zephyr’s flexibility and hands-on guidance for building Bluetooth applications in real-world scenarios.
Community Interaction at the Zephyr Booth
The Zephyr Project’s booth was an active meeting point throughout the summit, with open source developers stopping by to ask about Zephyr’s core functionalities and transitioning from other RTOSs. The booth provided a space for collaboration, mentorship, and direct support, demonstrating Zephyr’s commitment to community engagement.
Zephyr Project updates at the Linux Foundation Europe Member Summit
At the Linux Foundation Europe Member Summit, Kate Stewart shared significant insights into how the Zephyr Project has applied open source and security best practices. Since its launch in 2016, Zephyr has emerged as one of the most active real-time operating systems (RTOS) for resource-constrained devices, distinguishing itself in a crowded RTOS landscape. Kate emphasized that from its inception, Zephyr aimed to address the IoT market’s lack of standardized security practices, incorporating key lessons from Linux kernel development while deliberately adopting unique approaches to security.
Zephyr stands out as one of the few open source projects to establish a Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT), a volunteer team managing bulk vulnerability reports, handling embargo windows, and responding to vulnerabilities reported by the community. Additionally, Zephyr is a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), enabling it to track and address security issues transparently and promptly. Kate highlighted that Zephyr’s commitment to safety is further demonstrated by its pursuit of 61508 safety certification, with completion targeted for 2024.
Through Kate’s talk, the audience learned that open source projects can successfully implement rigorous security frameworks, building trust and reliability in safety-critical industries. Zephyr’s eight-year journey offers valuable lessons on effectively managing security in open source environments and serves as a model for other projects striving to follow similar best practices.
At the Linux Foundation Europe Member Summit, Zephyr further engaged with participants through a dedicated table, where community members and developers could connect, share insights, and ask questions.
Community at the Core: Zephyr’s Impact and Next Steps
The Zephyr Project’s involvement at the Open Source Summit Europe 2024 highlighted its growing importance in the world of open-source operating systems for small, embedded devices. Through talks, workshops, and interactions at its booth, Zephyr demonstrated its commitment to building a safe, secure, and community-driven platform. Attendees learned about Zephyr’s work to meet important standards like MISRA compliance, its careful approach to security, and its continuous improvements based on best practices from the Linux community.
As it continues to grow and improve, Zephyr is becoming a trusted choice for developers and companies worldwide who need a secure, reliable platform for their embedded devices.