The Zephyr Project Community Meetup in Vienna, Austria brought together embedded systems developers for an evening of knowledge sharing and networking. Attendees ranging from experienced firmware developers to curious newcomers enjoyed a packed agenda of insightful talks.
Welcome note:
The event began with welcome snacks and an opening note from Aleksandar Vrglevski of the Vienna Business Agency.
Key Presentations Included:
Cutting the Cord: BLE and USB in the Open Fencing Project:
Stefan Jaritz from Voxtronic Austria GmbH showcased the “Touche” device from the Open Fencing initiative. The session covered USB and BLE firmware design using the Adafruit Feather nRF52840, device trees, kernel configurations, and a lightweight dual-mode protocol supported by Python-based tools. Slides here.
An Introduction to Zephyr Device Driver
Christian Kurz of Nordic Semiconductor provided an overview of Zephyr’s driver ecosystem. He shared practical tips on writing custom drivers, with a focus on enabling community sharing and supporting diverse hardware. Slides here.
Controlling IoT Devices with Zephyr and Thingsboard
Christian Hirsch of digidrip / hirsch.zone demonstrated how to integrate Zephyr with Thingsboard to control an IoT device based on another device’s telemetry. The setup used LTE-M-enabled nRF9* devices, illustrating a method also applicable with other connectivity options like WiFi and Ethernet. Slides here.
GNU/Linux on the TI DRA821 – A Preliminary Safety Concept
Nicholas Mc Guire of OSADL presented a safety concept for deploying GNU/Linux on complex systems by using Zephyr on an MCU as a safety anchor. The concept was introduced using insights from the TI DRA821 safety manual and lessons from the SIL2LinuxMP project.
Closing Remarks
Susan Remmert from the Zephyr Project delivered the closing remarks, sharing practical ways to get involved in the community and outlining next steps for anyone interested in contributing or hosting local meetups. Her message encouraged continued engagement and collaboration within the global Zephyr ecosystem.
The event concluded with a thank you note and distribution of free development boards, courtesy of STMicroelectronics and Nordic Semiconductor.
We are thankful to:
Thanks to STMicroelectronics and Nordic Semiconductor for providing the hardware giveaways, Expat Center of the Vienna Business Agency for hosting, and to Nordic Semiconductor for sponsoring refreshments.
Find more photos from the meetup here.
About the Community Meetups:
This meetup is part of the Zephyr Community Meetup Series, gatherings hosted by community members, with support from the Zephyr Project.
If you are excited about the Zephyr Project and want to share it with your local community, consider hosting an event in your city. Whether you are in Vienna or halfway across the globe, we encourage passionate individuals to get involved.
Reach out to us and explore how you can bring Zephyr to your community and make a difference in the world of IoT development.
To keep up to date about the project, subscribe to the Zephyr quarterly newsletter or connect with us on @ZephyrIoT, Zephyr Project LinkedIn or the Zephyr Discord Channel to talk with community and TSC members.