As the Zephyr Project makes its mark across Germany, the upcoming meetup in Cologne, hosted by grandcentrix, promises to be a unique exploration into the realm of open source, embedded systems programming, and software development. Building on the success of the Zephyr meetup in Munich, this gathering on January 18, 2024, at the grandcentrix office, offers developers a platform to dive into the innovations and possibilities of the Zephyr RTOS.
Here is a glance into the exciting agenda awaiting you:
Date: January 18, 2024
Location: grandcentrix Office, Cologne, Germany
Time: 18:00 PM – 21:30 PM CET
Agenda:
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Welcome drinks and Pizza!
7:00 PM – 7:05 PM: Greetings from grandcentrix team
7:05 PM – 7:35 PM: Welcome & Zephyr Project Update by Benjamin Cabé, Zephyr Project, The Linux Foundation
In this session, Benjamin will provide a comprehensive update on the latest happenings within the Zephyr Project. This presents an excellent opportunity to delve into insights concerning the recent developments and future plans for this open source, real-time operating system specifically designed for resource constrained embedded IoT devices.
7:35 PM – 7:50 PM: Using Network Buffers in Zephyr without the Network stack by Michael Zimmermann, grandcentrix
Michael will share his experience of utilizing Network Buffers in a Zephyr project to implement a custom, layered communication protocol. The talk will cover the advantages of this approach, the missing functionalities, and the limitations that developers need to be aware of.
7:50 PM – 8:00 PM: Break time
8:00 PM – 8:15 PM: New Hardware Model by Johann Fischer, Nordic Semiconductor
In this session, Johann will present a brief introduction to Hardware Model Two, a revolutionary approach to configuring and describing SoCs and boards. This talk promises to provide attendees with insights into the upcoming changes and advancements expected to be introduced shortly after the next release.
8:15 PM – 8:30 PM: Learning to Walk in the ZephyrOS Ecosystem by Samantha Wojtowicz
Samantha will share her two-year journey from zero to a cross-platform embedded product using Zephyr. Her talk aims to provide valuable insights and tools for those beginning their exploration of the ZephyrOS ecosystem.
8:30 PM – 8:45 PM: Break time
8:45 PM – 9:00 PM: Controlling a Custom Made Keyboard Using Zephyr by Dr. Sven Hädrich, grandcentrix
Dr. Sven will take the stage to discuss his use of the Zephyr-based ZMK project in controlling a unique IBM keyboard. The talk will highlight where Zephyr’s approach to embedded systems proved beneficial and the challenges encountered during the process
9:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Community Showcase: Interactive Networking
Immerse yourself in this engaging session where attendees connect, share experiences, and discuss projects within the Zephyr ecosystem.
We have a table for swags and boards!
Additionally, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Nordic Semiconductor stand, showcasing the latest evaluation boards. Explore these cutting-edge boards and, if you find something you like, seize the chance to take one with you.
grandcentrix’s Zephyr journey: Why Zephyr is our operating system of choice
“At grandcentrix, we use the Zephyr operating system for building our connected products. Additionally, we leverage Zephyr to assist our customers in transforming their ideas into products. As an IoT service provider developing various communication protocols, Zephyr, with its strong connection to these protocols, proves to be the perfect match.
When we had to decide on an operating system to build our Modbus Cloud Connect device, the Zephyr operating system was the natural choice. The device communicates Modbus information via a cellular connection into the cloud. Here, we found that the tight integration of communication protocol stacks is a major advantage of Zephyr over embedded operating systems where network communication is added on top of existing code.
Zephyr comes with a built-in library that supports the lwm2m protocol. Basing our communication on a standardized protocol made the interface to a scalable backend solution quite easy for us. The seamless support of a variety of communication protocols makes Zephyr our operating system of choice when solving problems for our customers. We are continually impressed by how well Zephyr supports even complex protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy.
Zephyr’s abstraction from the hardware allows us to start immediately, regardless of whether we are developing for customer hardware or our own designs. The fact that Zephyr uses device tree support, kconfig, and west makes adapting firmware to different hardware platforms a minimal effort and allows us to adapt solutions at a low cost.
At grandcentrix, we value that Zephyr is an independent project, and we are not compelled into an ecosystem of hardware or software suppliers. We appreciate the vibrant community at the core of the Zephyr project and strive to give back whenever possible, contributing enhancements to the code base upstream.”
As we invite you to the Zephyr Project Meetup in Cologne, we encourage you to explore the endless possibilities of Zephyr, just as grandcentrix has.
Next steps:
Join us on January 18, 2024, for an evening of innovation, networking, and a deeper dive into the world of dependable, low power embedded systems.
If you’re excited about the Zephyr Project and want to share it with your local community, consider hosting an event in your city. Whether you’re in Cologne 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.