A Practical Start with Zephyr RTOS

Abstract

The field of embedded systems has grown significantly in recent years, driving increased demand for advanced Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS). These systems manage complex tasks, ensure fast responses, and optimize resource usage. Zephyr RTOS stands out as an open-source solution with solid community support and compatibility across various hardware platforms. Supported by the Linux Foundation, its modular design makes it an appealing choice for scalable and customizable solutions. However, new users often face challenges when configuring it for hardware that lacks native support, especially when working with Devicetree structures and Kconfig files. While powerful, these components require a solid understanding of system configuration and hardware integration. This case study provides a practical guide to reduce the learning curve and help developers adapt Zephyr to their projects. It covers critical topics such as adding hardware support for the NXP FRDM-K66F board and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) with the PCD8544 controller, handling interrupts, managing multithreading and synchronization, and integrating external devices.