Zephyr
Run Zephyr® on Ameba Devices
Zephyr® Real-Time Operating System (RTOS)
Zephyr RTOS is a real-time operating system optimized for Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded applications. Combining its deep expertise in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Ameba actively contributes to the open-source community, enabling every Ameba-based device to achieve efficient and secure interconnectivity driven by Zephyr. On the Ameba platform, you can experience high synergy between software and hardware, easily building the next generation of smart devices.
Zephyr RTOS is licensed under Apache 2.0 and hosted by the Linux Foundation, boasting a globally active developer community. It introduces the Kconfig configuration system and DeviceTree (DTS) hardware description language, bringing a Linux-like modern development experience to embedded development. This balances system flexibility with development efficiency, significantly lowering the learning curve.
Designed for commercial productization, providing LTS (Long Term Support) versions to ensure lifecycle maintenance. The system features built-in MCUboot secure boot, complying with PSA security architecture standards; code follows MISRA-C guidelines and undergoes strict automated testing via Twister, ensuring enterprise-grade code quality and security.
Zephyr supports mainstream architectures like ARM and RISC-V, achieving complete decoupling of upper-layer applications from underlying hardware through standardized HAL interfaces. Ameba deeply adapts to the Zephyr ecosystem, providing a full-featured BSP (Board Support Package) including native drivers. Developers can reuse code across platforms with almost no changes to application logic, significantly improving portability and the development experience.
Zephyr natively integrates the industry's most comprehensive protocol stacks and middleware. It not only supports mainstream IoT protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Zigbee but also includes a built-in USB device stack and the LVGL graphics library. This one-stop "connectivity + interaction" capability meets diverse development needs, from smart home gateways to HMI devices with screens.
Software Components & Features
Zephyr is a new-generation real-time operating system built for resource-constrained devices, supporting on-demand tailoring of functional modules. It uses a specially developed Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to adapt to various hardware vendors. Ameba plans to continuously deepen its support for the Zephyr project. Currently, the official repository has integrated RTL8721F and RTL8721Dx chips, and will cover the full range of Ameba products in the future.
Developing Ameba devices based on Zephyr allows developers to directly use unified APIs to access underlying hardware and system services. These APIs are rigorously verified by automated test cases to ensure correctness and stability. Developers do not need to delve into low-level details and can directly invoke 3rd Party Libraries (such as LVGL) and rich subsystem components (such as network stacks, file systems, MCUmgr), thereby greatly improving development efficiency and product quality.
Zephyr RTOS
Ameba HAL
MCUboot
Connectivity
Get Started with Zephyr
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SDK Download (Ameba Latest Implementation) | Link |
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Github Source Code (Zephyr Official) | Link |
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Technical Documentation | Link |
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Contact Us | Link |
Recommended ICs
| Features | Filter | RTL8721Dx | RTL8720E | RTL8710E | RTL8726E | RTL8713E | RTL8730E | RTL8721F | RTL872xD | RTL8735B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processor |
Cortex-M | Cortex-M | Cortex-M | Cortex-M | Cortex-M | Cortex-A | Cortex-M | Cortex-M | Cortex-M | |
| DSP | ||||||||||
| ISP | ||||||||||
| Arm TrustZone | ||||||||||
| Dual Band | ||||||||||
| Wi-Fi 6 | ||||||||||
| R-MESH | ||||||||||
| Ultra-low Power | ||||||||||
| Ethernet | ||||||||||
| BT Dual Mode | ||||||||||
| HMI | ||||||||||
| Audio ADC | ||||||||||
| Audio DAC | ||||||||||
| SDIO Host | ||||||||||
| SD/EMMC Host | ||||||||||
| USB | ||||||||||
|
BT Dedicated Antenna |
||||||||||
| A2C |
Peripheral Support Table
| Peripheral/Subsystem | RTL8721Dx | RTL8721F |
|---|---|---|
| UART | ✅ | ✅ |
| I2C | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| SPI | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Flash | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Wi-Fi | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Bluetooth | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| GPIO | ✅ | ✅ |
| PINCTRL | ✅ | ✅ |
| Clock Control | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| DMA | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| TIMERS (Counter) | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| PWM | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| RTC | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| WATCHDOG | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| ADC (Input) | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| TRNG (entropy) | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| LCD | WIP | ✔️ |
| LVGL | WIP | ✔️ |
| ETH MAC (RMII) | N/A | ✔️ |
| A2C | N/A | ✔️ |
| I2S | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Audio (DMIC) | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| LEDC | ✔️ | N/A |
| Thermal (sensor) | N/A | ✔️ |
| LOW POWER | WIP | WIP |
| USB | Community | Community |
| SDHC | N/A | ✔️ |
| SDIO (slave) | WIP | WIP |
| Secure Boot | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| FLASH Encryption | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| MCUBOOT | WIP | ✔️ |
| OTA (MCUmgr) | WIP | ✔️ |
Legend:
- ✅: Merged into Zephyr official repository
- ✔️: Supported in AIoT repository, ready to merge into official repository
- Community: Ameba custom implementation, awaiting community update
- WIP: Not yet Supported
- N/A: Not supported by this device
