Embedded Open Source Summit 2023

By creating a tight connection between Linux and Zephyr, introducing new IoT devices can be done quickly. Linux and Zephyr are both great databases of well-tested, community-reviewed sensor, actuator, indicator and connectivity drivers. Linux and Zephyr code bases are very different from the multitudes of available Arduino and Micropython code with vastly diverse quality levels and no driver model for standardizing usage within an application. This presentation explores 6 different mechanisms for connecting a new peripheral device to a Zephyr host and creating an associated data/control connection through a Linux host on a private network, namely: 1) Arduino code on Zephyr 2) Micropython on Zephyr 3) Linux userspace code over Greybus network-exported interfaces 4) Linux kernel driver usage over Greybus 5) Native Zephyr driver 6) Native Zephyr driver with Greybus-based sensor transport We'll explore the pros and cons of each to build awareness of the importance of native Zephyr and Linux drivers to open source IoT development. Support of Arudino and Micropython provides rapid-prototyping, but more critically, it introduces over-the-air updates and built-in networking stacks. The benefits of the Zephyr device driver model are explained from this perspective.