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The Operating systems are no more mere software in the hardware. They have evolved into different stages and the RTOS are in high demand in this modern era. Amazon has been providing free RTOS to help many small developers. Here is the basic information for you to understand Amazon FreeRTOS.
What is Amazon FreeRTOS?
FreeRTOS refers to the Free Real-Time Operating System of Amazon. It is an open-source operating system for microcontrollers. It is free under the MIT open source license and accessible to everyone around the world. It comes with Kernel and growing software libraries helping you to work across different industries.
Using this you can easily and securely connect your small and low-power devices with AWS cloud services. Before going further here is a short explanation on RTOS or Microcontrollers for beginners.
Real-Time Operating System (RTOS)
It is an Operating System that is designed to serve the real-time applications that compute and process the data as soon as they come in without any delay. It is used for the systems which are time-constrained for which the processing should be done within the fixed time otherwise the system would fail.
Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a simple and small computer that is used in embedded devices and applications. It contains one or more processors along with the input/output peripherals and memory. It is used in automatically controlled products like automobile engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, GPU (Graphics Processing Units), and almost in all modern devices.
By now you should have got an idea about, how and why this Amazon FreeRTOS is used. Among the few RTOS in the market, there is a huge benefit with Amazon’s FreeRTOS. Here are they –
Benefits of Amazon FreeRTOS:
Open Source
The main plus is that it is completely free as it is released under the MIT Open Source license. It allows the third party all the rights with some limited restrictions to reuse.
Security
FreeRTOS has pre-build support for TLS (Transfer Layer Security) and PKCS. This helps you to connect your devices securely to the AWS cloud. You can easily configure or program all the basic needed IoT (Internet of Things) into your device or MCUs (Micro Controlled Units). It also provides an OTA (Over the Air) update library to update your devices with new security patches.
Long Term Support (LTS)
FreeRTOS offers a special option called LTS releases. This LTS library helps with new security patches and critical bug fixes for two years. So this will be the best choice for the small companies that can’t afford these functions.
Trusted Kernel
The FreeRTOS kernel is considered as the standard for every microcontroller, small microprocessors, and other embedded devices in the market. It is trusted by the world’s leading companies with a tiny footprint, proven robustness, and wide device support.
Amazon FreeRTOS FAQs:
Q: Do I need to be an Amazon customer or AWS user to use FreeRTOS?
A: No, there is no condition. Non-AWS users or Amazon customers can also use the Amazon FreeRTOS. To make it simple and easily available, Amazon has adopted a MIT free license.
Q: Who uses FreeRTOS?
A: The typical FreeRTOS users are the companies that produce small embedded industries. These devices can vary from the remote toy train to Aircraft Navigation.
Q: Where can I get FreeRTOS?
A: You can easily download FreeRTOS from AWS. You can download the different versions of FreeRTOS from the FreeRTOS console. You can also download the source code of the FreeRTOS from GitHub or other forums.
However the FreeRTOS.org website is the home for FreeRTOS Kernel and MIT license terms, so it is advisable to get your FreeRTOS from there to avoid disputes during the distribution of codes.
Q: Can I contribute to FreeRTOS?
A: Yes, you can contribute to the Amazon FreeRTOS. Amazon allows its users and partners to develop and expand FreeRTOS. But at the same time to ensure the industry confidence in the product they have a hardware qualification program to maintain high quality.
The new version 10 of the FreeRTOS Kernel has major features like stream buffers and message buffers. Amazon added these features based on the direct response from the users. This makes a live example for the FreeRTOS’s support and successful future.