TI Integrates Zephyr Across Its Embedded and Wireless Portfolio

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has expanded support for the Zephyr Project across its embedded semiconductor portfolio, covering microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors (MPUs), and wireless connectivity devices. The integration provides developers with a common real-time operating system (RTOS) environment across different TI platforms, allowing existing Zephyr-based software workflows to be reused when moving between devices.

Zephyr is an open-source RTOS supported by the Linux Foundation and developed through a community-based upstream model. TI is contributing code and reference designs to the Zephyr project, allowing its software to undergo community review before being incorporated into TI software development kits. This approach is intended to provide developers with a more consistent codebase and reduce changes between development and production software releases.

The expanded support addresses a common challenge in embedded development: migrating applications between semiconductor platforms can require substantial software changes when vendors use different operating systems, drivers, and development frameworks. By supporting Zephyr across a wider range of TI hardware, developers can maintain a common software environment while selecting MCUs, MPUs, and wireless devices based on processing, connectivity, and system requirements.

TI also provides public repositories, together with continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) resources for Zephyr development. Developers can therefore access code and new features through the upstream development process before they are incorporated into final SDK releases. The company also provides validated releases, migration documentation, and backward-compatibility information to support longer product development and maintenance cycles.

Security maintenance is another element of the approach. TI states that it regularly updates its Zephyr-based SDKs to address security vulnerabilities, while its embedded devices can support product lifecycles extending beyond 10 years. This combination is intended to reduce the maintenance burden for products that remain in service for extended periods.

The expanded Zephyr support also targets developers preparing products for European markets under the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). By combining an open-source RTOS, upstream software development, and ongoing security updates, TI aims to provide a common foundation for embedded products spanning industrial, consumer, connected and wireless applications.

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