The Internet of Things (IoT), as the darling of the new era, has its unique advantages. The operating system is the soul of the IoT, and open-source operating systems, in particular, embody the theoretical essence of various IoT giants. The three terms—IoT, open source, and operating system—constitute the IoT open-source operating system. Below, we introduce 10 classic IoT operating systems.
Today's Internet of Things (IoT) technology encompasses concepts such as smart grids, smart homes, smart transportation, and smart cities. It represents a broader form of networking, with the ultimate goal of interconnecting networks in areas such as power grids, homes, and transportation, while providing security, data analysis, and management.
What is an operating system?
An operating system (OS) is a type of system software that sits in the middle of computer hardware and applications. It manages hardware and software resources and provides services to computer programs. All computer programs, including applications and firmware, require the support of an operating system.
Generally speaking, an operating system typically has the following functions: process management, interrupts, memory management, file system, device drivers, networking, security, and input/output system.
Typical operating systems include Windows (Microsoft), Unix and Unix-like operating systems (Linux, Google), and Mac (Apple).
Windows is a graphical operating system designed based on MS-DOS. It is a closed-source system, meaning its source code is not open.
Unix and Unix-like operating systems, such as FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Minix, Linux, QNX, Google's Android operating system (based on Linux), and Ubuntu, are basically open-source systems with their source code open.
In addition, Apple's MacOSX and iOS mobile device operating systems are based on Darwin, a Unix-like operating system. Apple's operating systems (MacOSX and iOS) are closed source, but Apple made Darwin open source in 2000.
What is an open-source operating system?
An open-source operating system (OSS) is operating system software whose source code is publicly available, and which is used, compiled, and redistributed under open-source licenses. Subject to these licenses, anyone can use it for free and freely control how the software runs. The biggest characteristics of an open-source OS are its open source code and free customization. Below are some advantages of open-source OSes:
Easy to understand: Open source operating system source code is publicly available, making it easier for developers to view and understand the code and acquire relevant knowledge.
Openness and transparency: Operating system vulnerabilities and defects are more easily exposed, and the development and maintenance of the code are also open.
Customizable: Users can customize according to their needs, different hardware platforms, and application scenarios.
Low cost: No commercial copyright fees, saving on related development management and human resource costs.
Sustainability: Even if the company that developed it is unable to support it for various reasons, the system can continue to be maintained thanks to the participation of a large number of developers in the open source community.
Pooling wisdom and ideas: Because open-source operating systems are publicly available, they allow more developers to participate in development, pooling more wisdom and ideas.
Why does the Internet of Things (IoT) need an open-source operating system?
Fragmentation is a major problem for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Chips, sensors, communication protocols, and application scenarios vary widely, creating a fragmented landscape. For example, wireless communication standards include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, PLC, Z-Wave, RF, Thread, Z-Wave, NFC, UWB, LiFi, NB-IoT, LoRa, and many more. Clearly, this lack of standardized technical solutions and inconsistent architectures hinders the development of the IoT and limits the scope of interoperability.
However, different operating systems can support different hardware, communication standards, and application scenarios. Open source helps break down technical barriers and obstacles, improves interoperability and portability, reduces development costs, and is also suitable for developers in the open source community to participate.
Operating systems are a crucial component of the Internet of Things (IoT), and open source technology further promotes the openness and development of IoT. Currently, open-source operating systems are widely used in IoT and will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in the future.
Top 10 IoT Open Source Operating Systems
1. AndroidThings
AndroidThings is an IoT operating system launched by Google. It is an updated version of the "Brillo" operating system and a fork of the Android system. It is similar to AndroidWear used in wearables and smartwatches (in fact, it is also an IoT operating system).
It uses a communication protocol called Weave to connect devices to the cloud and interact with services such as Google Assistant. AndroidThings is geared towards all Java developers, regardless of their mobile development experience. The operating system will be able to support a range of computing platforms for IoT devices, including the Intel Edison platform, NXP's Pico platform, and the BlackBerry Pi 3.
2. Contiki
Contiki is an open-source, portable, multitasking operating system suitable for memory-constrained network tasks. The Contiki project was authored by Dr. Adam Dunkels of the Network Embedded Systems Group at the Swedish Institute of Computer Science.
This system requires only a few kilobytes or a few hundred bytes of memory to provide a multitasking operating system environment and TCP/IP support. It has been ported and successfully run on embedded microcontroller platforms (TIMSP430, AtmelAVR) as well as on computers, game consoles, and other platforms. It supports full-standard IPv6 and IPv4 protocols, as well as low-power network standards: 6lowpan, RPL, and CoAP.
3. eLinux
eLinux, also known as EmbeddedLinux, is an embedded Linux operating system. Based on the Linux kernel, it's a customized version of Linux for embedded systems. It's supported by a wide range of manufacturers, chips, and products. The operating system's wiki page provides comprehensive information on development, hardware, products, manufacturers, and the community.
4. FreeRTOS
FreeRTOS is a mini real-time operating system kernel with features including task management, time management, semaphores, message queues, memory management, logging, software timers, and coroutines, which can basically meet the needs of smaller systems.
FreeRTOS is a completely open-source operating system, characterized by its open source code, portability, customizability, and flexible scheduling strategies. Currently deployed on millions of devices, it is touted as the "market-leading embedded real-time operating system," providing excellent solutions for microcontrollers and microprocessors.
5. mbedOS
This operating system, developed by ARM, is specifically designed for IoT devices running ARM processors. It includes C++ application networking, and the company also provides other development tools and related device servers.
By default, the mbed operating system is an event-driven, single-threaded architecture, rather than a multi-threaded (real-time operating system) environment. This ensures that it can scale to the smallest, lowest-cost, and lowest-power IoT devices.
ARM has a strong market share in mobile devices, so the strength and prospects of this operating system should not be underestimated.
6. Raspbian
Raspbian is an operating system based on Debian, designed for Raspberry Pi hardware. This operating system includes a series of basic programs and tools to ensure the operation of the Raspberry Pi hardware.
7. RIOT
RIOT, which describes itself as a "friendly IoT operating system," is committed to being developer-friendly, resource-friendly, and IoT-friendly. Key features include C/C++ support, multithreading, energy efficiency, and partial POSIX compliance. The RIOT open-source community has been operating since 2008. RIOT can run on numerous platforms, including embedded devices, PCs, and sensors.
8. Ubuntu Core
Ubuntu is currently the most popular Linux distribution, and Ubuntu Core aims to bring Ubuntu to the world of the Internet of Things (IoT). It can run services such as Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine, and Amazon Elastic Compute Service, as well as hardware such as the Beagle Bone Black and Raspberry Pi.
9. Huawei LiteOS
Huawei LiteOS is a unified IoT operating system and middleware software platform built by Huawei for the IoT field. It features key capabilities such as lightweight (kernel less than 10k), low power consumption, interconnectivity, and security. Huawei LiteOS is currently mainly used in smart hardware in IoT fields such as smart homes, wearables, connected vehicles, smart meters, and industrial internet. It can also interconnect with hardware within the LiteOS ecosystem to improve user experience.
The LiteOS operating system features low power consumption, small size, and fast response. It has also established an open-source community and can support chips such as HiSilicon's HCT3911 PLC chip, 3798M/C media chip, Hi3516A IP camera chip, and LTE-M chip.
10. Tizen
Tizen, an open-source operating system jointly developed by the Linux Foundation and the LiMo Foundation, along with Intel and Samsung Electronics, can meet the needs of the IoT device ecosystem (including device manufacturers, mobile operators, application developers, and independent software service providers) and can be used in multiple products such as mobile phones, TVs, and wearables.
Tizen's underlying platform APIs are exposed in HTML5 format, and services will cover communication, multimedia, camera, networking, and social media. Samsung has already sold several products running this operating system and is its biggest supporter.
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