FreeRTOS

FreeRTOS
π§© 1. Basic Information
Field β>Description
OS Name β>FreeRTOS
Developer β>Originally Richard Barry, now Amazon
First Released β>2003
Latest Version β>FreeRTOS v11.x (2025)
License Type βMIT (open-source, permissive)
Supported Platforms β>ARM Cortex-M, AVR, PIC, MSP430, x86, many microcontrollers
Still Active?β>β
Yes
βοΈ 2. Kernel & Architecture
Kernel Type: Real-time microkernel (non-monolithic)
Based On: Written from scratch in C for embedded systems
Architecture Support: Extremely portable across 35+ architectures
Boot System: Loaded via embedded bootloader (no BIOS/UEFI)
Scheduling: Preemptive & cooperative multitasking, priority-based
Memory: No virtual memory, uses static/dynamic memory allocation
π 3. Key Features
Very small footprint (often <10KB RAM)
Preemptive multitasking with configurable priorities
Tasks, queues, semaphores, mutexes for synchronization
Software timers, tickless idle for low-power
Direct interrupt handling integration
Modular: include only what you need to save memory
Supports static or dynamic task allocation
π 4. Version History & Important Milestones β
Version / Event β>Year β>Milestone / Impact
First Release β>2003 β>Initial lightweight RTOS for microcontrollers
Ports to ARM Cortex β>2006β08 β>Became default RTOS choice for ARM dev boards
Amazon acquisition β>2017 β>Amazon acquired FreeRTOS for secure IoT focus
FreeRTOS v10 β>2017 β>Improved kernel APIs, memory schemes
AWS IoT Integration β>2018Β± β>Official libraries for MQTT, OTA, TLS etc.
FreeRTOS v11.x β>2025 β>Latest updates, modular connectivity + security
π― 5. Target Audience & Use Cases
Embedded developers: building on microcontrollers (MCUs)
IoT products: sensors, smart home devices, wearables
Automotive: ECUs, automotive safety controllers
Industrial control: PLCs, factory automation
Robotics & drones: precise real-time task scheduling
β 6. Pros & Cons
Pros β>Cons
Extremely lightweight, <10KB RAM footprint β>No built-in GUI
MIT licensed, easy for commercial products β>Not designed for complex MMU systems
Massive MCU portability & examples β>Steep learning curve for beginners
Real-time precision (deterministic latency) β>Manual memory & task management
Integrated with AWS IoT, secure OTA
π¨ 7. UI Demo & Visuals
No GUI: FreeRTOS runs without a graphical interface
Developers typically show:
xTaskCreate() calls to create tasks
vTaskStartScheduler() to run the RTOS
Debug console or LEDs blinking per task
Can visualize with IDE RTOS awareness plugins (like STM32CubeIDE, MPLAB Harmony)
π¦ 8. Ecosystem & App Support
Not for traditional βappsβ β instead runs compiled C code on microcontrollers
Libraries for MQTT, TLS, HTTP, OTA, Bluetooth (via Amazon FreeRTOS)
Supported by STM32Cube, Microchip Harmony, TI SDKs
Often combined with hardware-specific drivers & HALs
π 9. Security & Updates
Secure kernel maintained by Amazon & FreeRTOS community
Integrated support for TLS, PKCS #11, secure OTA updates
Best practices rely on compiler memory protection + hardware isolation
Frequent minor version updates with security patches
π 10. Community, License & Development
License: MIT β fully open source, commercial-friendly
Huge global community on GitHub, AWS forums, vendor communities (ST, Microchip)
Developer tools: CMake, GCC, IDE RTOS viewers
Amazon maintains core kernel + official libraries for cloud integration
Hundreds of real-world examples, tutorials, YouTube demos