ZentriOS
ZentriOS is an IoT operating system, with a range of editions that support different features.
Your choice of ZentriOS edition depends on these questions:
- does your application need Wi-Fi, BLE, or both?
- will your application run:
- as a ZentriOS app (ZAP), on the ZentriOS device MCU?
- as a Command API app hosted on an external MCU, mobile device or other computing platform?
ZentriOS Features
High-level features include:
| Feature | Description | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n | ZentriOS-WZ, ZentriOS-W, ZentriOS-WL, ZentriOS-XZ |
| BLE | Bluetooth Low Energy, also known as Bluetooth Smart | ZentriOS-S, ZentriOS-XZ |
| Command API | Apps hosted on an external MCU use a Command API, via serial interface, remote terminal, or REST API. See Command API Applications below. | Wi-Fi: ZentriOS-WZ, ZentriOS-W BLE: ZentriOS-S |
| Command API Lite | A subset of the Command API, with serial interface and remote terminal access. See Command API Applications below. | Wi-Fi: ZentriOS-WL |
| ZAPs and SDK | ZentriOS Apps: apps hosted on the ZentriOS device are built with the ZentriOS-WZ SDK and use the Native API. See ZAPs - Native Applications below. | Wi-Fi: ZentriOS-WZ SDK Wi-Fi and BLE: ZentriOS-XZ SDK |
For a detailed comparison of features, see Detailed Edition Feature Comparison below.
For details of feature implementation and access, follow the menu links to the edition documentation.
ZentriOS Editions and Platforms
Each ZentriOS edition is released for a specific range of platforms with sufficient memory, processor speed and capabilities for the ZentriOS edition and the features it supports.
Choose your edition and platform according to the features you need.
| Edition | Features | Wi‑Fi | BLE | Command API | ZAP | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZentriOS-WZ | Wi-Fi, Command API, ZAPs & SDK | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | AMW004, AMW106, AMW136, NXP-SCCK |
| ZentriOS-W | Wi-Fi, Command API | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | AMW004, AMW006, AMW036, AMW106, AMW136 |
| ZentriOS-WL | Wi-Fi, Command API Lite | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | AMW007, AMW037 |
| ZentriOS-S | BLE, Command API | ✗ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | AMS001, AMS002 |
| ZentriOS-XZ | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Command API, BLE, ZAPs & SDK | ✔ | ✔ | Wi-Fi command API, BLE via ZAP only | ✔ | AVN4343 |
Edition links in the menu and this page go to the latest version of each edition. For earlier editions and versions, see ZentriOS Editions and Versions.
Command API Applications
Command API applications run on a host external to the ZentriOS device. The host can be an MCU, mobile device or other computing platform. The Command API application uses the ZentriOS Command API to access ZentriOS functions, via serial terminal, remote terminal or REST API.
A Command API application is not limited by the ZentriOS device hardware, but involves additional cost for the external host and related hardware.
Build Wi-Fi Command API applications with ZentriOS-WZ and ZentriOS-W.
Build Wi-Fi Command API Lite applications with ZentriOS-WL.
Build BLE Command API applications using ZentriOS-S.
ZAPs - Native API Applications
ZAPs are ZentriOS apps, that run on ZentriOS and use the ZentriOS Native API to access ZentriOS functions.
A ZAP is limited by the ZentriOS device hardware, but avoids the cost of an external host and related hardware.
Build ZAPs using the ZentriOS-WZ SDK or the ZentriOS-XZ SDK.
Detailed Edition Feature Comparison
ZentriOS-W supports a wide range of features.
ZentriOS-WZ and ZentriOS-XZ support all the features of ZentriOS-W. In addition, ZentriOS-WZ and ZentriOS-XZ support custom ZentriOS applications (ZAPs) via the ZentriOS Native API and SDK. ZAP libraries and APIs provide support for some features not available in ZentriOS-W. Additional command API interfaces to new features can be added.
ZentriOS-XZ provides additional BLE support for ZAPs via the ZentriOS Native API and SDK.
ZentriOS-WL supports fewer features, and more limited configuration options, due to hardware configuration and limited available memory. WL support for authentication is limited to OTA.
| Feature | XZ‑3.3 | WZ‑3.4 | W‑3.4 | WL‑1.4 | WL Notes | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | Support for MCU Analog to Digital Converters |
| Broadcast data | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Broadcast module properties in JSON format | |
| Bus | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Limited | WL does not provide write check, or separate data/log bus options | |
| Command API | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | WL has commands and variables for all its supported features | |
| Command response buffering | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| Command response time stamps | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| Command: multiple command UARTs | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | |
| Crystal driven RTC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | |
| DAC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | Supporting hardware: currently AMW004 only |
| DHCP client | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| DHCP server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | via Soft AP interface | |
| DHCP server lease time | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| DNS server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| Ethernet interface | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | Supporting hardware: currently NXP-SCCK only |
| Flash file system | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Flash file system: bulk flash | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| Flash file system: User encrypted files | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | |
| GPIO | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Limited | ||
| GPIO alias | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| GPIO configuration file | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| GPIO sleep | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Under evaluation | |
| HTTP client | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| HTTP server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| HTTP server Basic auth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| HTTP server not found/missing default pages | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| HTTP Client TLS certificates | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| HTTPS client | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | HTTPS client supported | |
| HTTPS server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | HTTPS server unavailable | |
| I2C | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | |
| IO Connection | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | GPIO controlled network connection | |
| MDNS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Limited | ||
| Network: multiple sockets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Multiple socket support under evaluation | XZ, WZ and W support up to 8 sockets or streams. WL supports only one. |
| Network: buffer size configurable | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| NTP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Network Time Management | |
| PWM | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | Support for MCU Pulse Width Modulators |
| Remote Terminal | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| S2C | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned for limited functionality | Silicon to Cloud - Zentri protocols, interfaces and APIs for creating integrated mobile, hardware and cloud applications |
| Setup Net Config | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Limited | Fewer config options in WL | |
| Setup Web | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Set up network credentials using ZentriOS Web App | |
| Setup scripts | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| Soft AP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | WL does not support concurrent SoftAP and WLAN | |
| Soft AP client RSSI | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Under evaluation | |
| Soft AP and WLAN interfaces simultaneously | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Under evaluation | |
| SPI master | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | |
| SMTP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | Email, SMTP client |
| Stream auto-close | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| System activity GPIO | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| System: lock | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | Lock certain variables from reset |
| System: factory reset configurable GPIO | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Roadmap | W has auxiliary factory reset GPIO. WL hard coded |
| System: OOB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Limited | WL supports a subset of events | Out-of-band Interrupts |
| System: powersave mode | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | Not applicable to AMW0x7 hardware |
| TCP client | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| TCP server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| TCP server multiple clients | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Not planned, more than one possible, but limited by RAM | |
| TLS client | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Full TLS client support | |
| TLS server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | TLS server unavailable for user connections in WL | |
| UART BAUD > 5.25Mbps | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | No hardware support | |
| UDP server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| Websocket client/server | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| WLAN RSSI averaging | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | Planned | |
| ZentriOS Web App | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Customisable app providing setup, monitoring, command interface, and more | |
| ZAPs | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | No hardware resources | ZentriOS Apps - features supported by APIs |
| ZAP MQTT library | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | IBM Bluemix support | |
| ZAP SMQ library | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | Simple Message Queue | |
| ZAP Bluetooth support | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | XZ provides Native API Bluetooth support, but not Command API Bluetooth support |