
An ultra-lightweight real-time operating system for resource-constrained IoT and embedded devices.
Kernel footprint under 10 KB, 2 KB minimum RAM, preemptive priority-based scheduling.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Kernel | Preemptive priority-based scheduling (256 levels), round-robin within same priority, O(1) priority lookup via bitmap, priority inheritance |
| Synchronization | Mutex (with priority inheritance), semaphore, condition variable, event groups, message queues |
| Software Timers | One-shot and auto-reload, millisecond precision, period change at runtime |
| Memory | First-fit allocator with immediate coalescing (8 KB heap, 8-byte aligned), stack overflow detection, per-task high-water mark |
| Shell | VT100 interactive shell — 23 built-in commands, command history (↑↓), tab completion, full line editor |
| POSIX Compatibility | pthreads (create/join/detach/exit, mutex, cond var) · BSD socket API (socket/bind/listen/accept/connect/send/recv, inet_pton/ntop, htons/htonl) |
| File System | Journaling block-device FS (WAL, crash recovery), COW block sharing, atomic snapshots, POSIX-like API |
| Network | Ethernet, IPv4, ICMP, UDP, TCP, HTTP client/server, DNS |
| TLS / DTLS | TLS 1.2/1.3 over TCP, DTLS 1.2 over UDP (mbedTLS backend) |
| MQTT | Full MQTT 3.1.1 — QoS 0/1/2 with in-flight retry table, offline queue, auto-reconnect with exponential back-off |
| CoAP | RFC 7252 compliant client/server, observe pattern |
| OTA | A/B partition firmware updates, CRC32 verification, rollback |
| Watchdog | Hardware and software watchdog, per-task timeout monitoring |
| Power | Idle / Sleep / Deep-sleep modes, tickless idle, CPU frequency scaling |
| Security | MPU-based memory protection, secure boot support |
| HAL | Generic Hardware Abstraction Layer — ARM Cortex-M / RISC-V / AVR; compile-time arch selection, peripheral op-tables |
| Architecture | Examples |
|---|---|
| ARM Cortex-M (M0/M0+/M3/M4/M7) | STM32, nRF52, Raspberry Pi Pico |
| RISC-V (RV32I) | ESP32-C3 |
| AVR (experimental) | ATmega |
# ARM cross-compiler (required)
sudo apt-get install -y gcc-arm-none-eabi binutils-arm-none-eabi
# QEMU ARM emulator (optional — for running without hardware)
sudo apt-get install -y qemu-system
Verify installation:
arm-none-eabi-gcc --version # 10.x or later
qemu-system-arm --version # 6.x or later
# Default example (blink_led) — ARM Cortex-M4
make
# Target a different architecture (auto-selects toolchain and HAL)
make ARCH=cortex-m0 # Cortex-M0/M0+
make ARCH=cortex-m7 # Cortex-M7
make ARCH=riscv32 # RISC-V RV32I (uses riscv32-unknown-elf-gcc)
make ARCH=avr5 # AVR ATmega (uses avr-gcc)
# Specific example
make EXAMPLE=blink_led # LED blink + task scheduler demo
make EXAMPLE=event_groups # Event group AND/OR/NOT/SYNC demo
make EXAMPLE=iot_sensor # Multi-sensor IoT node
make EXAMPLE=shell_demo # Interactive UART shell
make EXAMPLE=mqtt_demo # MQTT publish/subscribe
make EXAMPLE=condition_variable # Producer/consumer
# Convenience aliases
make example-blink
make example-events
make example-shell
make example-mqtt
make example-iot
# Build output
make size # Print ROM/RAM usage
Build artifacts are placed in build/:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
build/tinyos.elf | ELF image with debug symbols |
build/tinyos.bin | Raw binary for flashing |
build/tinyos.map | Linker map (symbol sizes) |
TinyOS runs on the QEMU mps2-an385 target (ARM Cortex-M3, 4 MB flash, 4 MB RAM):
# Run indefinitely (Ctrl-A X to quit)
qemu-system-arm \
-machine mps2-an385 \
-cpu cortex-m3 \
-nographic \
-kernel build/tinyos.elf
# Run for a fixed duration (e.g. 10 seconds)
timeout 10 qemu-system-arm \
-machine mps2-an385 \
-cpu cortex-m3 \
-nographic \
-kernel build/tinyos.elf
# Debug: trace interrupts
qemu-system-arm \
-machine mps2-an385 \
-cpu cortex-m3 \
-nographic \
-d int \
-kernel build/tinyos.elf
Expected output from the interrupt trace: repeated successful exception return lines confirm the scheduler is running, SysTick is ticking, and PendSV context switches are completing cleanly.
# OpenOCD (STM32 example)
openocd -f interface/stlink.cfg -f target/stm32f4x.cfg \
-c "program build/tinyos.bin verify reset exit 0x08000000"
# pyOCD (generic ARM Cortex-M)
pyocd flash --target cortex_m build/tinyos.bin
TLS support is enabled automatically when mbedTLS is present at ~/mbedtls.
To use a different path:
# Clone and build mbedTLS
git clone https://github.com/Mbed-TLS/mbedtls ~/mbedtls
make -C ~/mbedtls
# Build TinyOS with TLS
make MBEDTLS_DIR=~/mbedtls
Minimal task example:
#include "tinyos.h"
void my_task(void *param) {
while (1) {
/* work */
os_task_delay_ms(100);
}
}
int main(void) {
tcb_t task;
os_init();
os_task_create(&task, "my_task", my_task, NULL, PRIORITY_NORMAL);
os_start();
}
os_task_create(tcb, name, entry, param, priority)
os_task_delete(task)
os_task_suspend(task) / os_task_resume(task)
os_task_delay(ticks) / os_task_delay_ms(ms)
os_task_set_priority(task, priority)
os_task_get_stats(task, stats)
os_task_get_stats_by_index(index, stats) /* iterate all tasks by index */
os_task_find_by_name(name) /* returns tcb_t*, NULL if not found */
os_get_system_stats(stats)
os_get_memory_stats(&free, &used, &allocs, &frees)
os_mutex_init(mutex) / os_mutex_lock(mutex, timeout) / os_mutex_unlock(mutex)
os_semaphore_init(sem, count) / os_semaphore_wait(sem, timeout) / os_semaphore_post(sem)
os_cond_init(cond) / os_cond_wait(cond, mutex, timeout)
os_cond_signal(cond) / os_cond_broadcast(cond)
os_event_group_set_bits(eg, bits) / os_event_group_wait_bits(eg, bits, opts, out, timeout)
os_queue_init(q, buf, item_size, max) / os_queue_send(q, item, timeout)
os_queue_receive(q, item, timeout) / os_queue_peek(q, item, timeout)
os_timer_create(timer, name, type, period_ms, callback, param)
os_timer_start(timer) / os_timer_stop(timer) / os_timer_reset(timer)
os_timer_change_period(timer, ms) / os_timer_get_remaining_ms(timer)
/* Register custom commands before calling shell_start() */
shell_register_cmd(name, handler_fn, help_text)
/* Provide UART I/O callbacks and start the shell task */
shell_io_t io = { .getc = uart_getc, .puts = uart_puts };
shell_start(&io)
/* Change the prompt at any time */
shell_set_prompt("mydevice> ")
/* Execute a single line programmatically */
shell_exec(line)
Custom command example:
static int cmd_led(int argc, char *argv[]) {
if (argc < 2) return 1; /* non-zero → prints usage */
bool on = (strcmp(argv[1], "on") == 0);
gpio_write(LED_PIN, on);
return 0;
}
/* In main(), before shell_start(): */
shell_register_cmd("led", cmd_led, "led <on|off> Toggle LED");
Line editor key bindings:
Shell configuration (include/tinyos/shell.h):
#define SHELL_MAX_COMMANDS 32 /* max registered commands */
#define SHELL_LINE_MAX 128 /* max input line length (bytes) */
#define SHELL_ARGV_MAX 16 /* max arguments per command */
#define SHELL_HISTORY_DEPTH 8 /* command history entries */
net_init(driver, config) / net_start()
net_socket(type) / net_bind(sock, addr) / net_connect(sock, addr, timeout_ms)
net_send(sock, data, len, timeout_ms) / net_recv(sock, buf, len, timeout_ms)
net_sendto(sock, data, len, addr) / net_recvfrom(sock, buf, len, addr)
net_close(sock)
net_ping(dest_ip, timeout_ms, rtt)
net_dns_resolve(hostname, ip, timeout_ms)
net_http_get(url, response, timeout_ms)
net_http_post(url, content_type, body, len, response, timeout_ms)
TinyOS provides two thin compatibility layers that allow standard portable code to be compiled and run on TinyOS with minimal changes.
include/tinyos/posix_threads.h)Add src/posix/posix_threads.c to your build.
#include "tinyos/posix_threads.h"
/* ── Thread ── */
pthread_t tid;
pthread_attr_t attr;
pthread_attr_init(&attr);
tinyos_pthread_attr_setpriority(&attr, PRIORITY_NORMAL); /* TinyOS extension */
pthread_create(&tid, &attr, my_fn, arg);
pthread_join(tid, &retval);
pthread_detach(tid); /* free resources automatically on exit */
pthread_exit(retval); /* terminate calling thread */
pthread_self(); /* handle of calling thread */
/* ── Mutex ── */
pthread_mutex_t mtx = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
pthread_mutex_lock(&mtx);
pthread_mutex_trylock(&mtx); /* returns EBUSY if already locked */
pthread_mutex_unlock(&mtx);
/* ── Condition variable ── */
pthread_cond_t cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
pthread_cond_wait(&cond, &mtx);
pthread_cond_timedwait(&cond, &mtx, &abstime); /* abstime relative to boot */
pthread_cond_signal(&cond);
pthread_cond_broadcast(&cond);
Not supported: pthread_cancel, thread-local storage (pthread_key_*),
recursive mutexes (returns ENOTSUP).
Configuration (include/tinyos/posix_threads.h):
#define PTHREAD_MAX_THREADS MAX_TASKS /* max concurrent pthreads */
include/tinyos/posix_socket.h)Add src/posix/posix_socket.c to your build.
#include "tinyos/posix_socket.h"
/* ── TCP server ── */
int srv = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
int reuse = 1;
setsockopt(srv, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &reuse, sizeof(reuse));
struct sockaddr_in addr = {
.sin_family = AF_INET,
.sin_port = htons(8080),
.sin_addr = { htonl(INADDR_ANY) },
};
bind(srv, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr));
listen(srv, 4);
struct sockaddr_in peer;
socklen_t plen = sizeof(peer);
int client = accept(srv, (struct sockaddr *)&peer, &plen);
recv(client, buf, sizeof(buf), 0);
send(client, response, response_len, 0);
posix_sock_close(client); /* or define TINYOS_POSIX_WRAP_CLOSE to use close() */
posix_sock_close(srv);
/* ── TCP client ── */
int fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
struct sockaddr_in dest = {
.sin_family = AF_INET,
.sin_port = htons(80),
.sin_addr = { inet_addr("192.168.1.1") },
};
connect(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&dest, sizeof(dest));
send(fd, request, request_len, 0);
recv(fd, buf, sizeof(buf), 0);
posix_sock_close(fd);
/* ── UDP ── */
int udp = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
sendto(udp, data, len, 0, (struct sockaddr *)&dest, sizeof(dest));
recvfrom(udp, buf, sizeof(buf), 0, (struct sockaddr *)&src, &srclen);
posix_sock_close(udp);
/* ── Address utilities ── */
htons(port) / htonl(addr) / ntohs(n) / ntohl(n)
inet_addr("192.168.1.1") /* → in_addr_t, network byte order */
inet_ntoa(in) /* → "192.168.1.1" (static buffer) */
inet_pton(AF_INET, "192.168.1.1", &in_addr)
inet_ntop(AF_INET, &in_addr, buf, sizeof(buf))
Supported setsockopt options:
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
SO_REUSEADDR | Accepted; no-op (always reusable in TinyOS) |
SO_RCVTIMEO | Sets receive timeout per socket (struct timeval → ms) |
SO_SNDTIMEO | Sets send/connect timeout per socket |
close() redirection: define TINYOS_POSIX_WRAP_CLOSE before including the
header to map close(fd) → posix_sock_close(fd).
Not supported: select / poll / epoll, non-blocking mode (O_NONBLOCK),
IPv6 (AF_INET6 returns EAFNOSUPPORT).
TLS 1.2/1.3 over TCP and DTLS 1.2 over UDP backed by mbedTLS.
Enable at build time with -DTINYOS_TLS_ENABLE and link against mbedTLS.
/* Client (TLS over TCP) */
tls_context_t tls;
tls_config_t cfg = TLS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_CLIENT;
cfg.ca_cert = ca_cert_pem;
cfg.ca_cert_len = sizeof(ca_cert_pem);
tls_init(&tls, &cfg);
net_socket_t sock = net_socket(SOCK_STREAM);
net_connect(sock, &broker_addr, 5000);
tls_connect(&tls, sock, "example.com", 5000);
tls_send(&tls, data, len);
tls_recv(&tls, buf, sizeof(buf), 5000);
tls_close(&tls);
/* Server (TLS accept) */
tls_config_t srv_cfg = TLS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_SERVER;
srv_cfg.cert = server_cert_pem;
srv_cfg.cert_len = sizeof(server_cert_pem);
srv_cfg.key = server_key_pem;
srv_cfg.key_len = sizeof(server_key_pem);
tls_init(&tls, &srv_cfg);
tls_accept(&tls, client_sock, 5000);
/* DTLS over UDP */
tls_config_t dtls_cfg = TLS_CONFIG_DEFAULT_DTLS_CLIENT;
net_socket_t usock = net_socket(SOCK_DGRAM);
tls_connect_dtls(&tls, usock, "example.com", 5000);
Full MQTT 3.1.1 with per-message QoS delivery guarantees.
mqtt_config_t cfg = {
.broker_host = "mqtt.example.com",
.client_id = "tinyos-01",
.keepalive_sec = 60,
.clean_session = true,
.auto_reconnect = true,
.reconnect_interval_ms = 3000, /* base; doubles each attempt (max 60 s) */
};
mqtt_client_t client;
mqtt_client_init(&client, &cfg);
mqtt_set_connection_callback(&client, on_connect, NULL);
mqtt_set_message_callback(&client, on_message, NULL);
mqtt_connect(&client);
/* Publish — QoS1/2 are buffered offline if disconnected */
mqtt_publish(&client, "sensors/temp", "23.5", 4, MQTT_QOS_1, false);
/* Inspect reliability queues */
uint8_t in_flight = mqtt_get_inflight_count(&client); /* sent, awaiting ACK */
uint8_t pending = mqtt_get_pending_count(&client); /* queued while offline */
mqtt_subscribe(&client, "cmd/#", MQTT_QOS_1);
mqtt_flush_pending(&client); /* discard offline queue */
mqtt_disconnect(&client);
QoS 0 ─── fire-and-forget; dropped if disconnected
QoS 1 ─── in-flight table tracks each PUBLISH until PUBACK
↳ retransmits with DUP=1 every 5 s, up to 5 times
↳ if offline → offline queue (up to 8 messages)
QoS 2 ─── full PUBLISH → PUBREC → PUBREL → PUBCOMP handshake
↳ each step is retried independently on timeout
Auto-reconnect back-off: 3 s → 6 s → 12 s → … → 60 s (cap)
On reconnect: re-subscribes all topics, flushes offline queue
MQTT reliability configuration (include/tinyos/mqtt.h):
#define MQTT_MAX_INFLIGHT 8 /* in-flight slots */
#define MQTT_MAX_PENDING 8 /* offline queue slots */
#define MQTT_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE 512 /* bytes per queued msg */
#define MQTT_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS 5000 /* retry after (ms) */
#define MQTT_MAX_RETRY_COUNT 5 /* retries before drop */
#define MQTT_RECONNECT_BASE_MS 3000 /* first reconnect delay */
#define MQTT_RECONNECT_MAX_MS 60000 /* backoff ceiling */
coap_init(ctx, config, is_server) / coap_start(ctx) / coap_stop(ctx)
coap_get(ctx, ip, port, path, response, timeout_ms)
coap_post(ctx, ip, port, path, format, payload, len, response, timeout_ms)
coap_resource_create(ctx, path, handler, user_data)
coap_process(ctx, timeout_ms)
ota_init(config)
ota_start_update(url, callback, user_data)
ota_write_chunk(data, size, offset) / ota_finalize_update()
ota_confirm_boot() / ota_rollback()
ota_verify_partition(type)
fs_format(device) / fs_mount(device) / fs_unmount()
fs_open(path, flags) / fs_close(fd)
fs_read(fd, buf, size) / fs_write(fd, buf, size)
fs_seek(fd, offset, whence) / fs_tell(fd)
fs_mkdir(path) / fs_remove(path) / fs_rmdir(path)
fs_stat(path, stat)
fs_opendir(path) / fs_readdir(dir, entry) / fs_closedir(dir)
fs_get_stats(stats) / fs_get_free_space() / fs_is_mounted()
/* Copy-on-Write snapshots */
fs_snapshot(source_path, snapshot_name) /* atomic COW snapshot of a file */
fs_get_block_refcount(block_nr) /* reference count of a data block */
The filesystem uses metadata-only journaling (ordered mode). Before any
inode, bitmap, or directory block is modified, a journal record is written to a
dedicated 32-block WAL area at the start of the partition. On the next mount
after a crash, fs_mount replays the journal and restores a consistent state.
Disk layout (FS_BLOCK_SIZE = 512 bytes)
Block 0 Superblock (version 0x00020000 — v2 with journaling)
Block 1 Block bitmap
Block 2 Journal header
Blocks 3-33 Journal data (31 slots)
Blocks 34-41 Inode table (8 blocks, 128 inodes)
Block 42+ Data blocks
Each data block carries an in-memory reference count rebuilt from the inode
table at mount time. Writing to a block that is shared (refcount > 1)
allocates a private copy first — the original block's count is decremented and
all changes happen to the new block.
fs_snapshot() creates an atomic point-in-time snapshot by duplicating the
source inode (same block pointers, bumped refcounts) inside a single journal
transaction. Either the full snapshot is committed or nothing changes.
/* Create a snapshot of /data/config → /snapshots/config-20260101 */
fs_snapshot("/data/config", "/snapshots/config-20260101");
/* Inspect sharing */
uint8_t rc = fs_get_block_refcount(42); /* 1 = private, >1 = shared */
os_power_init()
os_power_set_mode(mode) /* ACTIVE / IDLE / SLEEP / DEEP_SLEEP */
os_power_get_mode()
os_power_enter_sleep(duration_ms)
os_power_enter_deep_sleep(duration_ms)
os_power_enable_tickless_idle(enable)
os_power_set_cpu_frequency(freq_hz)
os_power_configure_wakeup(source, enable)
os_power_get_stats(stats)
os_power_get_consumption_mw()
os_power_estimate_battery_life_hours()
wdt_init(config) / wdt_start() / wdt_stop()
wdt_feed() / wdt_set_timeout(ms)
wdt_register_task(task, timeout_ms) / wdt_feed_task(task)
TinyOS provides a generic HAL that hides all architecture-specific register
access behind a stable C interface. The architecture is selected at compile
time via the ARCH Makefile variable; no #ifdef guards appear in kernel
code.
static inline in each arch header)uint32_t hal_irq_save(void) /* disable IRQs, return saved state */
void hal_irq_restore(uint32_t s) /* restore IRQ state */
void hal_context_switch_trigger() /* pend PendSV / raise MSIP / Timer0 */
void hal_cpu_wait_for_interrupt() /* WFI / wfi / sleep instruction */
void hal_cpu_dsb(void) /* data synchronization barrier */
void hal_cpu_isb(void) /* instruction synchronization barrier */
hal/<arch>/hal_<arch>.c)void hal_init(void)
void hal_tick_init(uint32_t core_clock_hz, uint32_t tick_rate_hz)
void hal_tick_suppress(uint32_t max_ticks)
uint32_t hal_tick_unsuppress(void)
uint32_t hal_core_clock_hz(void)
bool hal_cycle_counter_init(void)
void hal_cycle_counter_reset(void)
uint32_t hal_cycle_counter_read(void)
bool hal_mpu_init(uint8_t *region_count)
int hal_mpu_configure_region(uint8_t region, uint32_t base,
uint32_t size, uint32_t attrs)
void hal_mpu_enable(bool allow_privileged_default)
void hal_mpu_disable(void)
void hal_irq_set_priority(int irq_num, uint8_t priority)
void hal_system_reset(void) /* does not return */
void hal_fault_capture(const uint32_t *frame, hal_fault_info_t *info)
Register board peripherals once at startup; the kernel and power manager query
the table via hal_platform_get() instead of using weak symbols.
static const hal_uart_ops_t my_uart = { .init = ..., .putc = ... };
static const hal_power_ops_t my_power = { .enter_sleep = ...,
.set_clock_hz = ... };
static const hal_platform_t board = {
.uart[0] = &my_uart,
.power = &my_power,
};
hal_platform_register(&board); /* call before os_start() */
hal_platform_t provides slots for uart[4], flash, gpio, spi[4],
i2c[4], and power. Any NULL pointer means "not present on this board".
include/tinyos.h — kernel and OS:
#define MAX_TASKS 16 /* max concurrent tasks */
#define STACK_SIZE 256 /* stack size per task (words) */
#define TICK_RATE_HZ 1000 /* scheduler tick frequency (Hz) */
#define TIME_SLICE_MS 10 /* round-robin time slice (ms) */
#define TICKLESS_MAX_SLEEP_TICKS 100U /* tickless idle: max ticks per WFI sleep */
include/tinyos/shell.h — interactive shell:
#define SHELL_MAX_COMMANDS 32 /* max registered commands */
#define SHELL_LINE_MAX 128 /* max input line length (bytes) */
#define SHELL_ARGV_MAX 16 /* max arguments per command */
#define SHELL_HISTORY_DEPTH 8 /* command history ring buffer */
include/tinyos/mqtt.h — MQTT reliability:
#define MQTT_MAX_INFLIGHT 8 /* in-flight QoS1/2 slots */
#define MQTT_MAX_PENDING 8 /* offline queue slots */
#define MQTT_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE 512 /* max queued payload bytes */
#define MQTT_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS 5000 /* unACKed retry interval */
#define MQTT_MAX_RETRY_COUNT 5 /* retries before discard */
#define MQTT_RECONNECT_BASE_MS 3000 /* initial reconnect delay */
#define MQTT_RECONNECT_MAX_MS 60000 /* back-off ceiling */
TLS — requires mbedTLS; enable with:
CFLAGS += -DTINYOS_TLS_ENABLE
LDFLAGS += -lmbedtls -lmbedcrypto -lmbedx509
tinyos-rtos/
├── include/
│ ├── tinyos.h # Core API (tasks, sync, timers, memory, FS, power)
│ └── tinyos/
│ ├── shell.h # Interactive shell API & configuration
│ ├── net.h # Network stack
│ ├── tls.h # TLS 1.2/1.3 + DTLS 1.2 (mbedTLS)
│ ├── mqtt.h # MQTT 3.1.1 client
│ ├── coap.h # CoAP RFC 7252
│ ├── ota.h # OTA firmware updates
│ ├── watchdog.h # Watchdog timer
│ ├── posix_threads.h # POSIX pthreads compatibility layer
│ └── posix_socket.h # BSD socket compatibility layer
├── src/
│ ├── startup.s # Vector table, Reset_Handler, SysTick/SVC/PendSV stubs
│ ├── context_switch.s # Thumb-2: PendSV_Handler, SVC_Handler, os_pend_sv
│ ├── kernel.c # Preemptive scheduler & task management
│ ├── sync.c # Mutex, semaphore, queue, condition var, event groups
│ ├── timer.c # Software timers
│ ├── memory.c # Heap allocator
│ ├── shell.c # Interactive shell (VT100, history, tab completion)
│ ├── filesystem.c # Block-device file system
│ ├── security.c # MPU memory protection
│ ├── power.c # Power management & CPU frequency scaling
│ ├── watchdog.c # Watchdog (HW + SW, per-task monitoring)
│ ├── bootloader.c # Secure bootloader
│ ├── ota.c # OTA A/B partition updates
│ ├── mqtt.c # MQTT client (in-flight table, offline queue)
│ ├── coap.c # CoAP client/server
│ ├── net/
│ │ ├── network.c # Core & buffer management
│ │ ├── ethernet.c # Ethernet / ARP
│ │ ├── ip.c # IPv4 / ICMP
│ │ ├── socket.c # UDP / TCP socket API
│ │ ├── http_dns.c # HTTP client & DNS resolver
│ │ └── tls.c # TLS/DTLS (mbedTLS wrapper, excluded when mbedTLS absent)
│ └── posix/
│ ├── posix_threads.c # pthreads → TinyOS task/sync wrapper
│ └── posix_socket.c # BSD socket → net_* wrapper
├── hal/
│ ├── hal.h # Portable HAL interface (arch-agnostic API + peripheral op-tables)
│ ├── cortex_m/
│ │ ├── hal_cortex_m.h # Register defines + static inline primitives (irq_save, WFI, DSB …)
│ │ └── hal_cortex_m.c # SysTick, DWT, MPU, AIRCR reset, fault capture
│ ├── riscv/
│ │ ├── hal_riscv.h # csrrci/csrw inline primitives, CLINT defines
│ │ └── hal_riscv.c # CLINT tick, rdcycle counter, PMP, PLIC priority, CSR fault capture
│ └── avr/
│ ├── hal_avr.h # SREG-based irq_save, Timer0 context-switch trigger
│ └── hal_avr.c # Timer0 CTC tick, watchdog reset, stub MPU/cycle-counter
├── drivers/
│ ├── flash.c / flash.h # Flash memory driver
│ ├── ramdisk.c / ramdisk.h # RAM disk (testing)
│ └── loopback_net.c # Loopback network driver (testing)
├── linker.ld # Linker script (mps2-an385: Flash 0x0/4MB, RAM 0x20000000/4MB)
└── examples/
├── blink_led.c # GPIO blink
├── iot_sensor.c # Multi-task sensor node
├── shell_demo.c # Custom shell commands over UART
├── network_demo.c # TCP/UDP/HTTP/ping
├── tls_demo.c # TLS client/server
├── mqtt_demo.c # MQTT publish/subscribe (QoS 1/2)
├── coap_demo.c # CoAP client/server
├── ota_demo.c # Firmware update flow
├── filesystem_demo.c # File I/O
├── watchdog_demo.c # Watchdog configuration
├── low_power.c # Power mode transitions
├── software_timers.c # Timer creation and callbacks
├── event_groups.c # Event synchronisation
├── event_flags_logic.c # AND / OR / NOT(CLEAR) / SYNC(barrier) patterns
├── condition_variable.c # Producer/consumer
├── priority_adjustment.c # Dynamic priority
├── task_statistics.c # CPU and stack monitoring
└── posix_compat_demo.c # POSIX pthreads + socket usage examples
| Architecture | Context switch |
|---|---|
| Cortex-M0 | ~2 μs |
| Cortex-M4 | ~1 μs |
| RISC-V | ~1.5 μs |
System requirements: 2 KB RAM minimum · < 10 KB ROM for kernel alone
New features
Journaling filesystem (src/filesystem.c) — Write-Ahead Log (WAL) protects
all metadata writes (inodes, bitmap, superblock, directories).
On-disk format bumped to FS_VERSION 0x00020000. Journal occupies 32 blocks
starting at block 2; fs_mount replays any committed but unapplied transaction
before handing control to the application. Metadata-only (ordered) journaling
keeps write amplification low while guaranteeing a consistent filesystem after
a power failure or reset at any point during a write.
Copy-on-Write block sharing (src/filesystem.c) — Every data block carries
an in-memory reference count (rebuilt from the inode table at mount time).
Writing to a shared block silently allocates a private copy; the shared block's
count is decremented. fs_snapshot(source, name) creates an atomic
point-in-time snapshot inside a single journal transaction — either all or
nothing is committed. New public API: fs_snapshot() and
fs_get_block_refcount() (see include/tinyos.h).
Generic HAL (hal/) — A two-tier Hardware Abstraction Layer decouples the
kernel from ARM Cortex-M-specific assembly.
Breaking changes
src/kernel.c no longer contains bare SYST_*, SCB_SHPR3, SCB_AIRCR, or
DWT_* register defines — these are now supplied by the HAL. Code that
directly referenced these macros must be updated to use the HAL API.src/power.c weak symbols (platform_enter_sleep_mode, etc.) now delegate to
hal_platform_t->power when a platform is registered; boards that relied on
the old __asm__ volatile("wfi") default will see identical behaviour unless
a hal_power_ops_t is registered.0x00020000. Volumes formatted with v1.x must
be reformatted (fs_format).Bug fixes
startup.s vector table — MemManage_Handler, BusFault_Handler, and UsageFault_Handler now point to the correct handlers in fault.c.Default_Handler, so MPU, bus, and usage faults were silently swallowed instead of triggering the diagnostic dump.os_cond_wait double-decrement — cond_remove_task() already decrements waiting_count; the three call sites that decremented it again afterward have been fixed.os_mutex_lock now calls mutex_pip_recalculate() before returning OS_ERROR_TIMEOUT.
Previously the priority boost applied to the owner was never undone when the waiting task gave up, causing permanent priority inflation.Improvements
src/memory.c) — replaced the fixed 32-byte block pool with a first-fit allocator featuring:
os_free() (forward and backward)≥ BLK_HDR + ALIGN)os_init() initialization order — os_mem_init() and os_power_init() are now called before os_timer_init(), so the heap and power subsystem are ready before any timer callbacks or task code runs.src/kernel.c: os_kernel_tickless_sleep) — when enabled via os_power_enable_tickless_idle(true), the idle task suppresses SysTick before WFI and uses the DWT CYCCNT cycle counter to measure actual elapsed time.
After wakeup SysTick is restarted, is advanced by the measured ticks (capped at ), and is called to immediately unblock any overdue tasks.
Previously the flag existed but the idle path always fell through to a plain with SysTick running.New features
EVENT_WAIT_CLEAR flag for event groups — wait until bits become clear (NOT condition).EVENT_WAIT_ALL | EVENT_WAIT_CLEAR wakes when all masked bits are 0; EVENT_WAIT_ANY | EVENT_WAIT_CLEAR wakes when any is 0.os_event_group_sync() — rendezvous / barrier primitive.examples/event_flags_logic.c demonstrating all four modes (AND, OR, NOT, SYNC).Build & runtime fixes
src/startup.s: vector table, Reset_Handler (.data copy, .bss zero), SysTick_Handler stub, HardFault_Handler.linker.ld: memory layout for mps2-an385 (Flash 0x00000000 / 4 MB, RAM 0x20000000 / 4 MB).LDMIA {R4-R11} works correctly on first context switch into any newly created task.SVC_Handler updated to LDMIA {R4-R11} before setting PSP, keeping both SVC and PendSV paths symmetric.MPU_TYPE check in os_mpu_configure_default() — MPU setup is skipped silently when no MPU is present (QEMU ).MIT License — see LICENSE for details.
| Command | Description |
|---|
help [cmd] | List all commands, or show detailed help for cmd |
clear | Clear the terminal screen (VT100) |
echo <text> | Print text to the terminal |
history | Show command history |
ps | List all tasks (state, priority, CPU%, stack usage) |
top | Task list sorted by CPU usage, descending |
kill <name> [suspend|resume|delete] | Control a task by name |
mem | Heap statistics (total / used / free, alloc/free counts) |
ver | TinyOS version and formatted uptime |
net | Network statistics (Ethernet, IP, UDP, TCP counters) |
ping <ip> [count] | Send ICMP echo requests |
ifconfig [ip|netmask|gw|dns <addr>] | Show or change network configuration |
power [active|idle|sleep|deepsleep] | Power stats or mode change |
ls [path] | List directory (default: /) |
cat <file> | Display file contents |
mkdir <path> | Create directory |
rm <path> | Remove file or empty directory |
df | Filesystem usage statistics |
touch <file> | Create empty file |
cp <src> <dst> | Copy file |
uptime | Show system uptime (HH:MM:SS or N day(s), HH:MM:SS) |
sleep <ms> | Delay the shell task for N milliseconds |
reboot | Reboot the system |
| Key | Action |
|---|
← / Ctrl-B | Move cursor left |
→ / Ctrl-F | Move cursor right |
Home / Ctrl-A | Jump to start of line |
End / Ctrl-E | Jump to end of line |
↑ / ↓ | Navigate command history |
Tab | Complete command name |
Ctrl-K | Kill to end of line |
Ctrl-U | Kill to start of line |
Ctrl-W | Kill previous word |
Ctrl-L | Clear screen and redraw |
Ctrl-C | Cancel current line |
| Concept | Mapped to |
|---|
pthread_t | Index into an internal pool of TinyOS tcb_t slots |
pthread_mutex_t | Embeds mutex_t directly (zero-init / PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER valid) |
pthread_cond_t | Embeds cond_var_t directly (zero-init / PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER valid) |
pthread_join | Waits on a per-thread semaphore_t posted by pthread_exit |
| BSD call | Mapped to |
|---|
socket() | net_socket() |
bind() | net_bind() |
listen() | net_listen() |
accept() | net_accept() |
connect() | net_connect() |
send() / recv() | net_send() / net_recv() |
sendto() / recvfrom() | net_sendto() / net_recvfrom() |
posix_sock_close() | net_close() |
| Architecture | Tick source | Cycle counter | MPU / PMP | Context switch trigger |
|---|
| Cortex-M0/M0+/M3/M4/M7 | SysTick | DWT CYCCNT (M3+) | MPU | PendSV via ICSR |
| RISC-V RV32I/IM | CLINT MTIMECMP | rdcycle CSR | PMP (4 regions) | MSIP software interrupt |
| AVR ATmega/ATtiny | Timer0 CTC | — (returns 0) | — | Timer0 overflow |
| Component | ROM | RAM |
|---|
| Kernel | 6 KB | 512 B |
| Per task | — | ~1 KB |
| Mutex | — | 12 B |
| Semaphore | — | 8 B |
| Message queue (10 items) | — | 40 B + data |
| Shell (with 23 built-ins) | ~4 KB | ~2.5 KB |
| MQTT client (with queues) | ~8 KB | ~10 KB |
| POSIX threads layer | ~2 KB | ~PTHREAD_MAX_THREADS × (tcb_t + 32 B) |
| POSIX socket layer | ~1 KB | ~NET_MAX_SOCKETS × 12 B |
hal/hal.hhal_platform_thal/cortex_m/ — full Cortex-M0–M7 implementation (SysTick, DWT, AIRCR,
PRIMASK, PendSV trigger).hal/riscv/ — RISC-V RV32 stub (CLINT MTIMECMP tick, rdcycle counter,
PMP, PLIC priority, CSR fault capture).hal/avr/ — AVR ATmega stub (Timer0 CTC tick, SREG critical sections,
watchdog reset).ARCH= (cortex-m* / riscv* / avr*)
and passes -DHAL_ARCH_* to the compiler.kernel.tick_countTICKLESS_MAX_SLEEP_TICKSdelay_queue_tick()WFIMAX_TASKS increased — raised from 8 to 16 to support more realistic IoT workloads without user-side configuration changes.mps2-an385timer_t → os_timer_t to avoid conflict with POSIX <sys/types.h>.-I. added for drivers/ includes; TLS sources excluded automatically when mbedTLS is absent; -Wno-stringop-truncation for false-positive strncpy warnings.coap.c, filesystem.c, mqtt.c, ota.c, security.c, net/ip.c, net/http_dns.c.