Variscite will continue to offer FreeRTOS alongside Zephyr, providing customers with flexible operating system options for their embedded applications.

Tel Aviv, Israel, May 2025 – Variscite, a leading worldwide System on Module (SoM) designer, developer and manufacturer, is offering the Zephyr operating system on its SoMs, providing customers with a modern, flexible, and scalable real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded and IoT applications. Zephyr is currently available on Variscite's DART-MX8M-PLUS, VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS, DART-MX93, and VAR-SOM-MX93 SoMs. Support for additional i.MX 9 series modules, including the DART-MX95, is planned for future release. Variscite will continue to offer FreeRTOS alongside Zephyr, providing customers with flexible operating system options for their embedded applications.

A collaborative open-source effort led by the Linux Foundation, Zephyr is based on a small-footprint kernel designed for use on embedded resource-constrained systems, from simple embedded environmental sensors to sophisticated embedded devices. Zephyr leverages proven concepts from Linux, such as Kconfig, driver models, and most notably, the device tree system, which provides significant advantages for hardware integration. While commonly associated with microcontrollers like the Arm® Cortex®-M, Zephyr's versatility extends to general-purpose application processors like the Cortex®-A53 and A55 series, enabling seamless deployment across diverse computing platforms. Additionally, Zephyr's software ecosystem extends beyond kernel functionality to provide comprehensive options for modern embedded device development with a focus on security, modularity, and performance optimization.

Zephyr is well-suited for applications such as industrial IoT, monitoring systems, connected medical devices, systems that run critical real-time functions, or require optimal balance between functionality and resource usage. Variscite's customers developing these types of application will find Zephyr's capabilities valuable for enhancing their project and reducing time-to-market.

"Zephyr offers significant advantages for embedded systems developers, particularly for resource-constrained devices where its architecture maximizes functionality while minimizing resource requirements," said Ofer Austerlitz, VP Business Development and Sales for Variscite. "By combining Zephyr's versatile development ecosystem with Variscite's Pin2Pin architecture, we've created a powerful software-hardware synergy for our customers. This integration provides simplified hardware integration, streamlined development workflows, and the flexibility to scale across different performance tiers without redesigning carrier boards – ultimately reducing time-to-market."

The integration of Zephyr OS with Variscite's Pin2Pin architecture delivers exceptional development flexibility for embedded engineers. Variscite's two scalable Pin2Pin product families—VAR-SOM and DART—offer significant long-term advantages across diverse performance tiers. The VAR-SOM family, based on a 200-pin SO-DIMM edge connector, spans from cost-sensitive entry-level modules to high-performance solutions, while the compact DART family (55x30mm) provides similar scalability in a smaller form factor. This Pin2Pin compatibility enables developers to seamlessly migrate between different processors without redesigning carrier boards - reducing development time and extending product longevity. Engineers can create highly maintainable future-proof embedded solutions that are adaptable to evolving performance requirements.