Zephyr Kernel 1.8.0

We are pleased to announce the release of Zephyr kernel version 1.8.0.

Major enhancements with this release include:

  • Tickless kernel

  • IP Stack improvements

  • Bluetooth 5.0 features

  • Ecosystem: Tracing, debugging support through third-party tools (openocd, Segger Systemview)

  • Improved build support on Mac and Windows development environments

  • Xtensa GCC support

  • Initial implementation of MMU/MPU support

  • Expanded device support

The following sections provide detailed lists of changes by component.

Kernel

  • Use k_cycle_get_32 instead of sys_cycle_get_32 for Kernel

  • Added k_panic() and k_oops() APIs for Kernel

  • Added k_thread_create() API for Kernel

  • Added k_queue API for Kernel

  • Add tickless kernel support

Architectures

  • arm: Update core to use struct k_thread

  • arm: Added ARM MPU support

  • dts: Added ARM CMSDK support

  • arm: Added Initial support for NXP MPU

  • arm: Added Device Tree Support for nRF52832 SoC based boards

  • arm: Fixed nRF52840-QIAA SoC support for device tree

  • arm: Added Device Tree Support for nRF52840 SoC & boards

  • arm: Added Device Tree Support for nRF51822 SoC & boards

  • dts: Introduced st/mem.h for FLASH & SRAM sizes

  • dts: Put IRQ priority into the interrupt property

  • arm: Support for MKL25Z soc

  • arm: Added FPU support

  • x86: defined MMU data structures

  • Support for ARC EM Starter Kit version 2.3 added

Boards

  • Added qemu_xtensa board definition

  • Added a more informative page fault handler x86 board

  • xtensa: build similar to other Zephyr arches

  • Define MMU data structures for x86 board

  • Added support for board disco_l475_iot1

  • Added STM32F413 Nucleo board

  • Added support for the CC3220SF_LAUNCHXL board

  • Support for new ARM board FRDM-KL25Z

  • arduino_101 board enable GPIO by default

  • boards: convert to using newly introduced integer sized types

  • arm: Added support for Nucleo L432KC board

  • arm: Added support for STM32L496G Discovery board

  • arm: Added support for STM32F469I-DISCO board

  • BBC micro:bit: Added driver & API for the 5x5 LED display

Drivers and Sensors

  • UART interrupt-driver API is better defined

  • Support for pull-style console API

  • nRF5 IEEE 802.15.4 radio driver added

  • KW41Z IEEE 802.15.4 radio driver added

  • Added MCUX TRNG driver

  • Added support for the SiFive Freedom E310 pinmux driver

  • drivers/sensor: Convert formatter strings to use PRI defines

  • Added lps22hb sensor driver

  • Added lsm6dsl sensor driver

  • Added heart rate sensor driver

  • Added support for max30101 heart rate sensor

  • Added support for lis2dh accelerometer

Networking

  • HTTPS server support added

  • HTTP Basic-Auth support added

  • IPv6 fragmentation support added

  • Add block wise support to CoAP for well-known response

  • Big refactoring of network buffer handling

  • Start to collect TCP statistics if enabled in config

  • IEEE 802.15.4 security support added

  • DNS resolver sample application added

  • IPv6 multicast listener (MLDv2) support added

  • NATS protocol sample application added

  • HTTP client and server connectivity fixes

  • Network samples Coverity fixes

  • Network samples llvm compiler warning fixes

  • MQTT publisher connectivity fixes

  • 6lo IPv6 header compression fixes

  • CoAP connectivity fixes

  • DHCPv4 connectivity fixes

  • TCP connectivity fixes

  • DNS documentation and connectivity fixes

  • IPv6 connectivity fixes

  • IPv4 ARP fixes

  • IEEE 802.15.4 configuration tweaking fixes

  • Remove ORFD (Overly Reduced Function Device) 802.15.4 support

  • Network offloading driver fixes

  • Fix various memory leaks

  • Properly check TCP and UDP checksum before accepting packet

  • Start RX and TX network threads in proper order

  • Network samples documentation fixes and clarifications

  • RPL mesh routing fixes

  • Network link (MAC) address fixes

Bluetooth

  • Host: Added ATT and SMP packet tracking for flow control enforcement

  • Host: GATT database changed to a linked list in preparation for dynamic allocation

  • Bluetooth 5.0: The Controller reports itself as 5.0-capable

  • Bluetooth 5.0: Introduced Channel Selection Algorithm #2 support

  • Bluetooth 5.0: Added Multiple PHY support, both 2Mbit/s and long-range coded

  • Bluetooth 5.0: Integrated Scan Request notifications

  • Controller: Added Low Duty Cycle Directed Advertising support

  • Controller: Added Scan duplicate filtering support

  • Controller: Enforced complete role separation in the controller for smaller builds

  • Controller: Introduced Advanced Controller configuration with several new Kconfig options

  • Controller: Changed the radio interrupts to direct ISRs to reduce interrupt latency

  • Added HCI Controller to Host flow control support in both Host and Controller

  • BR/EDR: Added HFP (e)SCO audio channel establishment support

  • BR/EDR: Added support for a functional SDP server

Build and Infrastructure

  • Support building host tools

  • Added separate DTS target

  • Added support for MSYS2

  • Use -O2 instead of -Os for ARC with SDK 0.9

Libraries

  • Added library for software driven I2C

  • Created a HTTP library

  • Added HTTP server library support

  • Added minimal JSON library

  • Update TinyCrypt to version 0.2.6

  • Added minimal JSON library

HALs

  • Added Atmel SAM family I2C (TWIHS) driver

  • Added Atmel SAM serial (UART) driver

  • Added WDT driver for Atmel SAM SoCs

  • Added Atmel SAM4S SoC support

  • Imported Nordic 802.15.4 radio driver

  • Added Initial support for NXP MPU

  • Updated QMSI to 1.4 RC4

  • Added FPU support

  • Added basic support for STM32F413

  • Introduced STM32F4x DMA driver

  • pinmux: stm32: Added support for Nucleo L432KC

  • Added support for STM32L496G Discovery board

  • Added dts for STM32F407

  • Added support for STM32F4DISCOVERY Board

  • Added support for STM32F469XI

  • Added support for STM32F469I-DISCO

Documentation

  • Board documentation added for new board ports

  • Added a board porting guide

  • Added security sections to porting and user guides

  • Continued migration of wiki.zephyrproject.org material to website and github wiki

  • Improved CSS formatting and appearance of generated documents

  • Added breadcrumb navigation header with kernel version number

  • Updated getting started setup guides for Linux, Windows, and macOS

  • Updates and additions to follow new and updated kernel features

  • Broken link and spelling check scans

  • Removed deprecated kernel documentation (pre 1.6 release) from website (still available in git repo if needed)

Tests and Samples

  • Added test to verify same tick timeout expiry order

  • Added clock_test for kernel

  • Added tickless tests

  • Added a simple CC2520 crypto dev test

  • Added combined observer & broadcaster app for Bluetooth samples

  • Added support to wait both IPv4 and IPv6

  • Enabled tickless kernel option in some apps