The Zephyr Project Community Meetup Series is coming to Rennes, France on March 26, 2026, bringing together developers, engineers, and open source enthusiasts interested in embedded systems and Zephyr RTOS.
Located in the heart of Brittany, Rennes is known for its growing technology and research ecosystem, hosting numerous engineering schools, startups, and innovative companies working in embedded systems, telecommunications, and IoT.
This in-person meetup is organized by Savoir-faire Linux and Silicon Labs and will take place at Le Poool, 1179 Av. des Champs Blancs, 35510 Cesson-Sévigné.
The event is open to anyone curious about open source, embedded systems programming, and software development. Attendees will hear technical presentations covering products running Zephyr, subsystems, and features of the Zephyr RTOS, while also having the opportunity to connect with members of the community.
Whether you are an experienced developer or just beginning to explore embedded systems, this meetup offers a great opportunity to learn, exchange ideas, and expand your network within the Zephyr ecosystem.
Agenda
6:00 – 6:05 PM – Welcome Note – Opening remarks from the Silicon Labs team.
6:05 – 6:20 PM – Zephyr Release Process – Johan Hedberg, Staff Software Engineer, Silicon Labs
The Zephyr project’s release process has evolved a lot since the initial launch 10 years ago. The presentation will go through how the project has organized its release management as well as the processes and tools which have allowed the project to scale without creating unnecessary bottlenecks. The presenter has acted as Zephyr Release Manager for three releases so far, and will share his experience from the Zephyr Release Engineering team perspective. The presentation will also give some hints to Zephyr developers on how to best navigate the release process and make their contribution flow as smooth as possible.
6:30 – 6:55 PM – Bring up of an exotic SoC: the STM32MP2, Zini Youssef, Embedded Systems Engineer, Savoir-faire Linux
Porting Zephyr to a standalone microcontroller usually follows a well-trodden path: boot the core, configure the clocks, and initialize the peripherals. However, bringing up Zephyr on an exotic, heterogeneous System-on-Chip like the STM32MP2 turns that standard process upside down. Featuring both Cortex-A35 and Cortex-M33 cores, the STM32MP2 introduces a complex shared environment. In this 30-minute talk, we will explore the technical journey of porting Zephyr to run on the M33 as a co-processor, emphasizing how this architecture fundamentally changes the assumptions of a traditional board integration.
We will focus on the unique technical hurdles encountered when Zephyr isn’t the sole master of the silicon. The session will dive into the challenges of navigating a system where early hardware initialization and clocking are delegated to the A35. We will also explore the complexities of adapting to hardware isolation mechanisms like the Resource Isolation Framework (RIF) and the necessary customized linker scripts required to safely map memory in a shared architecture. This talk will demystify the bring-up of heterogeneous SoCs, illustrating what it takes to make Zephyr thrive in a cooperative, multi-core environment.
6:55 – 7:25 PM – Break & Networking (30 min)
7:25 – 7:40 PM – Zephyr Video – Josuah Demangeon, Firmware, Panoramix Labs
The case of memory chip shortage: replacing Linux with Zephyr, the long and short journey
7:50 – 8:15 PM – Zephyr & LLMs: The Good, The Bad, and the Hallucinate – Benjamin Cabé, Developer Advocate, The Zephyr Project
LLMs and coding agents are evolving at a very rapid pace, and we are at a point where they are becoming a very useful tool for embedded developers, when only a few months ago most people would have considered them to be too “dumb” for this task.
In this talk Benjamin will be sharing some of his experiences using LLMs and coding agents to help with various aspects of day-to-day Zephyr development, from writing boilerplate driver code, helping improve documentation, or assisting in code reviews. There are things that can go terribly wrong, still, but you will leave this talk with a good understanding of the kind of tasks that you might want to consider using LLMs for, and some of the pitfalls to avoid.
8:15 – 8:30 PM – Quiz & Board Giveaways
8:30 PM onward – Zephyr Demos & Networking
2 demos will be showcased in the networking area :
“Write Once, Run Anywhere: Zephyr Portability Across Silicon Labs Platforms” – Silicon labs
This demo highlights how Zephyr enables seamless code portability across Silicon Labs platforms, including Series 2 and Wi-Fi SiWx917. Using a common Zephyr-based application framework, developers can reuse the same application code across multiple wireless technologies without modifying their C code. This approach simplifies development and accelerates the path to Bluetooth, Matter, and Wi-Fi products.
“STM32MP2: Simulation of an Industrial Hybrid Architecture” – Savoir-faire Linux
This demo showcases a hybrid architecture on STM32MP2 combining Zephyr and Linux. Zephyr runs on the Cortex-M33 to handle real-time data acquisition in a low-power context, while Linux on the Cortex-A35 is dynamically activated to process and display the data via OpenAMP. It highlights how combining real-time efficiency with high-level processing enables powerful yet energy-efficient industrial systems.
Registration
Registration is required for this meetup so the hosts can plan the space and logistics accordingly. Please register here.
Note from the host team:
Silicon Labs is proud to co-host this Zephyr Project Meetup in Rennes and to play a leading role in the global Zephyr community. As a Platinum Member of the Zephyr Project under the Linux Foundation, Silicon Labs actively contributes both strategic and technical leadership to one of the most vibrant open source real-time operating system ecosystems in embedded development. Our contributions span upstream code, hardware enablement, tooling, and community engagement, and we serve alongside other industry leaders on the Zephyr Governing Board to help guide the project’s long-term direction and sustainability. Silicon Labs also delivers robust developer experiences through the Simplicity SDK for Zephyr, ensuring deep support for connected IoT platforms and a seamless path from prototype to production. We look forward to connecting with developers, maintainers, and enthusiasts at this event as we continue to advance Zephyr together.
Savoir-faire Linux is an open source engineering company specializing in embedded Linux, real-time systems, and custom development for critical and connected devices. Open source is part of our DNA, and we actively contribute to the ecosystems we work with. As a Silver member of the Zephyr Project, we support companies in adopting Zephyr for IoT and industrial applications through development, training, and community engagement. We are pleased to co-host this Zephyr Meetup in Rennes together with Silicon Labs and to help grow the local and global Zephyr community.
About the Community Meetups:
This meetup is part of the Zephyr Community Meetup Series, gatherings hosted by community members, with support from the Zephyr Project.
If you are excited about the Zephyr Project and want to share it with your local community, consider hosting an event in your city. Whether you are in Rennes or halfway across the globe, we encourage passionate individuals to get involved. Reach out to us and explore how you can bring Zephyr to your community and make a difference in the world of IoT development.
To keep up to date about the project, subscribe to the Zephyr quarterly newsletter or connect with us on @ZephyrIoT, Zephyr Project LinkedIn or the Zephyr Discord Channel to talk with community and TSC members.