Contiki – Open Source Multi-Tasking OS

Contiki is an open source, highly portable, multi-tasking operating system for memory-efficient networked embedded systems and wireless sensor networks. Contiki has been used is a variety of projects, such as road tunnel fire monitoring, intrusion detection, water monitoring in the Baltic Sea, and in surveillance networks.

Contiki is designed for microcontrollers with small amounts of memory. A typical Contiki configuration is 2 kilobytes of RAM and 40 kilobytes of ROM.

Contiki provides both full IP networking and low-power radio communication mechanisms. For communication within wireless sensor network, Contiki uses the Rime low-power radio networking stack.

The M-12 module from Redwire is a fast and easy way to create a 6LoWPAN, Zigbee, or general 2.4GHz 802.15.4 device without additional RF design or certifications and without the need for an external host microcontroller.  This is a Hardware for Contiki.

Instant Contiki is a complete development environment in a single-file download: a virtual machine with all Contiki software development tools installed. All that is needed to start using and developing Contiki software is the free VMWare Player software, 4 Gb free hard drive space, and the Instant Contiki development environment.

Updated Oct 2013

Contiki is an open source operating system for the Internet of Things. Contiki connects tiny, low-cost, battery-operated and low-power systems to the Internet.

The Internet of Things is a collection of technologies that connect things—sensors and actuators—to the Internet, allowing the physical world to be accessed through software.