Arduino Core-zephyr 0.56.0: try it out now, and help us get closer to Stable

Version 0.56.0 of the Arduino^® Core on Zephyr is live – and it’s a sizable update to the earlier release. Think optimized performance, expanded hardware capabilities. We’re still smoothing some edges towards the official Stable release, but if you’ve been testing the beta, prepare for a meaningful upgrade.

Multimedia expansion: Arduino^® GIGA^™ Display Shield & Arduino^® Portenta H7 board video support

Multimedia capabilities take a major step forward in this release, establishing native support for advanced visual outputs.

We have introduced official video support for Portenta H7 alongside full compatibility for GIGA Display Shield when paired with the Arduino^® GIGA R1^™ WiFi. Whether you are building industrial interfaces, interactive kiosks, or custom dashboards, these display features are now fully integrated into the core and ready for your application code.

Core optimizations and network bug fixes

For our supported board lineup, this release delivers several updates to performance, pin management, and connectivity:

• RAM usage optimization: We have optimized internal memory management across the core. This effectively lowers the core’s background footprint, freeing up more RAM for your sketches, complex variables, and larger application buffers.
• Dynamic pin-muxing improvements: Runtime pin multiplex configurations have been refined. This improvement allows for more flexible and reliable dynamic pin reassignment, ensuring better stability when managing hardware peripherals programmatically.
• Network fixes and improvements: Rather than adding new features, this time around we focused on essential bug fixing within the network stack. These improvements resolve ongoing connection issues and optimize socket management to make your connected prototypes more dependable.

How to get started

To update, open the Arduino^® IDE, search for “zephyr” in the Board Manager, and install the 0.56.0 release. For a granular breakdown of specific code commits and fixes, you can view the full release notes on GitHub.

First use: flashing the Zephyr loader

To prepare a supported board for running Zephyr-based sketches for the first time, you must install the Zephyr loader firmware onto your hardware. Follow these steps within the Arduino IDE 2:

1. Enter bootloader mode: Double-click the physical RESET button on your board.
2. Select a programmer: Go to the Tools -> Programmer menu and select any available programmer.
3. Burn the loader: Navigate to Tools and click Burn Bootloader to write the Zephyr loader to the board.
4. Upload your first sketch: Once the loader is successfully installed, put the board into bootloader mode by double-clicking the RESET button one more time, and upload your sketch. After this initial setup, subsequent uploads will happen automatically without manual resets.

Important reminder: It is highly recommended to update the Zephyr loader with each new core release. Keeping the loader aligned with the current core version ensures your board remains fully functional, secure, and compatible with future framework modifications.

A streamlined workflow for the Arduino^® UNO^™ Q board

If you are using UNO Q, you can completely skip the manual process above. Starting with version 0.56.0, the core automatically checks the loader version behind the scenes during every single sketch upload and handles any necessary updates natively. You can write your code, click upload, and let Arduino IDE and Arduino^® App Lab take care of the rest. 

We are actively working to bring this automated behavior to all other supported boards in future releases.

Help us shape the final release!

Your real-world testing continues to be invaluable as we head towards the Stable milestone. Please share your feedback, report bugs, or contribute on our GitHub Issues page. Thank you for being an active part of the Arduino community!

Arduino, GIGA, Portenta, GIGA R1, and UNO and the Arduino logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Arduino S.r.l.