Mbed OS
IoT development tools
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What is Mbed OS
Mbed OS is an open-source embedded operating system and software platform for developing IoT devices on Arm Cortex-M microcontrollers. It provides an RTOS kernel, device drivers, networking stacks (including TLS), and tooling to build and manage firmware for connected products. It targets embedded and IoT developers building resource-constrained devices that need secure connectivity and a maintained software baseline. The platform centers on Arm’s ecosystem and integrates with Arm’s development tools and supported hardware targets.
Integrated RTOS and connectivity
Mbed OS combines an RTOS, hardware abstraction, and common peripheral drivers with IP networking components in one distribution. It includes security-oriented components such as TLS support and related crypto dependencies typically required for connected devices. This reduces the need to assemble and maintain multiple third-party libraries for a basic connected firmware stack. It is well-suited to teams standardizing firmware foundations across multiple MCU-based products.
Broad Arm MCU ecosystem fit
Mbed OS is designed around Arm Cortex-M devices and supports a range of development boards and MCU families through its target and HAL model. This alignment can simplify bring-up on supported hardware and provides a consistent programming model across devices. For organizations already using Arm toolchains and MCU vendors in the Arm ecosystem, it can reduce integration friction. The approach supports reuse of application code across multiple targets when the required drivers are available.
Open-source baseline and portability
As an open-source OS, Mbed OS allows teams to inspect, modify, and self-maintain the codebase when needed. This can be important for regulated or long-lived products where firmware components must be auditable and patchable. The OS structure (kernel, drivers, middleware) supports modular inclusion of components to match device constraints. It can serve as a common baseline for internal platforms and product lines.
Resource footprint and complexity
Compared with minimalist bare-metal approaches, Mbed OS can require more flash and RAM, especially when enabling networking and security features. This can limit suitability for very constrained microcontrollers or ultra-low-power designs. The integrated stack also increases configuration complexity, which can lengthen bring-up and tuning. Teams may need to invest time to right-size features and optimize builds.
Ecosystem and lifecycle uncertainty
Mbed’s tooling and cloud services have changed over time, and organizations often need to validate the current maintenance and long-term support posture for their product lifecycle. If a team depends on specific tooling workflows, changes in official support can create migration work. Long-lived IoT products may require a clear internal plan for sustaining the OS and security updates. This is particularly relevant when compared with vendors offering tightly managed commercial device lifecycle services.
Hardware support varies by target
While the platform supports many Arm-based targets, peripheral coverage and board support packages can vary by MCU family and vendor. Projects that rely on specialized peripherals, radios, or custom boards may require additional porting and driver development. Integration with certain connectivity modules or proprietary stacks may require vendor-specific work. This can reduce the out-of-box experience for less common hardware configurations.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mbed OS | Free — open source (Apache License 2.0) | Real-time OS for Cortex-M, security (Mbed TLS, PSA), connectivity drivers, storage, device management libraries, thousands of code examples and community support. Usable in commercial projects per Apache 2.0 license. |
Seller details
Arm Limited
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
1990
Subsidiary
https://www.arm.com/
https://x.com/arm
https://www.linkedin.com/company/arm
