Azure Sphere OS vs Contiki-NG

Azure Sphere OS is a custom Linux-based operating system for supported devices, included in the Azure Sphere solution for the MT3620AN. That solution bundles a certified MCU, an Azure Sphere OS license and access to Azure Sphere Security Service; the components are sold together. Ongoing OS updates are included. Listed capabilities include over-the-air updates, fleet provisioning and certificate management. Supported protocols and interfaces are TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, UART, SPI, I2C and GPIO. Deployment is described as hybrid, and the listed platform is web. Azure Sphere is paid and has no free plan. No price is listed for the Azure Sphere solution. The offering combines hardware, operating system licensing and security service access in one package for supported devices, with provisioning and update capabilities for device fleets.

Contiki-NG is a free, open-source operating system for resource-constrained Internet of Things devices, designed for low-power communication and standard protocols. Its code footprint is on the order of 100 kB, and memory use can be configured as low as 10 kB. The IPv6 stack includes TCP, UDP, DNS, RPL, CoAP, LWM2M, and WebSockets, with IEEE 802.15.4 and TSCH support below IPv6. Documented modules include IPv6 multicast, OMA LWM2M, secure CoAP, 6TiSCH, and SNMP. Security documentation describes DTLS with Mbed TLS, pre-shared keys or certificates, and EDHOC key exchange. Link-layer security is supported for IEEE 802.15.4 TSCH; CSMA link-layer security is described as planned. Documented hardware includes TI, Nordic, Silicon Labs, OpenMote, Tmote Sky/TelosB, and Zolertia boards. Development resources include Cooja native motes, a Renode tutorial, Docker, and native Linux and macOS toolchain setup. It is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted environments, and source code is distributed under the 3-clause BSD license unless otherwise specified.