FreeRTOS 202604 LTS now available with enhanced security and MQTT v5.0

Amazon Web Services has released FreeRTOS 202604 LTS, a new Long Term Support version of the open-source real-time operating system designed for embedded devices and Internet of Things applications. The release delivers two years of feature stability, security updates, and critical bug fixes, addressing core challenges in embedded systems including memory safety, code quality, and protocol support for IoT device manufacturers and embedded systems developers. The update introduces significant technical enhancements including FreeRTOS kernel v11.3.0 with new hardware ports, security hardening, and expanded Memory Protection Unit support that reduces the number of MPU regions claimed by the operating system. A major addition is coreMQTT v5.0.2, which brings MQTT v5.0 protocol support with features like topic aliases for bandwidth-constrained devices and request/response patterns for interactive IoT applications. The release also includes coreSNTP v2.0.0 with year 2038 readiness, ensuring devices can validate TLS certificates and timestamp data correctly throughout their operational lifetime. All libraries in the release have been verified for memory safety and MISRA-C compliance to improve robustness and reliability in embedded systems. AWS has provided migration guides for both coreMQTT and coreSNTP components, along with an Extended Maintenance Plan option for organizations requiring critical fixes on previous LTS versions beyond their standard support expiry.