Kuva: Valhe Kounali
Software for embedded computers that must react to events within strict time limits is still commonly written in C, a language that offers few protections against programming mistakes, while safer languages usually rely on methods that make timing hard to predict. In his doctoral dissertation, MSc Henri Lunnikivi investigated how the memory-safe Rust programming language can be used to program such devices on processors built on the open RISC-V architecture. He showed that for Atalanta, a predictable microcontroller developed in his research group, a timing model makes it possible to calculate the maximum delay before a task starts, down to the clock cycle. The results show that memory-safe programming and precise timing are not mutually exclusive, which could help developers of time-critical devices, from cars to factory machinery, build software that is both safer and predictable.
The doctoral dissertation titled Composable Real-Time Platform Design in Rust by MSc Henri Lunnikivi will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University on 30 November 2026. The dissertation is in the field of Computer Engineering.
The Opponent will be Professor Wolfgang Ecker from the Technical University of Munich in Germany. The Custos will be Professor Timo Hämäläinen from the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences.