What Are the Top Embedded Programming Languages?
Embedded programming languages are critical to modern software development. As the name suggests, developers use them in embedded systems, so the languages need to have low-level access to the hardware for the devices in question. Also, since embedded systems are generally real time, the programming languages need to be able to support this characteristic.
There are several well-known programming languages used for embedded systems.
C
C is the go-to embedded programming language, due to its ease of use and fast compiling speeds.
Benefits:
- Low memory usage
- Compiled language
- Low-level access, making it a first choice for most embedded programmers
- Port embedded
- Best speed and performance
- Can easily create compilers
- Has a large ecosystem of libraries and frameworks
- Serves as the foundation for many other languages
C++
C++ is the extension of C, with even more power and speed. It appeals more to experienced developers due to its resources and features.
Benefits:
- Accesses low-level system resources
- Has a streamlined memory stack
- Programming paradigm is object oriented
- Inline functions replace macro definitions
- Safer and more secure than C
- Efficient and versatile due to native constructor and destructor features
Boost
Boost is a set of free source libraries that work with C++ and are compatible across many applications.
Benefits:
- Its main purpose is to provide support to a variety of tasks, including:
- Unit testing
- Multithreading
- Random number generation
- Linear algebra
- Regular expressions
- Image processing
Python
Python is popular due to its easy-to-read code. It is a good language to use for both general and specific projects.
Benefits:
- An interpreted language
- Open source and available for free
- Can quickly write embedded system programs
- Popular in work with data analytics, ML, and AI
- Easily reads, writes, and executes code
- Supports short development periods with simple prototyping
- Best used for networking systems
- Can build real-time data-processing systems
Java
Java was built and expanded off C++. It supports virtualization.
Benefits:
- Considered the general-purpose language of internet applications
- Easy to use to write, transport, and download embedded system applications
- Provides developers with tools and powerful libraries
- Enables isolating part of the application from the rest of the code
- Functional even with older hardware
Rust
Rust is a static, multi-paradigm, compiled language with an emphasis on security and high memory capabilities.
Benefits:
- Handles high speeds
- Has efficient memory capabilities
- Offers high processing capabilities
- Has a rich type system and ownership model
- Good for mission-critical services
- Provides access to much-needed tools, such as type inspection and auto completion
- More powerful than C++
pandas
pandas is a part of the Python package that pertains to data science and analysis. It is an open source software library.
Benefits:
- Provides data manipulation functions and analysis
- Reduces repetitive tasks that come with working with data
How Can Wind River Help?
VxWorks supports all of the top embedded programming languages.
VxWorks
VxWorks® is the only real-time operating system (RTOS) to support C++17, Boost, Rust, Python, pandas, and more. It is an edge-optimized, OCI-compliant container engine, enabling programmers to use favorite languages, tools, and technologies to innovate where it matters most.
The core capabilities of VxWorks are:
- Reliability and performance: As the first RTOS on Earth as well as on Mars, where reliability is a must-have, VxWorks delivers the highest level of performance when it is most needed.
- Security: To efficiently and effectively safeguard devices, data, and intellectual property in the connected world, VxWorks provides a comprehensive set of built-in security features that, along with the Wind River® Security Services offering and combined with our development processes, meet rigorous security requirements across industries.
- Safety: VxWorks is developed with safety in mind. It is rigorously tested and has been certified to meet specific regulatory requirements.
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Learning Subscription helps developers:
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