Elektrobit has announced a significant upgrade in its software development toolkit now providing full support for the Rust programming language in its EB tresos AutoCore suite used widely for automotive electronic control units (ECUs). This addition reflects Elektrobit's commitment to adapting to evolving industry needs by leveraging open-source technologies that prioritise security, productivity, and code reliability.
The integration of Rust into EB tresos is a strategic move. Elektrobit’s support for Rust addresses core industry demands for better cybersecurity resilience in automotive software, especially with regulatory frameworks like UN Regulation 155 and the EU Cyber Resilience Act setting standards for safer software development practices. By offering Rust support, Elektrobit aligns its products with calls from regulatory bodies for safer programming languages, potentially reducing vulnerabilities caused by memory-related issues, which currently account for approximately 70% of software vulnerabilities.
With Rust’s rising popularity in the tech community Elektrobit’s decision also ensures smoother, safer development cycles. Rust's “correctness-by-design” philosophy allows Elektrobit to offer memory-safe programming within the AUTOSAR framework, a critical component for automotive software. EB tresos now supports application software components written in both C and Rust, enabling developers to start projects in their language of choice and quickly produce robust code. Furthermore, support for Rust’s static analysis tool, Clippy, helps developers catch potential issues early, streamlining the development process.
Florian Bartels, a senior expert at Elektrobit, highlighted Rust’s productivity gains for development teams, pointing out its ability to reduce error rates and enhance code quality. Bartels noted that Rust's design builds on decades of lessons learned from languages like C, a long-standing favourite in automotive software. This combination of productivity and enhanced security offers promising potential for software-defined vehicles, where memory-safe languages could play a critical role in preventing security vulnerabilities.
In collaboration with Ferrous Systems, Elektrobit utilises the Ferrocene Rust compiler, an open-source, ISO 26262-qualified toolchain. Ferrocene leverages Rust’s capacity to minimise memory-related bugs while maintaining compliance with functional safety standards, giving developers more confidence in the final product. Florian Gilcher, Managing Director at Ferrous Systems, described the development as a milestone for programming innovation in the automotive sector, where it directly contributes to creating safer, more reliable vehicles.
The Rust-enabled EB tresos AutoCore also includes tools for automatic code generation, error handling, OS and middleware support, and static analysis, all crucial for automotive applications. This combination of features enhances development efficiency and shortens the time to market, while Rust's “unsafe” keyword limits code that bypasses automatic checking, thus reducing the chance of introducing vulnerabilities. This framework could impact automotive software development by simplifying processes and supporting a smoother transition to software-defined vehicle architectures.
For customers interested in exploring Rust’s capabilities, Elektrobit is offering a hands-on workshop, providing in-depth knowledge transfer, product functionalities, and practical examples of using Rust for ECU development.
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