Metrics for safety-critical Rust code

York-based Rapita Systems has integrated its code coverage and timing tools with a development environment for the Rust language from Adacore.

The Rapita RapiCover Zero and RapiTime Zero tools are being shown with AdaCore’s GNAT Pro for Rust next week at the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) in Wales.

The integration shows how structural coverage and execution time metrics, including worst-case execution time, can be collected during on-target tests of safety-critical code written in Rust.

”We are excited to see a new language coming into the fold for the development of safety-critical systems, which promises some unique benefits. Rust’s memory safety, combined with strong error-handling mechanisms, ensures system stability and reliability, making it ideal for safety-critical software. We’re delighted that we can work together with AdaCore to bring together compiler and verification tools needed for safety-critical systems using Rust,” said Antoine Colin, CTO at Rapita Systems.

• Safety-critical Consortium
• Safety-critical toolchain

Rapita’s zero-instrumentation tools, including RapiCover Zero and RapiTime Zero, support the verification of safety-critical code without instrumentation. This allows organizations to reduce verification effort by running tests on final target builds without instrumentation, regardless of which programming languages or combination of languages are used in a project. 

GNAT Pro for Rust development environment provides stability, security, and dependability for critical, embedded Rust applications.

“The journey of Rust to becoming a viable alternative for the safety-critical market requires the involvement of companies with Rapita’s expertise and pedigree. We are thrilled to see Rapita contributing to the Rust ecosystem and excited to expand our long-standing partnership with them to encompass Ada, SPARK, and now Rust,” said Jose Ruiz, GNAT Pro Embedded Product Manager at AdaCore.

The UK-based Rapita Systems group provides on-target software verification tools and services globally to the embedded aerospace and automotive electronics industries to increase software quality and deliver evidence to meet safety and certification objectives. The group provides MACH178 for timing analysis to support the certification of multicore systems, including systems developed to meet DO-178C guidelines and MIL standards.

The High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) will be held on October 22, 2024, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Wales.