Defense Slides.pdf (1824 kB)

Abstract

Memory and multi-threading problems are the cause of many exploits and security vulnerabilities, and errors of this nature are easy to cause in programming languages such as C and C++. Despite this, these languages are still heavily used for systems programming and underpin the majority of operating system kernels. This is partially due to a lack of suitable replacements; however, Rust is becoming more prominent as an option for systems programming. This language features a much more stringent approach to memory and multi-threading safety. It also aims to support a wide range of hardware targets, including microcontrollers, which have long been the undisputed domain of C. In this work we investigate using Rust as a programming language for Microchip (formerly Atmel) microcontrollers while working towards the implementation of a Cyber-Physical Operating System (CPOS), including a simple preemptive scheduler, a console-like abstraction, simple hardware control, and other foundational features.

Committee Chair

Christopher Gill

Committee Members

Roger Chamberlain, Marion Sudvarg

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Author's Department

Computer Science & Engineering

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 5-2026

Language

English (en)

Included in

Engineering Commons

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