How rusty is your knowledge of Ada? In this new episode of Elektor Engineering Insights, Quentin Ochem from AdaCore shares a wealth of insights on memory-safe programming and its role in today’s embedded systems. The discussion explores the strengths and trade-offs of Ada, Spark, and Rust, alongside C and C++, with a clear focus on safety, reliability, and long-term maintainability.


The video explains how strong typing, formal verification, and Rust’s ownership model help eliminate common memory issues like buffer overflows and “double frees”. Quentin contrasts static analysis with mathematical proof, illustrating how Spark can guarantee the absence of certain defects. The conversation also covers industry adoption, including Nvidia’s use of Spark for firmware and automotive applications, and the growing interest in Rust within both IT and embedded domains.

You’ll also hear about compiler toolchains, integration with C libraries, and approaches to targeting diverse hardware. Performance comparisons, ISO 26262 safety certification, and low-level data mapping techniques are discussed in detail. For those interested in the future of safe, efficient code for high-integrity systems, this interview offers technical depth, practical examples, and a detailed analysis from a professional who has spent decades in the field. Watch the video below:

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