Containers Keep C/C++ and Java Isolated

Jan. 4, 2023

MicroEJ's VEE combines C/C++ and Java into a single protected, containerized solution.

This video appeared in Electronic Design and has been published here with permission.

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MicroEJ is showing off its latest Virtual Execution Environment (VEE) that now supports Managed C (see figure). C and C++ code is kept in its own container that runs in parallel with other applications written in conventionally managed Java and Javascript environments. This allows for the use of legacy C/C++ code as well as new C/C++ applications.

MicroEJ added Managed C to its VEE framework. C code runs in a protected container (right) versus the conventional un-managed approach (left).

I talked with Dr. Fred Rivard, CEO of MicroEJ, about VEE and how it works with C and C++. Typically, C/C++ code for device drivers remains as part of the RTOS. However, C/C++ applications and protocol stack code can be isolated within containers like other application code written in languages such as Java and Javascript.

The VEE virtual machine has a very small footprint on the order of 50 kB, suiting it for microcontrollers and microprocessors with limited memory. Such systems are often part of the Internet of Things (IoT), providing access to sensors and control systems. VEE integrates with MicroEJ's cloud-based distribution system.

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William G. Wong | Senior Content Director

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I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Computer Science from Rutgers University. I still do a bit of programming using everything from C and C++ to Rust and Ada/SPARK. I do a bit of PHP programming for Drupal websites. I have posted a few Drupal modules.

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