C++ Exceptions Reduce Firmware Code Size - ACCU 2024

Explore the counterintuitive benefits of using C++ exceptions in embedded systems firmware development through this comprehensive conference talk. Delve into the space cost analysis of exceptions on a Cortex M4 microcontroller using the ARM GNU Toolchain, and learn techniques to reduce their footprint. Compare exception handling to result types, identifying the crossover point where exceptions become more code-size efficient. Examine performance optimizations that cut exception cycle counts in half on the Cortex M4. Gain insights into improving exception performance on error paths and understand how they enhance happy path execution. Discover why, after extensive experience in embedded systems and consumer electronics, the speaker now advocates for exceptions as the superior error handling mechanism in embedded C++ development.