About

Hi! My name is Christian Krenslehner. I am a passionate firmware developer and Rustacean in the making. 🦀👷‍♂️

During my studies in automation technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Wels, Austria, I got in touch with programming and embedded systems. I was fascinated by the interplay of hardware with software, and by the idea of interacting with the real world through code. That's why I joined the RoboRescueTeam where I started programming microcontrollers. This was the beginning of my journey into the world of embedded systems.

Robocup 2016 Source: RoboRescueTeam at the RoboCup 2016

After graduating in 2017 with a master's degree, I moved to Graz, Austria and started to work as a firmware developer in the field of asset tracking. Since then, I was mostly using C and some C++ to program various STM32 microcontrollers running FreeRTOS as a scheduler. C and C++ however, have huge downsides: The type system is not advanced enough to write explicit code, the tooling is outdated, and it's very easy to shoot yourself in the foot by accident. 🦶🔫 Also, there is a lack of standard tools for formatting code and package management. For me, all of this was (and still is) very frustrating at times. So when I discovered Rust, I, finally, found a language that seemed to me like a real competitor to C and C++. A possible alternative for a better future, so to say. 😇 Rust can keep up with the performance of C and C++, but provides outstanding safety guarantees and high-level language features. Safety guarantees, which are much appreciated, especially in embedded programming. Rust empowers you with low-level control over the hardware, but also provides high-level abstractions to make your life easier. Therefore, Rust is a perfect fit for embedded systems development and still a great choice for writing PC applications like CLI tools or web services. A one-stop shop for all my programming needs, so to say. Since then, I am really excited about learning more and more about idiomatic Rust code, hence getting a better Rustacean day by day. 😊🚀🦀

Besides technical things, I really enjoy:

  • Coffee 🍵
    • No 0xBAADCAFE for me
  • CrossFit 🏋️‍♂️
    • There is no better way to start the day
  • Playing computer games at times 💻
  • 3D printing

I want to use this blog to share my personal experiences, wins and fails with Rust and various other topics. I also want point out some occasional pitfalls I am stumbling across at my daily work and throughout my learning journey. Thanks for visiting and I hope you find something interesting here. 😊