Adding Real-time Capabilities to a SML Compiler

TL;DR

This paper explores modifications to the MLton compiler to enable real-time execution, including threading, garbage collection, and OS support, aiming to improve real-time system development with functional programming.

Contribution

It introduces specific changes to the MLton compiler, such as priority threading and real-time garbage collection, to support real-time applications in functional programming environments.

Findings

Prototype can boot ML programs on x86 machines

Progress in integrating real-time threading and garbage collection

Initial performance metrics show promise for real-time use

Abstract

There has been much recent interest in adopting functional and reactive programming for use in real-time system design. Moving toward a more declarative methodology for developing real-time systems purports to improve the fidelity of software. To study the benefits of functional and reactive programming for real-time systems, real-time aware functional compilers and language runtimes are required. In this paper we examine the necessary changes to a modern Standard ML compiler, MLton, to provide basic support for real-time execution. We detail our current progress in modifying MLton with a threading model that supports priorities, a chunked object model to support real-time garbage collection, and low level modification to execute on top of a real-time operating system. We present preliminary numbers and our work in progress prototype, which is able to boot ML programs compiled with MLton on x86 machines.