Evaluating FFT performance of the C and Rust Languages on Raspberry Pi platforms

Abstract

The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is perhaps the most consequential algorithm for real-time applications for digital signals processing. Given the increased importance of securing devices on the edge, memory safety becomes an increasing concern for FFT applications. This work compares the performance of four FFT implementations written in the C and the Rust languages, benchmarked on the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Raspberry Pi Zero W platforms. Our results suggest that FFTs implemented in Rust are up to 45% more energy efficient than those written in C, and that Rust FFT implementations execute up to 37% faster than corresponding FFTs implemented in C. These results suggest that real-time application designers should take a closer look at the Rust language to enhance the safety and performance of their FFT applications.