What it is
A low-level programming language with direct hardware access โ maximum performance at the cost of more complex development.
How we use it
Firmware for microcontrollers (ESP32) and calculations where microseconds count. We keep behaviour identical to the Python version through a shared protocol and automatic cross-checks in CI.
Where C++ helps a business
- A calculation has to plug into production software with no external dependencies or servers.
- Timing and precision matter: an audio stream, signal processing.
- The code has to run on hardware with limited resources, such as a microcontroller.
How we use it
- Calculations for manufacturing. For a cardboard packaging manufacturer we wrote a C++17 library: from inner dimensions and board thickness it calculates the blank for FEFCO styles 0200, 0201 and 0203 and its nesting on a sheet. There are no external dependencies, only a compiler and CMake, and it builds on Linux, macOS and Windows.
- Audio on Android. In OshaPlay the stream to a USB DAC with a ring buffer and our own resampler with distortion below โ130 dB are written in C++ through the NDK.
Calculation services for manufacturing are under Automation.
Common problems
- Approximations must be checked against production. The library sets the creasing allowance equal to the board thickness; that is an approximation and must be checked against a specific plant's tooling.
- Bad input. The library rejects invalid input with a message and return code 1 instead of drawing a wrong die-line.
- Harder to maintain. C++ is more expensive to develop, so we use it only where nothing else will do.
When you do not need it
For a bot, a website or an integration, C++ is overkill: Python or Go solve the same tasks faster and cheaper.