English | 中文版

Memory-Safe NPU Kernel Programming in Rust: The ascend-rs Project

Abstract

This article introduces ascend-rs, a framework providing safe Rust bindings for Huawei Ascend NPUs, currently in a private repository pending an open-source release decision. Starting from a Hello World example, we walk through an end-to-end vector multiplication kernel to demonstrate memory-safe NPU programming on both the host and device sides. We cover the current open-source landscape, the technical approach behind ascend-rs, and the road ahead.