(Click here for larger image)The SBC is
Emac's iPac 524, which is based on a Sharp 79524 ARM7 processor along with 16 MB of SDRAM and 2 MB of flash memory. The board contains a wide variety of I/O, including RS-232, 10 analog I/O channels, 16 digital I/O lines, 8 high-drive digital output lines, 3 multi-purpose I/O lines (GP/Counters/PWM), 5 Synchronous Serial I/O lines (GP/SPP/SPI/I2S), SD/MMC Flash, graphic LCD interface, 10/100 Ethernet, and a USB 2.0 device port.
The SBC's form-factor matches that of PC/104, although the board doesn't implement PC/104's buses and associated connectors.
.NET MFThe
.NET MF contains a
tinyCLR that acts as a mini kernel to run managed code applications. It supports low-end embedded processors, does not require an MMU (memory management unit), and only requires around 300KB of RAM to run. The .NET MF initially supported ARM Ltd.'s ARM7 processors, although support for ARM's Cortex M3 core is reportedly under development.
Additionally, the .NET MF is integrated with Visual Studio, allowing .NET MF applications to be developed using familiar tools, including those used for debugging code running on the target device.
"The .NET Micro Framework represents a major push for deeply embedded systems and shows Microsoft's continued interest in the embedded market," said SJJ managing director Sean Liming.
Developing on the NDKDevelopers can write C# applications in Visual Studio and just download to the iPac 524, according to SJJ. This lets developers focus on application development since the OS has already been ported.
The NDK includes step-by-step exercises that can be used to develop a variety of applications from robotics to industrial controls. SJJ says that Microsoft is expected to purchase several hundred development kits for their own internal use.
The NDK is expected to be available in the first quarter of next year, according to SJJ. Target price is $129.
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