A newly available article describes the history and architecture of Microsoft's .NET Micro Framework (MF), the development environment for small, deeply embedded devices. It has been generously adapted for WindowsForDevices.com from the 2008 book Expert .NET Micro Framework by author Jens Kuehner.



The article, which was originally Chapter 1 of the book (pictured at left), discusses the "history, motivation, goals, and architecture" of the .NET Micro Framework in approximately 2,500 words. Writes Kuehner, "We will have a look at where the .NET Micro Framework fits in the story of Microsoft's offerings for embedded development, and you will learn about its benefits and limitations."

Kuehner works as principal software engineer for Vallon GmbH, where he creates software for data acquisition and evaluation using the .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework. "Since this software must be incorporated closely with the detectors' hardware, an interest in embedded systems was only natural," he writes.

Expert .NET Micro Framework is intended for embedded or .NET developers with a background in assembly language or C/C++, according to Kuehner. It begins by introducing readers to the .NET MF and tools, presenting the available devices and touring the whole base class library. After that, according to the author, it teaches how to:

• Use and write managed drivers to access the hardware components
  
• Use and provide web services on devices with the new Device Profile for Web Services (DPWS), also known as Web Services on Devices (WSD)
  
• Write applications with rich graphical user interfaces

Publisher Apress notes that the book also shows how to extend .NET MF's hardware emulator components using undocumented features. It also describes how to use wireless communication technologies, even if they are not directly supported. Other topics include cryptography, and the use of binary serialization to store data permanently in flash memory or exchange it with a PDA or PC.

The .NET Micro Framework

Microsoft first released .NET MF in 2006, aiming it at wireless remote controls, watches, and other cost-sensitive devices with constrained processor and memory resources. The software supports low-end embedded processors, does not require an MMU (memory management unit), and offers typical runtime images that are only about 300KB in size, the company says.

In February, .NET MF was updated to version 2.5, adding a native TCP/IP stack. Also added was client and server support for WSD, which allow network-connected devices to discover and connect to one another without user intervention. For more information, see our earlier coverage, here.

Further information

Expert .NET Micro Framework was published on Apr. 21 for $65, and is available from the publisher's website, here, or on Amazon, here.

In addition to Chapter 1, being shared today as an HTML-formatted article, Kuehner earlier shared Chapter 4, "Introducing the .NET Micro Framework base class library," in PDF format. This chapter reviewed the differences between the full .NET and .NET Micro Frameworks, explained how to effectively use strings, numbers, arrays, and lists, and showed how to handle exceptions. To read it, click the second of the two links below.

Introducing the .NET Micro Framework

Introducing the .NET Micro Framework Base Class Library
[PDF format]

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• .NET Micro Framework book sample chapter available
  
• Microsoft beefs up .NET Micro Framework networking
  
• .NET Micro Framework upgrade coming in "early 2008"
  
• Microsoft releases low-end embedded software platform
  
• Microsoft releases .NET Micro Framework 2.0 SP1
  
• How the .NET Micro Framework and Windows CE differ
  
• Microsoft aims .NET at gadgets
  
• Dev kit aims .NET at deeply embedded apps
  
• Significant Windows CE 6.0 update arrives
  
• Microsoft officials reveal embedded OS futures
  
• Microsoft plots embedded OS futures
  
• Microsoft to launch Windows CE 6.0 R2 virtually
  
• Microsoft's ESC Boston 2007 keynote demos
  
• .NET MF dev kit gets "real cool" updates

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