| Aliens invade .NET Micro Framework |
Sep. 26, 2007
 Windows Embedded software architect Mike Hall recently whipped up a little .NET Micro Framework application on a flight to Paris. It emulates the classic Space Invaders game, complete with "bases, aliens, missiles, and explosions." .NET MF is Microsoft's lowest-end OS, targeting devices with highly limited resources.
(Click here for a larger view of ".NET MF Invaders")
According to Hall this interesting demo of what can be done using the .NET Micro Framework 2.0 software development kit (SDK) had to be created in less than two hours, using a laptop that was running on precious battery power. Hall writes that he first tested it using the emulator that comes with the SDK, then ported it via USB to the Freescale i.MXS Development Kit he packed with him. (By all accounts, the SkyMall catalog got ignored.)
In a post on his blog, Hall says the screenshot we show above was taken from the .NET Micro Framework emulator, and has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. "Yes, the sprites are too big, and there aren't any bases to hide under, but this was done in two hours, so what do you expect," he writes.
Key challenges for creating the game, according to Hall, were:- Graphics -- how to get bitmaps into the application and display them on the LCD/emulator
- Timer -- a timer tick was required to update the display surface with the new position of the base, invaders, missiles, and scrolling star field
- Key pad input -- interrupt handlers were required for the D-Pad buttons ("base left," "base right," and "FIRE!"), to intercept keyboard input and at the same time keep the live action game running)
- Random numbers -- "we need to generate random bombs for our invaders to drop!"
To learn more about how Hall solved these issues and got the game up and running before his laptop's battery went dead, view his complete blog post, here.
.NET Micro Framework
.NET Micro Framework version 2.0, officially released in February of this year, extended Microsoft's reach into high-volume, cost-sensitive devices with severely constrained processor and memory resources. At the time, the company said Version 3.0 of the SDK would be available in the first quarter of 2008.
Last week at the Embedded Systems Conference, Microsoft announced the availability of a significant update to the SDK, dubbed ".NET Micro Framework Service Pack 1." SP1 boasts "new enhancements to build more secure, attractive, innovative, and globalized applications," Microsoft said. More details on the .NET MF SDK (including download information) are available on Microsoft's website, here.
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