Introduction to Embedded Software

Development

3. Introduction to Windows CE

School of software Engineering

2005
Agenda
 Hello Windows CE!

 Windows CE features
 Compare with desktop version
 Compare with other embedded OS
 Demo :
Hello Windows CE!
What can CE do: Mobile Phone
What can CE do: PDA
Portable Media Center
What can CE do:
Entertainment devices

Windows
Linux
What can CE do:
Car automotive BMW
Citroën
Clarion Co. Ltd.
DaimlerChrysler
Fiat
Subaru
Honda
Hyundai
Mitsubishi
Toyota…
What can CE do : Other
 Gateways
 Industrial Automation
 Set-Top Boxes
 Medical Devices and Systems
 ATMs
 Projectors and Large Screen Displays
 VoIP Devices
 …
Windows CE history
 First edition released in 1996

 Windows CE .NET 4.x is widely used

 The latest version Windows CE 5.0

Windows CE features
Compare with Desktop Version:
Hardware platform
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 Only runs on x86  ARM / Xscale
architecture  MIPS
 PowerPC
 SH
 x86
Windows CE feature list
 Windows CE can run on different
hardware platforms.

How can we do that?

New Platform Wizard

The answer is BSP !

Introduction to BSP
 Board Support Package is the software
that implements and supports the OEM
adaptation layer (OAL) and device
drivers for a standard development
board (SDB).

Operation System

Board Support Package

Hardware
Compare with Desktop Version:
Image Size
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 Windows 3.x : 2-5MB  Minimal : 200KB
 Windows 98 : 400MB  Networking about
 Windows XP : 1.5GB 800KB
 Lager and lager…  GWES, Shell and
Apps about 4MB
 Can NOT be
customized  Internet Explorer
about 3MB
Windows CE feature list
 Componentization

 More than 200 optional components

 Quick and easy to customize OS for a

particular system
Compare with Desktop Version:
Real Time
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 No inherent real  256 levels of thread
time support priority
 Nested interrupts
 Per-thread quantums
 Priority inversion
Windows CE feature list:

 Windows CE provide Real-time support

 Real-time support is essential when

dealing with time-critical applications.
Compare with Desktop Version:
Power management
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 No power  Battery power / AC
management power
 Devices can have their
own power state
 Turn off unnecessary
device
Windows CE feature list:
 Windows CE provides a Power Manager
to manage device power and improve
overall OS power efficiency

 Windows CE can reduce the power

consumption of a target device and to
maintain and preserve the file system
in RAM during the reset, on, idle, and
suspend power states.
Compare with Desktop Version:
Programming Interface
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 ASCII / UNICODE  UNICODE only
 Rich API set  Compact Version of
Win32 API, MFC..
 Powerful hardware
platform  Processor, RAM, File
System limitation
Windows CE feature list:
 Windows CE only support UNICODE
 CHAR -> TCHAR / WCHAR
 strlen -> wcslen
 Some APIs provide limited function
 Windows CE only have limited resource
Compare with Desktop Version:
Micro Kernel
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 NT series is  Complete micro kernel
claimed to be micro  File system and device
kernel. drivers run on user
mode
 9x series is not  Kernel is responsible for
micro kernel. passing message
Windows CE feature list:
 Complete micro kernel

 Enhanced reliability

 Enhanced scalability
Compare with Desktop Version:
Share source code
Desktop Windows Windows CE
 Commercial  70% of Windows CE
software, source 5.0 source code is
code is MS 1st level shared.
secret.  User can modify it.
Windows CE feature list:
 Source code is shared

 User can find shared source code

under “%_WINCEROOT%\private”
folder
Compare with other Embedded
OS: Multimedia support
Other EOS: Windows CE
 Little build-in support  Rich UI element
for audio & video  Windows Media
 No commercial web Player 9, support
browser. mp3, wav, avi,
wmv…
 Internet Explorer 6
& Pocket IE
Windows CE feature list:
 Rich User Interface Element
 Strong Multimedia support
 Interact with desktop windows
 Pocket Word, Excel, PowerPoint, adobe
reader
 Pocket MSN messenger
 Pocket IE, Windows Media Player
 SQL Server CE edition
 ACD See
 ……
Compare with other Embedded
OS: Programming Interface
Other EOS: Windows CE
 Different  Win32 API
programming  MFC, ATL, STL…
interface
 COM, ActiveX
 Typically use C/C++ &
j2me  .NET Compact
Framework
 Java VM
 EVB, EVC…
Windows CE feature list:
 Easy to get start for Windows
programmer

 Support multiple programming

languages
Compare with other Embedded
OS: image size and real time
Other EOS: Windows CE
 RTLinux, µC/OS-II  No hard real time
support hard real support
time  Image size is too
 Vxworks min size : 8k large for specific
 µC/OS-II min size : 2k usage
Windows CE advantages:
 Rich optional components and
functions.
 Can be strongly customized.
 Easy to use.
 Same programming interface with
desktop windows.
 Rich MS and third party applications.
Windows CE
disadvantages:
 Image size is still too large for specific
use.
 Real time?
 Not free :
 3$ per runtime license
 995$ for Platform Builder
 Performance & Security ??
Homework
1. Build
your own Windows CE platform
with Platform Builder and run it.

2. Be
familiar with Windows CE GUI, File
System structure, Control Panel…

3. Write
a tic-tac-toe application with
Platform Builder and play it on your
own Windows CE platform.