Well, we have mostly recovered from a hectic week getting the 4.0 launch out and going to the Professional Developers Conference in LA. There were of course the ususal irritations at the conference like getting bumped out of our hotel because they overbooked and we were down at the Convention Cetner until later than expected. Clearly the 'guaranteed arrival' that we signed up for is a one way commitment.
But, to make up for that, the show was great. This is our first PDC and I was interested in the difference in the audience. In the past, we have gone primarily to embedded conferences but there are really two audiences that we have found for the .NET Micro Framework. Certainly there are embedded developers looking for better tools and higher levels of productivity. In some ways, this is a hard audience because they have an significant investment in the current languages and tools. The other audience is the current .NET developer who is interested in leveraging their skills on smaller devices. In a further indication that these two worlds are converging, I spoke to several developers whose companies were seeing business opportunities which included desktop, cloud, and device components. One of these developers mentioned his frustration at losing business because there was one small aspect of the project that they did not have the skillset for. He was very excited to add NETMF to his toolkit to insure that he did not have to turn that work away again.
When we set up our booth, we had to ask for first one and then another extension to allow us to show all the cool stuff that we had to show. The booth was very busy and we gave away piles of collateral on the devices that we had there. Lorenzo also gave a talk to a large audience. We even had a robot running around the press room letting people know that .NET now runs on very small devices.
There was a good deal of press pickup of the announcement - interestingly mostly by the Open Source press. Some of that press is decidedly skeptical of Microsoft in general but most of the press was supportive. For example, the ZDNet article ended with the statement "Now Microsoft has a viable play in this game, and this is very good news for .NET developers." There were some misconceptions in the news as well. Several reporters and commenters confused the .NET Micro Framework with the Windows Mobile platform. It seems that for many people, a small device is still a phone.
All in all, a very good exposure for the platform and consistent with our new home in .NET and Visual Studio.
Today, Nov 16th, 2009, I have a number of exciting things to share: Version 4.0, Open Source, the new Community Development Model, and how to get at all this stuff which is all still free.
First, we are launching version 4.0 of the .NET Micro Framework today. This is our first version to come out since we moved to the Developer Division. This version has a number of neat features. Here is the full list:
.NET Micro Framework 4.0 features:
· HTTP and HTTPs: An object model is now provided for handing both HTTP clients and servers, similar to the .NET Framework, with the new types System.Net.HttpWebRequest, System.Net.HttpWebResponse, and System.Net.HttpListener from assembly System.Http.dll
· Multi-touch: Basic support for multi-touch events, such as moving two fingers on a touch screen, is now provided in the object model and the emulator. Gesture support has been redesigned to be faster and more flexible.
· Versioning: Versioning has been implemented to strictly identify assemblies by the version number at build time and on the device, and eventually re-deploying missing assemblies. Side-by-side load and bind for types belonging to the same assemblies with a different version number is supported. Support has also been added for assembly naming which includes the version number.
· Emulator support for SSL and HTTPS: The emulator now explicitly supports SSL and HTTPs emulation.
· Native XML Parser: The XML parser has been moved to native code for better performance.
· Native collections: The collection classes have been moved to native code for performance, and have been enriched with Queue and Stack types.
· Time sync: Devices can use the new Time Sync API to sync the system time with a specified server's time, automatically or manually.
· Arbitrary display size: A custom heap and allocation area is now provided to support bitmaps larger than 760KB.
· Large buffers: A new type, Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.LargeBuffer, is provided for allocating buffers larger than 760KB, which would not fit in the managed heap. This type is located in assembly Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.
· Watchdog and Power Level control: The power level and the watchdog behavior can now be controlled from the managed application using types Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.PowerState and Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.Watchdog from assembly Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.dll.
· Thick pens and gradient fills: A richer graphic model is now provided for designing widgets and controls.
· TinyCore performance improvements: TinyCore performance has been enhanced in the area of event dispatching and layout.
Second, with this version of the product, we are including source code for almost all of the components under the Apache 2.0 license. This will allow you to debug through the full stack and make whatever specialized changes you need for your specific application. It also means that if you want to run .NET Micro Framework on a processor architecture that is not already supported, you don’t have to wait for Microsoft to build and release the porting kit built with the right toolchain – you can do that yourself.
As I mentioned, there are some components that we are not including the source code for. These components are referred to as the Companion Libraries and include the TCP/IP stack and the Cryptography libraries. We do not include the source code for these libraries for several reasons – the TCP/IP stack is licensed from EBSNet(http://ebsnetinc.com/) and the Crypto libraries are used in other products besides the .NET Micro Framework. If you need/want access to the source code in the TCP/IP stack, you can contact EBSNet directly. They also have a great deal of additional functionality including IPV6.
Third, one of the concerns that we heard more than once when we first announced our intention to go Open Source was that the product could fragment into a number of incompatible versions as has happened with other products. We want to make sure that people can adapt the product to their needs but at the same time, how do we make sure that there is a core implementation that continues to be sponsored by Microsoft and adheres to the original goals of a high quality platform for small embedded devices. We decided to develop what we are calling the ‘Community Development Model’. In this model, there will be a codebase that is shared by the Microsoft and external developers from which we will release versions just like any product team. There will be a core technology team that is made up of both Microsoft and external participants who will be the gatekeepers of code that goes into the product. The Microsoft engineers will continue to focus on some of the things that only they can do – deep coordination with the rest of the .NET team and collaboration with other Microsoft product teams and some of the more elemental architectural changes. For external developers, we are throwing the door open for you to propose projects that you would like to take on. (I have some ideas already if you need some.) These will be evaluated by the core tech team which will also insure that the result meets the needed quality metrics. We are developing a web site to manage this community interaction (www.netmf.com). The site will be up in about a week with the initial ideas of how we see this community working but like with any community endeavor, we expect that this process will change and refine with your input so please let us hear from you.
When we started thinking about setting up a community site, we realized that there is more to a rich community than just contributing to the core implementation. We have people in the community who have made some great extensions, great hardware platforms, developed great support services,… The community site that we have envisioned will include the ability for everyone to bring their offerings to the community. You can advertise an extension library for sale or for free. You can find someone else interested in working on a pet project with you. Let us know what you would like to do on this site.
Fourth, it’s all still free. We announced the removal of the ‘per unit’ royalties from the runtime distribution licenses and the fees for the porting kit last Spring. We continue to follow that path. There will be no fees from Microsoft associated with the use of the platform.
Fifth, we are making this announcement in conjunction with the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference in LA (Nov 17-19). If you are there, look for Lorenzo’s talk on the afternoon of the 17th and stop by our booth. We will also have a roundtable conversation to explore your ideas on the Community Development Model that we are developing. We would be happy for you to participate.
Finally, where do you find all this? It couldn’t be easier. It is all now out at the Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/default.aspx). The downloads are broken down a little differently than before because of the new licensing. There are now 6 downloads to choose from:
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 SDK – this is still the managed application development environment distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 Porting Kit – this is the core porting kit including the Base Class Libraries and the runtime under the Apache 2.0 license. It includes stubs for the Companion Library interface.
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 Cryptographic Libraries – this is one of the Companion Libraries. It contains the cryptography functionality in the base product including XTEA, RAS, and DES. If you are not using this functionality, you do not need to download this library. This library is distributed under the Companion Library license.
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 TCP/IP and SSL Libraries for ARM Instruction set – this is one of the Companion Libraries. It contains the network functionality for people using the ARM instruction set. If you are not using this functionality, you do not need to download this library. This library is distributed under the Companion Library license..
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 TCP/IP and SSL Libraries for Thumb Instruction set - this is one of the Companion Libraries. It contains the network functionality for people using the Thumb instruction set. If you are not using this functionality, you do not need to download this library. This library is distributed under the Companion Library license.
The .NET Micro Framework 4.0 TCP/IP and SSL Libraries for Thumb2 Instruction set - this is one of the Companion Libraries. It contains the network functionality for people using the Thumb2 instruction set. If you are not using this functionality, you do not need to download this library. This library is distributed under the Companion Library license.
I am really pleased that we have gotten to the start of this new model and that we can begin working more directly with the community to continue to develop the .NET Micro Framework. I believe that there is no longer any reason for embedded development to be done with tools that were created in the last century and with your help we can bring the development of embedded devices onto the same programming models and tools that are pervasive in the rest of software development.
Thanks
Colin
Sorry to be so quiet recently. We have all been heads down getting ready for a fun time in L.A. at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference. If you are there, stop in the booth and come hear Lorenzo's session. Cool upcoming annoucenments on NETMF.
But in the meantime, there is a really cool new board out from a partnership of Avent and Analog Devices(ADI). Avent (http://www.avnet.com/) as you know is a large distributor of electronic parts, enterprise computing, and other things including embedded subsystems. ADI (http://www.analog.com) is, of course, the makers of the Blackfin processor which is a convergent device supporting DSP functionality as well as general processing. The new board is built around the Blackfin 518 processor (400MHz), has plenty of memory, 10/100 Ethernet with IEEE 1588 V2 support, UART, USB, Avnet TFT LCD, and more. One of the most unique things about the board is the integration of FPGA through the FPGA Mezzanine board. This supports robust signal processing applications in the target markets of Industrial Automation, Smart Energy Management, Network-enabled Instrumentation, and Test and Measurement equipment.
Of course, the board comes with .NET MF 4.0 support which was created by Adeneo.
Check out their video at: http://www.avnetondemand.com/behind-the-wheel---demos/channel/32/video/390/
and pick it up at http://www.em.avnet.com/evk/home/0,1719,RID%253D%2526CID%253D0%2526CAT%253D0%2526CCD%253DUSA%2526SID%253D32214%2526DID%253DDF2%2526SRT%253D1%2526LID%253D32232%2526PRT%253D0%2526PVW%253D%2526PNT%253D%2526BID%253DDF2%2526CTP%253DEVK,00.html?new=true
Following up to some specific feedback we decided to provide one more update to the Beta version. The update is available for download at https://connect.microsoft.com/netmf/. In this update we fix some issues with debugging over TCP/IP, we polished MDK3.80a support and we moved the entire DPWS stack over the XML native parser. We also removed a dependency from ATL in the runtime, which enables using Visual Studio Express with the Porting Kit to rebuild the CLR, the emulator, and the tools. As always we are looking forward to your feedback.
Following up to your feedback we are providing a refresh for the Beta version of the .NET Micro Framework 4.0.
Download procedures are as for the Beta and if you already accepted the Microsoft Connect invitations for the Beta PK and SDK, you should not have any access problem, and you should find the newest binaries in the download area on Connect.
The most important changes are the addition of a new reference port for the Atmel SAM9RL64-EK development board for the SAM9RL64 processor (ARM926-J core) and some fixes for the HTTP(S) support. We also improved the LPC2478 reference port, improved the PK documentation with board specific instructions and provided some more detailed information about the booting strategy with TinyBooter on different reference ports.
We are looking forward to hear from you, please submit your feedback through Microsoft Connect.
There are actually two betas going on. One for the SDK and one for the Porting Kit. If you aren't familiar with the product, the SDK is all you need to try out creating managed applications. There is an emulator that will let you see how the Micro Framework works for creating applications. This SDK can also be used with a nubmer of development boards as they provide firmware updates for the 4.0 release. The Porting Kit is used for adapting the runtime to your hardare.
Version 4.0 includes support for the following features:
- HTTP and HTTPs: An object model is now provided for handing both HTTP clients and servers, similar to the .NET Framework, with the new types System.Net.HttpWebRequest, System.Net.HttpWebResponse, and System.Net.HttpListener from assembly System.Http.dll
- Multi-touch: Basic support for multi-touch events, such as moving two fingers on a touch screen, is now provided in the object model and the emulator. Gesture support has been redesigned to be faster and more flexible.
- Versioning: Versioning has been implemented to strictly identify assemblies by the version number at build time and on the device, and eventually re-deploying missing assemblies. Side-by-side load and bind for types belonging to the same assemblies with a different version number is supported. Support has also been added for assembly naming which includes the version number.
- Emulator support for SSL and HTTPS: The emulator now explicitly supports SSL and HTTPs emulation.
- Native XML Parser: The XML parser has been moved to native code for better performance.
- Native collections: The collection classes have been moved to native code for performance, and have been enriched with Queue and Stack types.
- Time sync: Devices can use the new Time Sync API to sync the system time with a specified server's time, automatically or manually.
- Arbitrary display size: A custom heap and allocation area is now provided to support bitmaps larger than 760KB.
- Large buffers: A new type, Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.LargeBuffer, is provided for allocating buffers larger than 760KB, which would not fit in the managed heap. This type is located in assembly Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.
- Watchdog and Power Level control: The power level and the watchdog behavior can now be controlled from the managed application using types Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.PowerState and Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.Watchdog from assembly Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.dll.
- Thick pens and gradient fills: A richer graphic model is now provided for designing widgets and controls.
- TinyCore performance improvements: TinyCore performance has been enhanced in the area of event dispatching and layout.
The 4.0 release is the first release for which we have included the source code. In the beta release, this is done without license to redistribute. With the RTM, we will be releasing the source with redistribution rights as defined by the license. We will be building a community to accelerate the development of the product. Look for more on that in the near future.
To get either of the beta's, please go to connect.microsoft.com and look up the program that is right for you.
Let us know if you have any questions.
Here is coverage of NETMF on 'This week on Channel 9'. They discuss the contest that just completed and the upcoming 4.0 release. They include a link to the 4.0 port video. The interviews with the professional contest finalists are coming next week.
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/This+Week+On+Channel+9/This-Week-on-C9-NET-Micro-Framework-Azure-and-PHP/.
In the mean time, are you ready for Version 4.0 Beta? It is just around the corner.
The final round of judging was completed last Friday evening. As I have mentioned before, the number and quality of the entries has made the contest very enjoyable but has made the selection process very difficult. The finalist and their projects are as follows:
Professional Category
James NG (US) - First Prize - a security device (watch) that replaces all your passwords, car keys, credit cards and more
Deon Schaffer (US) - Second Prize - a device to control aroma therapy in the home both locally and remotely
Slava Vassiliev (Russia) - Second Prize - a set of health monitoring devices connected to HealthVault
Gudmund Aasgaard (Norway) - Finalist - a device to remotely control large animals with dynamic fencing
Bryan Fisher (US) - Finalist - a whole range of devices to automate the production of broilers (chickens)
Hobbyist Category
Tomas Scherrer and Diego Pinto do Santos (Brazil) - First Prize - a musical syntheziser in a 3.5 in screen
Terry Fogg (Australia) - Second Prize - a telescope hand controller complete with internal star charts
Ellis Percival (UK) - Second Prize - a complete home automation system including remote monitoring and control
Rainer Stropek (Austria) - Finalist - a demonstration system for conventions that uses RFID adn BizTalk to 'Find Mr X'.
Alexander Inochkin ( Russia) - Finalist - a fully automated home watering system for your plants.
I'd like to thanks everyone for their efforts in all three rounds of the contest. It was extremely entertaining to see the projects but it was very difficult to judge them. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as we did. The videos will be posted out soon.
If you participated in Rounds 2 or 3 of the Dare to Dream Different contest, the GHI Electronics folks have a coupon offer for you that is very generous. You can visit their site at http://tinyclr.blogspot.com/ and learn more. The basics of the offer are:
========================
GHI Electronics, LLC is giving away 100 coupons and free consulting hours to Dare to Dream Different contestants.
Coupons and consulting hours and provided as follows:
- 1,000.00 USD coupon plus 20 consulting hours for each one of the 2 first place winners.
- 500.00 USD coupon plus 10 consulting hours for each one of the 4 winners of second prize.
- 250.00 USD coupon plus 5 consulting hours for each one of the 2 who made it to final stage but didn't win.
- 100.00 USD coupon for the 90 contestants who didn't make it to the final round.
- An additional 100.00 USD coupon is provided if the contest project is tested on GHI products and submitted to http://www.microframeworkprojects.com/
Total estimated value for all prizes are 26,500.00 USD
Rules:
- Coupons are valid for one time purchase directly form GHI Electronics, LLC.
- Coupons can not be redeemed for cash.
- Coupon can not be applied to previous order(s).
- Coupons are valid only for a purchase of USBizi, Embedded Master, ChipworkX and their sub products.
- Consulting hours can be used for one .NET Micro Framework related project only.
- Coupons and free consulting hours are valid till November 1, 2009.
- Support is always free and unlimited http://www.ghielectronics.com/forum/
- GHI Electronics, LLC reserves the right to alter these rules and offerings.
To use the coupons, please contact GHI directly through phone, fax or email.
http://www.ghielectronics.com/contact
A couple of weeks ago we released the pre-Beta porting kit for the v4.0 release of the Micro Framework to selected porting partners. Since then a number of partners got their development boards up& running. We are very pleased for this easy transition and eager to see what the new features, like HTTP, can do. GHI completed their first working prototype for the v4.0 release that runs on their newest ChipworkX board. Please see a demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8TkdnYjBEE.
There is some interesting new hardware that is hitting the streets these days and I wanted to take a minute in case you missed some of it. There are new modules and boards from Device Solutions, AUG Electronics, and GHI Electronics. I’ll go through them in the order that they came out. I won’t replicate the spec sheets here – just give you an idea of what they have and a link for you to learn more.
Meridian/P
First, the Meridian/P from Device Solutions is the Meridian module in a prototyping package. This means that you can get to all the Tahoe II functionality but in a package that you can use to mock up your eventual device. Even the headers are the same for portability of any work you did on the full dev board. The form factor also fits with Schmart Board prototyping systems.
http://devicesolutions.net/Products/MeridianP.aspx
AMI DevKit
Aug-Electronics is building some interesting applications with the Micro Framework for drink dispenser system. These devices actually run under water. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvjFz8kGoP0
They have released a development environment as well based on the same Atmel ARM9. One of the unique things about the kit is that the display is an Active Matrix OLED display.
http://aug-electronics.com/Default.aspx?alias=aug-electronics.com/ami
ChipworkX
The most recent release that we have seen is the ChipworkX from GHI Electronics. This is GHI’s first ARM9 (their previous boards and modules are on one ARM7 by NXP). They have produced both a module and a rich development board for it. The dev board boasts a 480x272 4.3" TFT display with touch screen. Check it out at: http://www.ghielectronics.com/product/123
Lots to report here.
First, the pre-release of version 4.0 has gone out to our hardware partners last week. They get a little jump on it so that they can have harwdare to support the broader beta. If you would like more information on that program - please 'Ask Colin'. The open Beta will be coming next month with the final release of 4.0 in the fall. There are some great new features in it for those who missed earlier descriptions. There are performance improvements in the graphics as well as extensions like multi-touch. There is native HTTP and HTTPS. There is watchdog and power management support. There is arbitrary display size. And much more.
Second, we are making progress on our license. It will take the form of a broad license with little constraint on derivative works. The final license will be either a standard open source license or a close derivative of one. The goal will be to enable partners to take the MF code and create whatever derivative works that they need for their purposes. At the same time there is valid concern for the proliferation of derivatives so there will continue to be a core implementation that is managed by a core technology team staffed from within Microsoft as well as from the community. This core implemenation will move forward through major and minor versions just like any existing product. The only difference is that the code will be available and contributions are encouraged. The contributions will be reviewed and tested before being integrated and made available to the public. Support for this core version of the runtime will be available through Microsoft Product Support. Of course, changes that happen at the porting layers will not be closely managed. We will also have a 'market place' where vendors can post information about add-ons and extensions that are available. We are working on the web site to support all this. We have the framework for the web site done and are working on filling it out.
I'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and concerns as we move to finalizing our open source plans. I believe that we can make this a great 'win' for everyone but of course, the nature of a community effort is that we need your help and engagement to make it work best. So let us hear from you.
As we have seen from several of the entries in the Dare to Dream Different contest, there is a lot of interest energy management applications and the use of the Micro Framework in these applications. It absolutely makes sense since these solutions include a range of elements from small devices for local control of power consumption and UI to back end SQL Server databases and everything in between. The Micro Framework is an obvious platform for these solutions because it supports the same programming model and tool chain that can be used throughout the solution. It also has the ability to support very clean UI.
Well, it is not just in contest where MF meets energy management. It is already being used by some of our partners in commercial applications. Here is an example in a Press Release that just came out today - excerpted and translated from German.
"Environment-conscious accommodation is in contrast to comfort and digital living which demonstrate the AMEDIA hotels. They offer first class service, combined with modern communication and entertainment without additional costs. Youngest member of the family is the AMEDIA hotel in Hamburg Ohlsdorf. All guests have free access to high speed Internet access (WLAN) and video on demand in the room and can call free in 48 countries. Another highlight is the in-house HD-TV Studio for worldwide HD-video conferencing, which is also without fee available. All rooms with innovative intuitive use were the first step "room touch controller" on the basis of: NET Micro Framework Microsoft. "" About this touch screen room or technical services, air conditioning heating check and more business processes are controlled. The AMEDIA Hotel Hamburg Ohlsdorf promoted with its 165 rooms to the international first green-all-IP-property, the intelligent IT Technology and combines an ecological energy plan."
The companies involved in this are IVISTAR AG, power economizer GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute and digitalStrom and AHC International Consulting AG IP Immo but I believe the room controller comes from Power Economizer. Pretty gool stuff.
Our Dare to Dream Different contestants are not the only ones using the Micro Framework in creative ways. The Micro Framework was part of the solution in an entry to the Imagine Cup (http://imaginecup.com/) that won the Chinese competition and will be moving on to the next level competition in Egypt. The project demonstrates the automation of healthcare data and how it can be used to improve the provision of medical services. The Micro Framework is used as the gateway for the collection of data from a variety of patient care devices from fetal monitors to glucose meters. Congratualtions to the team and good luck in the finals.
The Dare to Dream Different contest http://dreamdifferentcontest.com/ is nearing the completion of the judging for the second round. The final selection will be made soon and the third round contestants brought to Redmond. I have looked at some of the videos and I have to say that I am extremely impressed by the quality of the work that was done for the contest. The judging will be very close. I can't wait to share out the videos so that everyone can see the creative thinking that went into the projects.
