Module 3: Configuring and Building with Platform Builder

Overview „ Introduction to Platform Builder „ Platform Development Life Cycle „ Configuring the Platform „ Building the Platform Image „ Downloading the Image In this module, you learn h

Contents

Overview 4

Demonstration: Configuring, Building and

Downloading 32

Review 33

Module 3: Configuring and Building with

Platform Builder

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Overview

„ Introduction to Platform Builder

„ Platform Development Life Cycle

„ Configuring the Platform

„ Building the Platform Image

„ Downloading the Image

In this module, you learn how to use Platform Builder to configure a platform, build a Windows CE image and download a Windows CE image

After completing this module, you will be able to:

„ Identify the features of Platform Builder

„ Describe the life cycle of platform development

„ Identify how to configure a platform in Platform Builder

„ Describe the process of building a platform

„ Describe how a Windows CE-device is setup and how an image is downloaded using Ethernet

Introduction to Platform Builder

„ Windows CE operating system configurations

„ Embedded Windows CE development tools

Windows CE Operating System Configurations

Platform Builder provides you with several different vertical device configurations ranging from a Residential Gateway that features only the kernel functionality to a Media Appliance configuration that includes many graphical features and many applications

Embedded Windows CE Development Tools

There are different types of embedded Windows CE development tools used by Platform Builder to create and debug a Windows CE Image:

„ Compilers Platform Builder provides you with compilers for all supported processors

„ IDE-Based Debugger The kernel debugger allows you to debug against different targets even with different processors The debugging method is the same for all processors

„ Windows CE Remote Tools Developers can debug the Windows CE target platform as they do in Microsoft Windows NT®/95 Platform Builder contains all the tools that are present in Microsoft Visual Studio

The following tools are adapted for remote environment:

• Windows CE Spy++ provides tools to display information about windows and their messages

• Windows CE Registry Editor allows you to view the registry of the remote platform

• Windows CE Process Viewer provides information about processes, threads, and memory on the remote device

• Windows CE Heap Walker displays contents of system memory

• Windows CE Remote Object Viewer displays information about objects

on the remote device

„ Export SDK The Export SDK tool helps you to export a custom software development kit that can be used with the Windows CE Toolkit for Microsoft Embedded Visual C++®

Integrated Development Environment

Platform Builder 4.0 provides a complete IDE that includes a wizard and toolbar that you can use to build and debug your Windows CE image

Run-Time Libraries

Platform Builder provides support for the following run-time libraries:

„ Active Template Library (ATL) for Windows CE

„ Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC)

„ Visual Basic for Windows CE

„ Microsoft ActiveX Data Object for Windows CE (ADOCE)

For more information about the build tree, see Module 1, “Advanced

Building of a Windows CE Image” in Course 2535A, Developing a Board

Support Package for Microsoft Windows CE NET and Course 2540A, Developing Embedded Solutions for Microsoft Windows CE NET

Note

Platform Development Cycle

•Compile

•Link

•Make Image (NK.BIN)

Download

•Connect via Ethernet, Parallel,

or JTAG

•Copy NK.BIN to device

•Start Windows CE Debug Monitor

•Debug

Iterative Process

This diagram illustrates the iterative process at the core of the platform development cycle

Configure the Platform

Before you create the Windows CE image, you must first configure the platform In Platform Builder, the term platform implies:

„ A set of core Windows CE modules and components provided by Microsoft

„ A complete OEM Adaptation Layer (OAL)

„ A set of drivers for your targeted platform

„ Optionally, additional components you choose to add

Depending on which configuration you select, certain modules and components will be included in your platform Typically, you choose one of the given reference configurations and then customizing it

Customizing a platform can involve adding or removing features from the Catalog, adding projects, adding a board support package (BSP), creating an OEM adaptation layer (OAL), creating a boot loader, localizing the platform, and exporting a software development kit (SDK)

You can customize a platform by adding or subtracting projects A project is a group of related functions that implement a particular feature of your

customized platform You can create a project using a project wizard, and the project is given has an associated pbp file The pbp file contains source file names and locations, and builds settings

Build the Platform Image

After you have configured your platform, you can build a platform using the Platform Builder integrated development environment (IDE) The Platform

Builder build process produces a target Windows CE image for your platform with the components you have chosen

The IDE and command-line environments are independent of each other Environment variables that you set in one environment may have a different setting in the other environment Do not combine IDE and command-line methods when you build a platform

Once you have built a platform, you can just remake the operating system

image by selecting the Make Image command in the Platform Builder IDE

After you have built the platform, you may change the parameter files, such as Project.bib and Platform.reg You can access the parameter files from the ParameterView window in the Platform Builder IDE, and then modify the files Then you need to build the platform again instead of just remaking the

operating system image in order to incorporate these changes into the operating system image

Download and Debug Image

To transfer a platform to a target device, use the Microsoft® Platform Builder integrated development environment (IDE) to transfer an operating system image, Nk.bin, over either an Ethernet or a parallel port connection

Before you can transfer an operating system image to a target device, you must configure a connection from the development workstation to the target device Next, you download the image to the targeted platform and run it With the Platform Builder debugging tools, you can debug the OAL, device drivers, or modules

Note

‹ Configuring the Platform

„ The Platform Wizard

„ Platform Configurations

„ Available BSPs

„ Configuration Variants

„ Application and Media

„ Networking and Communications

„ Finish

In this section, you will learn about the process of configuring a platform using the Platform Wizard

The Platform Wizard

„ New Platform Wizard:

z Allows you to select a base operating system configuration for your platform

z Select some initial operating system features

z Select a preconfigured BSP

z Sets up the environment with files that support the operating system configuration you have selected

C B D

You can configure your platform using the New Platform Wizard Through a series of interactive dialog boxes, the New Platform Wizard allows you to select a base operating system configuration for your platform, choose some initial operating system features, and choose a preconfigured BSP After you have chosen your initial settings, the New Platform Wizard sets up the environment with files that support the operating system configuration you have selected

The Windows CE features included in your platform depend on the operating system configuration that you select You can build a system with little more than a kernel, a system with a complex graphical user interface (UI) and preinstalled applications, or any type of system in between

To create a new platform:

• On the File menu, click New Platform

This opens the New Platform Wizard

Available BSPs

„ A BSP represents the basic OAL and drivers set which will communicate directly to

a specific Standard Development Boardhardware platform

„ When you create a BSP, you specify a collection

of features that, as a package, offer a default level of functionality for a platform

„ If you want to integrate your BSP into the New Platform Wizard, you must use the BSP Wizard

C B D

Next, you must select from the list of available BSPs A BSP represents the basic OAL and drivers set which will communicate directly to a specific Standard Development Boardhardware platform

„ You can create your own BSP and add it to a platform For example, you might want to create a BSP to support a specific hardware configuration

„ When you create a BSP, you specify a collection of features that, as a package, offer a default level of functionality for a platform

„ If you want to integrate your BSP into the New Platform Wizard, you must use the BSP Wizard The BSP Wizard also creates a Catalog feature file (.cec) file and imports your BSP into the Catalog

Platform Configurations

„ Select a base configuration with the New Platform Wizard

„ You select one of the configurations provided with the IDE

to base your new platform on

„ A unique name is required to identify the platform itself and the location of the files associated with it

„ The Platform Wizard will create a directory structure under the

\Wince400\Public tree with the same name

of the product you are releasing to market

„ The Platform Wizard will create a directory structure under the

\Wince400\Public tree with the same name as your platform This is where Platform Builder will create your Windows CE image

The New Platform Wizard offers a variety of configurations

„ These configurations implement a wide selection of possible feature sets upon which to base your device

„ Once created, you are able to add and remove standard features

„ You can also add projects and resources of your own design that will be included in the final operating system image

„ There are several basic configurations included with Platform Builder They are listed below:

• Cell Phone or Smart Phone

• Custom Device

• Digital Imaging Device

• Industrial Automation Devices

• Internet Appliance

• PDA or Mobile Handheld

Configuration Variants

C B D

„ Configuration variants determine which features it should include by default while it goes through the steps of creating the platform

The Platform Wizard uses configuration variants to determine which features it should include by default while it goes through the steps of creating the platform

For example, Internet Appliance is a specific kind of device but with two variants depending on whether you want to include WordPad, e-mail, and ActiveSync functionality The refinement of which functionality will be included in the final operating system image is accomplished by selecting variations of the base configuration

Variants are not available for all base configurations but only for that base configuration which is too general to define the kind of device it will be used on

Note

Applications and Media

„ Dependent on the configuration you based your platform on

„ Features selected by default are based on the configuration variant

„ Choose to add or remove any of the listed applications and media features by checking or clearing them

C B D

When it is appropriate for the target device, the New Platform Wizard provides you with a list of applications and media features available for the platform you have created

„ This step is dependent on the configuration you based your platform on For example, if you base your platform on the Network Device configuration, this step would not appear in the New Platform Wizard Applications such

as, Pocket Word or Internet Explorer are not typically associated with this kind of device

„ The features selected by default are based on the configuration variant that you choose These defaults are a starting point, not a mandatory

configuration for your platform

„ You may choose to add or remove any of the listed applications and media features by checking or clearing them in the New Platform Wizard, or manually making these changes from the Catalog

Networking and Communications

„ Dependent on the configuration you based your platform on

„ Features selected by default are based on the configuration variant

„ Choose to add or remove any of the listed applications and media features

by checking or clearing them

C B D

In most cases, the New Platform Wizard provides you with a list of additional networking and communications features that are available for the platform that you have created

„ Like application and media features, the inclusion of this list of features is dependent on the configuration you based your platform on

„ The features selected by default are based on the configuration variant that you chose These defaults are a starting point, not a mandatory configuration for your platform

„ You may choose to add or remove any of the listed networking and communications features by checking or clearing them in the New Platform Wizard, or manually making these changes in the Catalog

Finish

„ Contains links to specific help items which can help you in the build process

„ Click Done if familiar with the environment and wish to simply begin building

„ Platform Builder generates the workspace for your new platform

C B D

The final step in configuring the platform using Platform Wizard contains links

to specific help items which can help you in the build process

You should click Done if you are already familiar with the environment and wish to simply begin building Clicking Done will remove the html help file, then Platform Builder will generate the workspace for your new platform