1. Building Embedded Systems With Windows® CE Platform Builder 3
Building Embedded Systems With Windows® CE Platform Builder David Streams Lead Program Manager Windows CE Tools Microsoft Corporation

3. Agenda Introduction Feature overview
Using the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to configure the OS
New Platform Builder 3.0 features
IDE kernel debugging, HW assisted debugging
Platform Builder 3.0 walkthrough and demonstration
Questions and answers

4. Platform Builder Integrated Development Environment Platform pane (component tab)
Component view
Used to configure your platform components
IDE saves your platform state
.wce workspace
Components
Build rules
Platform settings

5. Platform Builder IDE Project pane
Configure\build user apps and components
Project Pane parallels Visual C++®
Class, file and resource views
Project state saved as .pbp (~VC++ .dsp)
Build against Sysgen’d platform .h .libs

6. Configuring Your Platform
Configuring existing components
New Platform Wizard
Platform Builder Catalog
Import from sources\dirs
Creating new platform components
Create .exe, .dll, console apps, etc
Platform Builder Projects (.pbp)

7. Platform Builder Catalog
Catalog – Contains superset of available components
Logical abstraction – Choose logical type groupings and resolve to components in Platform Pane
Extensible – Add new components to catalog via .cec files

8. Windows CE Build Process
Sysgen – generates system headers and libraries
Build – application and board support components are built
BuildRel – Copies sysgen and build files to release directory
MakeImg – Packages all files into single binary file NK.bin

9. Sysgen Build Process Command Line Build Platform Builder IDE
Developers modify cesysgen.bat and the sysgen process builds the OS modules referenced in the batch file
Platform Builder IDE
Core OS is bundled in IDE as a single component consisting of many child components
Core OS (sysgen) components are configured using platform settings

10. Sysgen IDE Build Settings
Use the IDE to configure core OS component

11. Building Individual Components
User components and drivers
Any user components included in the Platform pane will be built individually
IDE supports custom build methods
Platform Builder Projects (pbp)
Dirs\Sources
File copy
Custom build command

12. MakeImg IDE Build Process Platform Pane\Parameter View
Modify settings that are consumed by MakeImg build tool
*.bib files – add files to binary image (NK.bin)
*.reg files – Used to set registry keys
*.dat files – define dir and file location of CE OS
*.db files – defines database

13. MakeImg IDE Build Process
Platform\Settings Menu
Easily edit global environment variables
Simply click Build\Build Platform menu to refresh NK.bin

14. Creating Custom Platform SDKs
Why?
Enable team collaboration
Application and component developers can target their embedded platform from Windows CE tools
Easily create an open platform
Allow third party developers to build value-added components and applications after their platform ships
How?
Use the Platform Builder ‘Export SDK’ feature

15. Creating Platform SDKs
What does ‘Export SDK’ do?
Packages all pertinent files into a single installable .EXE file
Platform\Runtime include files and libraries
Pertinent sources
Default and custom host\target communication transports

16. New PB 3.0 Tools Features Usability/ease of use CPU add-in model
Configuration improvements
Connectivity/download integration
IDE manages/communicates state of tools
Debugger integration
CPU add-in model
Entire product (IDE, Wizards, Debugger, etc) capable of supporting a new CPU that ships after PB releases
Extensibility
New hardware debug APIs
Tools plug-in model

17. Configuration And Build Improvements
Better support for custom configs
IDE displays custom core OS configurations
Platform settings are dynamically generated from data in the .CEC file
Data-driven wizards and settings
More granular control over build settings

18. Connectivity Integration
PB 3.0 incorporates connectivity settings into the integrated development environment
Users select and configure transports used by embedded tools

19. Connectivity Integration
Users can then configure their specific transport settings in the appropriate tab

20. Download And Boot Now Integrated Into IDE
Target Menu utilizes settings defined in connectivity settings dialog

21. CESH (Target Control) Now Integrated
Process and Thread Windows now serve dual purposes
Debugger populates windows during break state
Shell.exe (CESH) populates windows during run state
Ability to refresh views after state change
CESH commands now integrated as features in the IDE
Ability to start and stop processes, view process\thread info, set debug zones, set debug break, etc.

22. Platform Builder 2.12 Debugger Experience
Good news
Integrated the kernel debugger into the IDE
Supported many windbg debugger commands in the IDE
!Process
!thread stack
Brought the benefits of integrated application debugging to embedded development

23. PB 3.0 Debugger Enhancements
Continuity: Intuitive work flow
Debugger no longer tied to projects
Build from IDE: Debug seamlessly from platform
Build from Command: Target nk.bin
Enable kernel debugger with the click of a button
3.0 gives the developer a checkbox to enable debugging + adds debugger stub by default for debug configuration

24. (More) Debugger Enhancements
Communication and control
Status Monitor, Status Strings
IDE is State-Aware
New UI: Processes, Threads, Call-stack, and more…
New Manual/Auto Logging functionality

25. Demo Platform Builder 3.0 Integration of Host/Target Connectivity
Integrated Download and Boot
CESH Integration
Kernel Debugger

26. Hardware Assist: Motivation
OEM Challenge: Building and debugging the OAL
OAL code executed prior to KDInit
PB 2.12 KDBG insufficient
Hardware Debugging is an essential part of the embedded tool chain
Existing tools (Probes, ICE, associated SW)
Ad Hoc tool chains
Proprietary interfaces
Expensive
Very difficult to use

27. Hardware Assist: Solution
Embedded Extended Debugging Interface
API sits between our debugger and third party drivers
Drivers communicate with existing hardware tools and proprietary interfaces
IDE does not need to know probe details
Third-party tools plug-in model
Port existing and new probe software and tools
These tools integrate with PB IDE
Currently: AMC, Microtek Int’l, Macraigor

28. Hardware Assist: Closure
Debugging capability is extensible
Third parties can write tools to interface with HW through eXDI and plug-in model
Debugging functionality is expanded
Debug where we never have before: prior to Kernel Init
True HW BPs, true Target halt, Run control
Aids OEMs in debugging the OAL more effectively
Debugging experience is unique
In the IDE, HW debugging is transparent to the user
Never before has the power of HW debugging been combined with the ease of use of our desktop experience

29. Data Visualization Tools
Target information drives Host-Side Tools
Third-party plug-in support
Viewer/Collector Model
Flagship: Kernel Event Viewer (KEV)
Time-based linear display of system and custom events
Event-sensitive Search capabilities

30. Summary
Platform Builder 3.0 now supports full end-to-end platform development
From an integrated development environment
Final PB 3.0 product available soon!
Product and availability information at embedded

31. Questions?