.NET Micro Framework

[tod]

Reading through some back issues of MSDN I came across several articles about the .NET Micro Framework. It allows you to write non-real time embedded applications in C# using a subset of .NET and have them run on embedded processors. It abstracts certain hardware features like GPIO, SPI, I2C, Serial ports etc. It includes full integration with Visual Studio including debugging and emulation. It sounded quite interesting. Has anyone heard of any ports for any board in the NetBurner family? The requirements are 32 bit processor, > 512K RAM etc so the more capable NetBurners sound like a good fit.

[seulater]

I also heard about this .netmf about 3 months ago. That was one of the first things i do as well look for a port for NB, but i did not find any. I suggested to NB for them to look into it. My company has done a 180 on all this embedded stuff since the discovery of the .netmf. All and i mean all our Ethernet embedded stuff is getting converted to .netmf. That is phase one. Phase 2 is to convert the other high ended products over to it as well. This means that the embedded equipment that was using 3.5" & 4.3" & 7" lcds can now be converted over to .netmf and we can drop the LCD driver controller as .netmf had full color LCD support directly from the micro.

I sure hope NB takes a serious look at this, because now that i have been learning .netmf it is the cats meow, and i will not be long before it becomes the #1 source for embedded. Its is just WAY to easy to do things.
For instance, my .netmf board has USB host & Slave connection. I plugged in a web cam, 4.3" lcd and with 6 lines of code it was taking the cam images and putting them on the lcd at about 15-18 Fps. Now that was with a 72MHZ micro. I have seen boards with 400mhz, which that can do 30fps without batting an eye.

[v8dave]

Hi Tod and Seulater,

The source for the .NETMF is now available so I don't see any reason that this could not be done for the Netburner but who will do it?

I am working on 2 projects just now that will run the .NETMF with a 4.3" LCD and a 200Mhz processor. Just doing the PCB design for this just now and got a field trip tomorrow before the projects kick off.

The only problem I have hit upon with the current crop of .NETMF boards is severe lack of IO and no external databus available either. Most have either 1 or 2 UARTS and SPI and I2C and of course a few GPIO pins but that seems to be the maximum. For the 2 projects I have now, they are fine but for my current design with 6 serial ports I can't find any .NETMF solution just yet.

I like the Netburner because I get more serial ports and a real databus to allow me to hook up an LCD or other external IO.

I think the new Netburner that Paul Breed mentioned in another posting would be an ideal platform for the .NETMF as I believe this has an LCD interface. It probably won't work out of the box but there is nothing stopping a suitable board being developed.

Dave...

[seulater]

The source for the .NETMF is now available so I don't see any reason that this could not be done for the Netburner but who will do it?

I never used any Microsoft products for development. So i am on a steep learning curve to learn c#, Visual Studio 2010 and .netmf. So im out

v8dave, as far as i/o goes the one i have has 80 Digital IO Interrupt-capable Pins, along with LCD support running @ 200mhz.
• 200 Mhz 32-bit ARM 9 Processor
• 64MB SDRAM
• 256MB NAND FLASH (seen as an internal drive)
• 8MB NOR FLASH (For user deployment and EWR)
• JTAG Access
• LCD Controller
• Real Time Clock
• 10/100 Ethernet Interface
• 2 USB Host Ports
• 1 USB Device
• 80 Digital IO Interrupt-capable Pins
• 2 SPI (8/16 bit)
• I2C
• 3 UART
• SD/MMC Interface
• PWM
• -0 to +70 C Operational
• Lead Free
• Standard DIMM200 Mounting


i am sure your probably aware but there are quite a few single chip solutions that can take a single serial channel along with a few i/o pins to get many serial ports with. why not just use one of them.

[Chris Ruff]

Well, I actually do all of this. Visual Studio-C#-etc.

Now all I need is the time to do it. And a customer for it.

It does sound interesting if there is USB-host, USB-ethernet dongle, LCD support, DataBase support (very important), and serial port support

Gents-Does it have all of that capability?

Chris

[seulater]

you can check all it has

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee435793.aspx

[v8dave]

as far as i/o goes the one i have has 80 Digital IO Interrupt-capable Pins, along with LCD support running @ 200mhz.

Would you mind letting me know which one you use?

I just going order the new design from Sytech.

Cheers
Dave...

[seulater]

Sure, i have a few from GHI. The last one i refered to with the 80 i/o is this one.

http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/123

Then i also have this one.
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/131

And this
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/133

For the Cobra board, i also bought the 4.3" lcd which is great because you dont need an LCD driver IC
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/241

They just came out with a new product which i have not gotten yet, a 240mhz ARM9 very low cost $79
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/328

[v8dave]

I looked at the GHI boards myself. Prices are very good for the Hydra but all those connectors made me look elsewhere.

Great for development or the occcasional project but no use for production designs, even for small runs. I could design the carrier board so that this plugs in upside down but alignment could be an issue with all those connectors.

I could use multi-ribbon cables but again, messy and adds to the cost.

I have chosen a board from Systech Designs that is very new and runs at 200Mhz and have suitable pin headers I can use. This is going to be used for a recent project I am about to start.

I am still waiting for Netburner to bring out this new 250Mhz module. I will stick with them for updating my current design as porting the code to C# is a bit more work that just re-stringing a PCB.

Cheers
Dave...

[seulater]

I looked at the GHI boards myself. Prices are very good for the Hydra but all those connectors made me look elsewhere.

Great for development or the occcasional project but no use for production designs, even for small runs. I could design the carrier board so that this plugs in upside down but alignment could be an issue with all those connectors.

True, but it was designed for learning and not for production. They have made it all open source so anyone can design their own board.

I have chosen a board from Systech Designs ..

what is that exact web site address please.

I am still waiting for Netburner to bring out this new 250Mhz module. I will stick with them for updating my current design as porting the code to C# is a bit more work that just re-stringing a PCB.

I am waiting as well. I have been torn over which way to turn for some time now. Do i go with .netmf or stick with the C/C++ products that what i know like NB. NB is king of the hill for networking in my mind, but the benefits of .netmf just seem to outweigh any argument i can come up with.
The more i use it the more its strengths are revealed.

P.S. have you looked at http://devicesolutions.net/Products/Top ... odule.aspx, it is a 400MHZ i.MX25 module @ 400mhz with 5x UART's


Netburner, You know i love your products, and i feel guilty even talking about this stuff on your forum. My main reason for telling you guys about this long ago was so that you too could jump on the band wagon for this .netmf stuff. With all these low cost 200+ MHZ ultra small modules being release by people and many of which are open source i just wanted you to have another source of income and not get left in the aftermath.
I really feel that .netmf is going to become one of the most popular if not the most popular way people with turn to for embedded. The speed at which a customer or hobbyist can pump out an application is insane. With .netmf there really is no more need to learn the low level crap anymore, or read the typical 300-500 page uP manual, which i have to say is getting old.