Microsoft and Analog Devices have announced a port of the .NET Micro Framework to Analog Devices' Blackfin processors. This means that developers of resource-constrained portable devices offering multimedia and other specialty applications can use Microsoft's .NET and Visual Studio, with the Blackfin processor.
The .NET Micro Framework is Microsoft's platform for devices that are based on 32-bit processors that are constrained in terms of memory, battery power, or other resources. Analog Devices' Blackfin family offers the functionality of both a 16-bit DSP and a 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) in an architecture that handles control-oriented tasks as well as real-time processing of multimedia data flows.
In addition to being fully integrated with Visual Studio, the .NET Micro SDK includes an extensible emulator to simulate targeted hardware capabilities. The framework lets device developers connect diverse hardware solutions to virtually any peripheral device through industry-standard communication connections and custom-managed drivers.
"We are pleased that Blackfin will be the first DSP in Microsoft's .NET Micro Framework sphere," said Jerry McGuire, vice president of the General Purpose DSP Group at Analog Devices. "Developers will be able to work with Microsoft development tools to implement feature-rich products on Blackfin, with the power efficiency, performance level and system cost that is right for compact embedded applications. For example, one of the exciting possibilities is using Windows SideShow to display information on mobile PCs and portable electronic devices such as media players, even when those devices are in sleep mode."
Analog Devices also plans to complement the Microsoft .NET Micro Framework SDK with additional development tools for Blackfin developers. The company will announce details as the tools become available.
