Time to get serious about the core code for the Control System (which, incidentally, is what I will largely be assessed on).

Before I can start developing in anger, I will need an IDE and tool chain to build the Windows CE OS for the device that I won. Being a novice with CE, I’m not too proud to RTFM. The manual provided with the hardware from the competition is very comprehensive and well written. A few pages in, I am confronted with the following:

Recommended Software Installation Sequence.
It’s important to install the software in their proper sequences. Here is the recommended software installation sequence, in numeric order.

1. Visual Studio 2005
2. Visual Studio 2005 SP1
3. Visual Studio 2005 SP1 update for Vista
4. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 <– this wasn’t a “next, next…” install, there was a custom step to select the x86 BSP for my device (I missed that the first time and had to return to here and reinstall everything down the line! )
   
5. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 SP1
6. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
7. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3    <– this wasn’t included in the SPARK your Imagination kit supplied by MS. No biggie, except that I live in the sticks and get 75kB/sec download speed…
8. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 Update Rollup    <– this was omitted from the instructions that came with my embedded device
   
9. ICOP_VDX6326_60B_BSP.msi
10. VDX6326_WINCE600_SDK.msi
11. CoreCon_v200_x86_WinCE600.msi
12. AutoLaunch_v200_x86_WinCE600.msi
13. RegFlushApp_v100_x86_WinCE600.msi

Long story short: 1.5 days later, I have the OS building successfully.I do have 12 warning(s). But hey, if they were serious they’d make them error(s).

Thankfully, now that this is sorted, it is not something that I will likely have to go through again in a hurry. I am thinking about building a virtual instance of a Win 7 machine solely for developing in CE so that I don’t have to have Visual Studio 2005 living along side VS 2008+.

One of my feeds recently popped up a post on a competition run by the Microsoft embedded group to develop a Windows CE device with a project that encompasses their theme of “Fun and Games.”

The format of the comp is:

• Round 1 - Write a three page proposal for your project idea.

• Round 2 - With the hardware you won for getting through Round 1, build out the proof of concept in around 8 weeks and submit a video of the working prototype and your design documentation.

• Round 3 - Once it’s sunk in that you’re going to present in a keynote at a conference in Silicon Valley and the happy dancing has ceased; start to prepare your notes (with associated freaking out, of course!) At this stage you’re also looking at a pocket-full of cash and the respect and adulation of adoring fans! (okay, the pocket-full of cash at least…)

I already had an idea that had been simmering for a while, that fitted the theme really well and this seemed like the opportunity to see if anyone else thought it a worthwhile pursuit.

Well, someone liked it and I’m through to Round 2. The dev kit that’s core to the project is on it’s way from the US of A at this very moment.

I decided to get a bit of a jump start and have spent the last week or so madly building out the micro-controller and sensor parts. Things are actually going way better than expected and and I will blog about some of the adventures with Arduino, XBee and other assortments, shortly.

I can’t wait to start tying all the disparate pieces together. (Nor can my wife, who commented this morning on the “bomb” of electronics components and scribbled notes that had gone off in the study.)