Thursday, February 26, 2015

Connect The Dots helps your devices to connect to the cloud

Hi Folks,

I wanted to give you a heads up that Microsoft Open Tech just initiated  a new open source project ConnectTheDots.io intended to help developpers get started with Azure services for IoT.
Just at its inception, the project wiki shows how to connect sensors (Arduino) to a gateway (Raspberry Pi) and a .Net MicroFramework device for sending data to Azure through Event Hubs, set up some alerts using Stream Analytics and display real time data and alerts in a simple website.

Wiki of the project : link

Enjoy

-Nicolas

Monday, February 16, 2015

Windows Embedded Compact QFEs for January 2015 have arrived!

Hi all,

the January updates for Windows Embedded Compact are available for download:


Update 15 (January 2015)


Component: CoreOS
150122_KB3028406  - Vulnerabilities in Windows kernel-mode drivers could allow remote code execution.
150131_KB3035639  - Cannot disable IME on a Windows Embedded Compact 2013-based device with Japanese IME 3.1.
150130_KB3035608  - Directory entry corrupts when you try to create directory in Windows Embedded Compact 2013.

Component: Internet Explorer
150131_KB3035662  - An update rollup is available that includes several cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer for Windows Embedded Compact 2013.

Component: Networking
150130_KB3034815  - Handle leak occurs when you convert Windows socket mode from nonblocking to blocking in Windows Embedded Compact 2013.       

Component: SDK
150123_KB3028047  - Xaml Application fails to build when additional XAML engine header files like xrcollection.h are included.

Component: Servers
150130_KB3035642  - PMK caching works incorrectly when you roam on a Wi-Fi network in Windows Embedded Compact 2013.



Update 43 (January 2015)

Important Notes:
  • The sharedsource_w2.msi is not available for download. If you have previously installed Shared Source, you will be asked to insert the disk in the source resolution dialog.
  • The sharedsource_w2.msi is not available from a Download Center WEC7 Monthly Update. It is available on the ISO DVD image that is available from the following non-public locations Microsoft OEM Online, MyOEM or MSDN subscriptions. If applicable, you can also contact your distributor for the DVD.
  • You can uncheck the "Allow downloading for all files" and browse for the required package in the ISO DVD to continue.
  • If you do not have Shared Source component then all patches for other components can be acquired through Download Center.
Fixes made in this update:
Component: Browser
150124_KB3035176 -  An update rollup is available that includes several cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer for Windows Embedded Compact 7.

Component: CoreOS
150126_KB3034003 -  Multiple threads calling type_info::name() method sometimes leads to an access violation on a Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device.

Component: Networking
150122_KB2983890 - Wait for event on socket closure results in invalid event handle on a Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device.
150122_KB3030464 - After Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) , a Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device gets stuck on AutoCfg IP.

Component: Servers
150122_KB3028055 - Exception occurs when there are multiple NICs on the Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device.

Component: Storage
150122_KB3011496 - Storage Manager displays incorrect information after reconnecting storage device on a Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device.
150126_KB3033974 - An exception occurs in PollDeviceThread when a USB based device such as CD-ROM is removed from a Windows Embedded Compact 7-based device.


Fixes made in this update:

By Component:

Component:  IE
150130_KB3033577 - An update rollup is available that includes several cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer for Windows Embedded CE 6.0.


REMEMBER: It’s important to keep your system up to date!


Have fun!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Intel Atom WEC7 BSP SDCard driver not compiling

Hi Folks,

If you are using the Intel Atom BSP, available for download from Adeneo Embedded website (http://www.adeneo-embedded.com/Products/Board-Support-Packages/Intel) with the Windows Embedded Compact 7 updates higher than March 2014, you will experiment build issue for the SDCard.

Microsoft folks have change the signature of the pSDIODisconnectInterrupt field of the SDCARD_API_FUNCTIONS structure. So function pointer to SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X is expected to be SD_API_STATUS SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X(SD_DEVICE_HANDLE hDevice) instead of  VOID SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X(SD_DEVICE_HANDLE hDevice)

This results in having the following error :
BUILD: [00:0000000028:PROGC ] Building COMPILE Pass in C:\WINCE700\platform\Intel_CS\SRC\DRIVERS\sdcard30\sdbus\ directory.
BUILD: [01:0000000039:PROGC ] Compiling .\sdbus.cpp
BUILD: [01:0000000042:ERRORE] Error(s) in directory "C:\WINCE700\platform\Intel_CS\SRC\DRIVERS\sdcard30\sdbus\". {log="C:\WINCE700\platform\Intel_CS\src\drivers\sdcard30\SDBus\bldsys.log(29)"}
BUILD: [01:0000000043:ERRORE] c:\wince700\platform\intel_cs\src\drivers\sdcard30\sdbus\sdbus.cpp(1896) : error C2440: '=' : cannot convert from 'void (__cdecl *)(SD_DEVICE_HANDLE)' to 'PSD_IO_DISCONNECT_INTERRUPT' {log="C:\WINCE700\platform\Intel_CS\src\drivers\sdcard30\SDBus\bldsys.log(30)"}


To fix this modify the block of code loacted at line 1805 in WINCE700\platform\Intel_CS\SRC\DRIVERS\sdcard30\sdbus\sdbus.cpp

// Fix link to Microsoft Update
// VOID SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X(SD_DEVICE_HANDLE hDevice)
SD_API_STATUS SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X(SD_DEVICE_HANDLE hDevice)
{
    SD_API_STATUS   status = SD_API_STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER;  // intermediate status
    CSDDevice *     pDevice = CSDHostContainer::GetDeviceByDevice((HANDLE)hDevice);
    if (pDevice) {
        __try {
            status = pDevice->SDIOConnectDisconnectInterrupt( NULL,FALSE);
        }
        __except (SDProcessException(GetExceptionInformation())) {
            status = SD_API_STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION;
        }
        pDevice->DeRef();
    }
    DEBUGMSG(SDCARD_ZONE_ERROR && !SD_API_SUCCESS(status), (TEXT("SDIODisconnectInterrupt__X: Failed status 0x%08X \n"),status));

return status;
}

Then rebuild the SDCard driver to check the correctness of the modification.

Enjoy
-Nicolas

Intel Atom WEC7 BSP boot failing when SMP enabled

Hi Folks,

If you are using the Intel Atom BSP, available for download from Adeneo Embedded website (http://www.adeneo-embedded.com/Products/Board-Support-Packages/Intel) with the Windows Embedded Compact 7 updates higher than July 2013, you will experiment boot issue when the SMP (multicore) is enabled.

In July 2013 Microsoft has release an update of the common source code for the management of SMP under x86 platform, and as the Intel Atom BSP is using his own lib flavor, then the BSP is no longer compatible with what WEC7 is expecting.
So you have to link to the correct library in the OAL, and for this, edit the sources file located in WINCE700\Platform\INTEL_CS\SRC\OAL\OALEXE.

At line 73 replace
$(_PLATLIB)\$(_CPUINDPATH)\oal_mpsupport_atom.lib \
by
$(_PLATCOMMONLIB)\$(_CPUINDPATH)\oal_mpsupport_x86.lib \

Then just rebuild the OALEXE folder and perform a make image... and voilà

Enjoy
-Nicolas

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The end of Windows RT

Hi folks,

Microsoft is no longer producing Windows RT devices. The last available device was the Nokia Lumia 2520 tables which Microsoft is no longer manufacturing as of now.



At the end of January, Microsoft already confirmed that the Surface 2 with Windows RT is no longer in production.



Microsoft already confirmed that Windows RT will not be updatable to Windows 10, however there will be an update for Windows RT that brings some of the features of Windows 10 to Windows RT.


Have fun!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Windows Embedded Compact: 2014 Yearly Rollups now available

Hi all,

The yearly cumulative product rollups for Windows Embedded Compact have arrived; these updates include all previous updates up until and including December 2014:

Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Cumulative Product Update Rollup Package (through 12/31/2014)


Keep your system up to date!

Have fun!