Getting Started with Developing a Thin Client
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8/27/2008
This section provides information to help you use Windows Embedded CE 6.0 to develop a thin client.
Getting Started with Thin-Client Development
Before you build and download your first run-time image, you have to make several decisions about the thin client configuration that you want to target, the hardware that you want to use for development, and also for production devices, and the types of features and applications that you want to make available on your thin client devices.
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Target Hardware
Generally, you can use three configurations of target hardware during development to represent a thin client device to which you can download and test run-time images. These hardware configurations include a Windows Embedded CE PC-based hardware platform (CEPC), a standard development board, and a device emulator.
A CEPC is a desktop computer based on the x86 family of microprocessors that can be configured to execute a Windows Embedded CE run-time image. For more information about CEPCs, see CEPC-based SDBs.
A standard development board is a hardware board that includes the hardware components for your target production device that you can use to develop and test the operating system (OS). For more information about standard development boards, see Standard Development Board Design.
Device Emulator is a desktop tool that mimics the behavior of a Windows Embedded CE–based platform. For more information about Device Emulator, see Device Emulator and Downloading a Run-Time Image to the Device Emulator.
Board Support Package
To build a run-time image that targets a particular hardware platform or the CEPC, you must obtain or build a board support package (BSP) for that hardware and add it to the OS design. For more information, see Board Support Package Considerations for a Thin Client. For general information about how to design thin-client hardware, see Designing Hardware for a Thin Client.
Operating System
After you have selected and set up your target hardware, you have to build a run-time image by using Platform Builder. To get started, you can select a design template from the Windows Embedded CE OS Design Wizard which includes a base set of modules and components. To build a thin client, you can use either the Windows Thin Client Design Template or the Enterprise Terminal Design Template as a starting point. For more information, see either Windows Thin Client Design Template or Enterprise Terminal Design Template. For instructions on how to build a run-time image, see Building a Run-Time Image for a Thin Client.
After you have generated an OS design, you can customize it by adding or removing existing components in the Catalog, or by adding your custom projects to the Catalog. For detailed information, see Modifying an OS Design.
Applications
After you have fully customized and tested your run-time image, you can start designing, coding, and building thin-client applications to download to your target hardware. For detailed information and examples, see Support for Third-Party Applications on a Thin Client.
In This Section
- Building a Run-Time Image for a Thin Client
Describes how to create a run-time image for a Windows Embedded CE powered thin client.
- How to Develop a Thin Client
Provides step-by-step instructions on how to develop a thin client, from selecting the correct design template to testing the run-time image.