Required OS Dependencies for Plug-ins (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/6/2010
If you want to use a plug-in based on the Remote Tools Framework you must make sure that the run-time image on the target device includes the OS dependencies that the plug-in needs to function as expected.
OS Requirements for Core Connectivity
Core Connectivity is the connection layer that supports the Visual Studio debugger and remote tools in addition to most of the Platform Builder remote tools. It enables you to make connections between a development workstation and a Windows Embedded CE-based device over different transports such as KITL, ActiveSync and HTTP.
When Core Connectivity makes a connection to a device, it runs some code on the device.
To successfully run the device-side code, the run-time image on the target device must include some features. If the OS design that your run-time image is based on lacks any one of these features, the Visual Studio application debugger and Core Connectivity-based remote tools will be unable to connect to the device.
The following table shows the features that a run-time image must include to provide support for Core Connectivity.
| Catalog item | Sysgen variable |
|---|---|
National Language Support (NLS) or English (US) National Language Support only |
SYSGEN_CORELOC or SYSGEN_LOCUSA |
Standard String Functions - ASCII (corestra) |
SYSGEN_CORESTRA |
Standard I/O ASCII (STDIOA) |
SYSGEN_STDIOA |
C++ Runtime Support for Exception Handling and Runtime Type Information |
SYSGEN_CPP_EH_AND_RTTI |
OS Requirements for the Remote Tools Framework
The Remote Tools Framework operates over the Core Connectivity transport, so in order for the framework to connect to a target device, that device must satisfy the requirements for supporting Core Connectivity.
The framework supports the creation of remote tools using either managed or native device-side code.
- If the device-side code is native, the Remote Tools Framework does not require that the OS include any additional features beyond those needed for Core Connectivity support.
- If the device-side code is managed, the Remote Tools Framework requires that the OS include the .NET Compact Framework. Without this, remote tools that use managed device-side code will not be able to connect to the device.
As the Remote Tools Framework enables you to create tools that can function on multiple OS versions, the following table shows the required functionality that must be included in each OS version.
| OS version | Required Catalog item | Associated Sysgen variable |
|---|---|---|
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 |
SYSGEN_DOTNETV2 |
.NET Compact Framework 2.0 |
Windows CE 5.0 |
SYSGEN_DOTNET |
.NET Compact Framework 1.0 |
For more information, see Requirements for .NET Compact Framework Support.
OS Requirements for the Remote System Information Plug-in
The Remote System Information plug-in uses the Remote Tools Framework to connect to Windows Embedded CE-based devices.
This means that the device must satisfy the support requirements of the Remote Tools Framework, but the Remote System Information plug-in does not require additional OS features to function. Also, the plug-in uses native device-side code, so it does not require that the .NET Compact Framework be included on the device.
OS Requirements for the Remote Tools Framework Sample Plug-ins
The sample plug-ins provided by the Remote Tools Framework use its transport layer to connect to Windows Embedded CE-based devices, which means that the device must provide support for the Remote Tools Framework. For more information about these plug-ins, see Sample Plug-ins Based on the Remote Tools Framework.
Without the functionality required to support the framework in your OS design, the sample plug-ins will not be able to connect to the device.
For more information about .NET Compact Framework support, see Requirements for .NET Compact Framework Support.
The following table lists these plug-ins and the required functionality that must be included in the OS design in order for these plug-ins to function.
| Sample Plug-in | Required Catalog item | Associated Sysgen variable |
|---|---|---|
SimplePlugin |
None |
None |
MenuEnhancements |
None |
None |
ClipboardSync |
Minimal Window Manager Configuration String Safe Utility Functions |
SYSGEN_MINWMGR SYSGEN_STRSAFE |
SimplePluginManaged |
In Windows Embedded CE 6.0: .NET Compact Framework 2.0 In Windows CE 5.0: .NET Compact Framework 1.0 |
In Windows Embedded CE 6.0: SYSGEN_DOTNETV2 In Windows CE 5.0: SYSGEN_DOTNET |
SimplePluginManaged2 |
In Windows Embedded CE 6.0: .NET Compact Framework 2.0 In Windows CE 5.0: .NET Compact Framework 1.0 |
In Windows Embedded CE 6.0: SYSGEN_DOTNETV2 In Windows CE 5.0: SYSGEN_DOTNET |