.NET Micro Framework and the GHI Embedded Master

Recently I've had the opportunity to do some embedded development using the .NET Micro Framework platform. The .NET Micro Framework is a light-weight version of the full .NET framework that can be ported to run on a variety of processors, including the ARM and Blackfin architectures.

Using the .NET Framework, developers can implement their solutions in C#. While developing an embedded program in a managed language may sound foreign to most engineers, the obvious benefits are rapid development and the hands-off convenience of garbage collection.

Several vendors have ported the framework on their hardware, and have added many useful capabilities to those already present in the framework. The processor I've been working with is the Embedded Master by GHI Electronics. So far, I've been very impressed with how easy it is to quickly implement "Hello World" applications to test some of GHI's features, including:

• Serial Communication (I2C, SPI, RS232, One-wire)
• USB Host and Device
• FAT file system
• TCP/IP
• PPP (Point to Point Protocol)
• PWM

Expect several posts soon highlighting some tips and tricks of working with the Embedded Master and the .NET Micro Framework.

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