How to Use the IDE to Create, Customize, and Build a Run-Time Image (Windows CE 5.0)

You can use the Platform Builder integrated development environment (IDE) to create, customize, and build a run-time image that you can download to a target device.

The target device can be the Emulator, or a Windows CE PC-based hardware platform (CEPC), which is an x86-based desktop computer that runs Windows CE–based applications and device drivers.

If your target device is the Emulator, the Emulator does not require additional hardware because it runs on the development workstation.

Hardware and Software Assumptions

  • Your CEPC has a mouse or other input device.

  • Your CEPC has an NE2000-compatible Ethernet card. For information on using a CEPC with a DMA-compatible Ethernet controller, see article Q317432 at this Microsoft Web site.

  • Your CEPC has 32 MB RAM for a typical run-time image built from a Release configuration of your OS design.

  • Your CEPC has 64 MB RAM for a typical run-time image built from a Debug configuration of your OS design.

    Run-time images built from Debug configurations can be larger than those built from Release configurations, and might require more memory in to run.

For more information about how to set up CEPC hardware, see How to Set Up a CEPC.

To track your progress in the following table, select the check box next to each step.

  Step Topic
1. Use the New Platform Wizard to choose a board support package (BSP) and create an OS design. Creating an OS Design
2. Select a Debug or Release configuration as the active configuration for your OS design.

Many tasks depend on the configuration you select. You can define build settings by configuration.

Levels of Debugging Support

Creating a Configuration

3. (Optional) Customize the settings for your OS design by using the Platform Settings dialog box and by setting environment variables.

For example, you might want to enable KITL support in your OS design for debugging purposes.

For information about the settings that you can configure, see Platform Settings.

Modifying OS Design Settings

Setting or Clearing an Environment Variable

Environment Variables

4. Be sure your target device allocates sufficient RAM to your run-time image by checking the final run-time image size estimate, which is visible in the status bar of the IDE.

If you estimate that your final run-time image size will be 32 MB or larger, enable a larger run-time image size.

Enabling a Run-Time Image Size Larger Than 32 MB
5. (Optional) Customize your OS design by adding content.

For example, you might want to add an item from the Catalog to your OS design.

For more information about customizations you can make, see Adding to an OS Design.

For more information about Catalog items you can add to your OS design, see Windows CE Features.

Creating a New Project

Adding an Existing Project to an OS Design

Adding an Item from the Catalog

Adding a Device Driver to an OS Design

Adding a File to a Run-time Image

6. (Optional) Localize your OS design. OS Localization
7. Build your run-time image and related projects.

This adds changes you made to your run-time image since the last build.

For more information, see Build OS Menu Options and Build Project Menu Options.

Building a Run-Time Image

Running a Targeted Build

Building a Selected Project

Building a Project

8. Set up and configure a connection to a target device for downloading your run-time image. Configuring a Connection for Downloading and Debugging
9. Download your run-time image to your target device. Downloading a Run-Time Image
10. Verify that you have downloaded your run-time image to your target device.

If you have successfully downloaded the run-time image, the run-time image boots.

Not applicable

See Also

How-to Topics | How to Connect to a Target Device for Debugging | How to Create an SDK for an OS Design | How to Check the Dependencies of a Catalog Item | Creating a Project | Tutorial: Using Platform Builder with the Emulator | Tutorial: Using Platform Builder with a CEPC | Build Phases | Modifying an OS Design

Last updated on Thursday, February 02, 2006

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