This is a supplement to the Compact 7 getting started series, to provide information about using Virtual PC as the target device to support Compact 7 development.

Note:

The Compact 7 getting started series, written in simple and easy to follow format, is created to provide technical information to help academic, hobbyist and commercial developers to engage in Windows Embedded Compact development.

The 9 main articles for this series, along with the supplemental articles, were created to provide information showing the steps to develop OS design, build customized OS runtime image and deploy the image to a target device for testing.  In addition, this series also provide information about managed and native code application development for Compact 7 device, using C++, C# and Visual Basic.

For more information about this series, visit the following URL:

    http://embedded101.com/Compact7/  

Virtual PC as a Target Device

When you don’t have access to a real target device, you can setup the Windows Embedded Compact 7 (Compact 7) development environment using a Virtual PC as the target device.

Virtual PC is available freely from Microsoft for the Windows 7 operating system, available for download from the following URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

To support Virtual PC as target device, the following Virtual PC board support package (BSP) is included as part of the Compact 7 Platform Builder and installed to the development workstation when x86 processor support is selected during installation:

·         Virtual PC : x86

A preconfigured virtual machine, CEVM.VMC, and associated virtual hard disk, HD0_SAMPLE.VHD, are included as part of the Virtual PC BSP, in the following folder:

·         C:\WINCE700\PLATFORM\VirtualPC\VM\

Using the Virtual PC BSP and Virtual PC target device, we can work through all of the sample exercises in the Compact 7 getting started application notes.

Bootloader for Virtual PC

Bootloader is one of the important components, needed to support Compact 7 development.  Many target devices require bootloader to launch Compact 7 OS runtime image from the device’s local storage, and download OS runtime image from a Compact 7 development workstation to the target device.

Since Virtual PC emulates target device based on the x86 processor, bootloaders designed to support x86 devices are able to support Virtual PC.

The following two bootloaders, included as part of the Compact 7 Platform Builder development tools to support x86 device, can be used to support Virtual PC:

·         BIOSLoader, provided as part of the CEPC BSP, in the following folder:

C:\WINCE700\PLATFORM\CEPC\SRC\Bootloader\BIOSLoader

·         Compact 7 bootloader, provided as part of the Virtual PC BSP, in the following folder:

C:\WINCE700\PLATFORM\VirtualPC\SRC\Boot\XLDR

Summary

Since Virtual PC emulates PC hardware based on x86 processor.  Most of the software resources and utilities created to support x86 devices are able to support Virtual PC.

Following are application notes relate to using Virtual PC to support Compact 7 development:

·         Compact 7 Getting Started Part-3a: Develop OS Design for Virtual PC

·         Loopback Adapter with Virtual PC as Target Device for Compact 7 Development

·         Configure Virtual PC to Boot Compact 7 using DiskPrep