Warning: CoreCon connectivity for SDK application debugging works only for when the application is developed as a separate instance of Visual Studio 2012 to that used for developing the OS.

CoreCon consists of six modules:

Table 16.1: CoreCon Files

Compact 2013 requires version 3 of these files and they are found on the development system at:

C:\Program Files\ Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Embedded Tools\CoreCon\11.0\Target\WCE800

… Where is Program Files (x86) on an x64 system and just Program Files otherwise. This assumes that Platform Builder was installed on C drive. If not then replace it with the correct drive letter.

These files need to be either be manually copied to the release directory at OS runtime, or included in the OS image.

To establish this connection you need to:

1. Copy the CoreCon files to the release directory (if not included in OS the image):

a. Open the OS build window: Build—>Open Release Directory in Build Window

b. Enter the following at the prompt (Adjust the drive and initial folder for your installation):

copy C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Embedded Tools\CoreCon\11.0\Target\WCE800\x86\*.* .

The method used here is to copy the files manually to the release directory and use the Release Directory File System  to access  the files at runtime. In chapter 24 a subproject is developed that includes the CoreCon files in the OS. There is also the AutoLaunch tools as covered in chapter 25 that can be configured auto start CoreCon..

2. Get the IP address of the device using ipconfig:
Target—>Target Control

s ipconfig /d

3. Run ConmanClient3.exe using one of the following techniques:

i. Use Target—>Target Control
s ConmanClient3.exe

ii. Use Target—>Run Programs and select ConmanClient3.exe

iii. At a command prompt on the device:
> start ConmanClient3.exe

Note: Using start before an application at a command prompt on the device enables the command client to return a prompt so that other applications can be run.

iv. Running it as an OS startup application using AutoLaunch Codeplex project (See that chapter). This doesn’t require step 1.

4. Run CMAccept3.exe on the device as in 4.

5. Connect to the device from the development system within 3 minutes:
Deploy or run the SDK application from Visual Studio as per the next section.

For development purpose, a registry setting would obviate the necessity to run CMAccept3.exe as it removes the security impediment to connectivity:

[HKLM\System]

“CoreConOverrideSecurity”=dword:1

Warning: DO NOT SHIP a device with this setting!

To turn off the connectivity, run Clientshutdown.exe on the device.

If the CoreCon files are to be included in the OS image, a bib file entry for each file is required, for example, in OSDesign.bib and the files copied to the release directory. A CEComponentWiz[1] project could be created to package them as an OS subproject (including the registry setting). This tool is covered in chapter 24. Alternatively you could use the Codeplex project, Autolaunch[2] configured for CoreCon to auto-launches CoreCon at a startup. That tool is covered in chapter 25.

[1] CEComponentWiz.Codeplex.com

[2] Autolaunch.Codeplex.com

NEXT: 16.5 Deploy and test an SDK template application

Click here to provide feedback and input