Microsoft has announced availability of .NET Micro Framework 3.0, which brings several new features and enhancements to to the development platform, including:
Enhanced secure connectivity. .NET Micro Framework 3.0 features new connectivity support, including Wi-Fi integration, Universal Serial Bus support, Web Services for Devices, secure sockets layer and support for a file system compatible with FAT32.
Extended hardware choices. Enhancements include interoperability with native code allowing direct access to hardware, reduction in the minimum footprint to 64K RAM, a more accessible and easier-to-use porting kit, support for the Analog Devices Blackfin processor family, and ARM Thumb and Thumb-2 instruction sets.
Increased productivity. A fully integrated development experience with both Visual Studio 2008 and Visual C# 2008 Express Edition -- along with interoperability -- provides developers with powerful debugging and emulation capabilities and a more flexible migration path for .NET developers and those with existing native code modules.
Additional user interface options. Touch and gesture support enable development of more interactive and capable device applications.
"The .NET Micro Framework continues to marry modern computing models with rich embedded capabilities, offering developers a highly productive approach to making smart devices, such as a home energy management system that manages your appliances based on the current energy rates and your needs, or a glucose meter that uploads your readings to a common place that is accessible to your caregivers," said Microsoft's Colin Miller." With the version 3.0 release, the .NET Micro Framework adds a number of major enhancements, enabling developers to be more versatile and flexible in creating powerful embedded systems."
