Define the Needs of Your Device (Compact 2013)
3/26/2014
With Windows Embedded Compact 2013, you can customize an OS design for your specific device and include only those components that you determine the device needs. Because you decide which features to include in your OS, you can make component choices that reduce memory and other system requirements, increase the security of the device, and improve the end-user experience.
Before you design your OS, carefully consider the features your device must support. If you can clearly define the needs of your device, you can select the template or board support package (BSP) that best fits those needs and that requires the least amount of modification.
Catalog item groupings are collections of catalog items that you can add to your OS design. The catalog item groupings are available from the Catalog Items View window. Each grouping contains relevant catalog items that are specific to the group area. For more information, see Catalog Items View.
View catalog item groupings
In Visual Studio, open your Windows Embedded Compact project.
Go to View > Other Windows > Catalog Items View.
In the Catalog Items View window, expand the folder of your OS design to view its hierarchy.
Expand the Core OS folder to view the hierarchy of all available catalog items.
The available catalog item groupings are listed under the Windows Embedded Compact folder.
The following table lists some basic issues that OS developers typically consider, and indicates where to find relevant catalog item groupings in the Platform Builder Catalog Items View window.
Design consideration |
Platform Builder catalog menus |
|---|---|
What kind of connectivity or communication capability does the device need? |
Communication Services and Networking Device Drivers (Networking, Serial, USB) |
What kind of media support (such as graphics, audio playback, and video camera) does the device need? |
Graphics and Multimedia Technologies Device Drivers (Audio, Camera) |
What type of file system and storage does the device have? |
File Systems and Data Store Device Drivers (SD, Storage Devices, USB) |
What kind of input support (such as keyboard, mouse and touchscreen) does the device need? |
Device Drivers (Input Devices, USB) User Interface (Software Input Panel, Tap Menus, Touch Screen [Stylus]) |
What kind of output support (such as display or printer) does the device need? |
Device Drivers (Display) Printing |
What level of security does the device need? |
Security |
How do you plan to manage the device? |
Device Management |
What kind of third-party applications will the device support? |
Application and Services Development |
How much localization or international support does the device need? |
Fonts International |
For a reference of available catalog items, see Create an OS Design Wizard: Item Selection Pages.