Networking Hardware Considerations (Windows CE 5.0)
For information about developing device drivers for a specific type of device, see Windows CE Drivers.
Wired
Networked media devices (NMDs) require a 10/100 Mbps 10BaseT/100BaseT (IEEE 802.3/802.3u) network connection.
The following list shows the requirements for the network controller:
- Auto-detection and auto-switching between the 10 Mbps and the 100 Mbps data transfer rates.
- Detection when the network cable is disconnected.
- Support for direct memory access (DMA) transfers to system memory up to the maximum bandwidth allowable by the IEEE 802.3/802.3u specification.
Wireless
Wireless networking support is optional. You may want to implement it for product differentiation. The following table shows the various levels of wireless network support you can implement.
| Wireless network support | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| 802.11a | Implement for an audio and video device. |
| 802.11b | Implement for an audio-only device. |
| 802.11g | Implement for an audio and video device. |
| Bluetooth | Implement to enable users to use wireless peripherals such as a remote control, keyboard, printer, headphones, and so on. |
| Consumer IR | Implement for communication with other devices that use IR for transferring data. |
You should also consider investigating Windows Connect Now, which allows you to automate the configuration of wireless networking hardware and wireless clients. For more information, see this Microsoft Web site.
See Also
Hardware Architecture Diagram for Networked Media Devices | Core OS Services | Developing a Board Support Package | Developing a Device Driver | Developing an OEM Adaptation Layer | CETK Tests
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