eBox-II

Project Overview

Figure 1. eBox-II development Kit.

eBox-II Embedded Computer is an embedded system using Vortex86 System-On Chip technology. It has 166MHZ SOC, 128MB RAM, 64MB Disc on Modules (IDE Device), built in Audio, LAN, Video, and also 3 USB ports. The objective of eBox-II development kit is to help developers wanted to develop application using Windows CE.NET and x86 hardware accomplish their tasks.

Our eBox-II project includes:

· Building a Windows CE kernel using Window CE .NET 4.2 Platform Builder,

· Build an XP embedded kernel and

· Network mp3 appliance where we will stream music over the network.

We will explain in detail how all this are done.

Windows CE kernel

Windows CE kernel is built by using Window CE.NET 4.2 Platform Builder. Window CE .Net Platform Builder is a Window CE .Net operating system configuring tool. These are the steps taken to build Windows CE kernel. Once installing the Windows CE Platform Builder in the PC:

- Open Platform Builder

- Click on New Platform

- Click Next on Welcome screen (Step 1)

- On Board Support Packages screen (Step 2) Select ICOP_VORTEX86 (STEP2) then click Next

The board support package used is on the embedded CD-ROM with the eBox.

- On Platform Configuration screen (Step 3) click on custom configuration. On Platform Name call it any name for our purpose we called it (ece4180test). Click Next.

- On Custom Device (Step 4) screen select Custom Device with Shell and Graphical User Interface (GUI) and click Next

- On Applications and Service Development (Step 5) screen select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected C Libraries and Runtimes.

- On Applications- End User (Step 6) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we don’t need any.

- On core OS Services (Step 7) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected full power Management.

- On Communication Services and Networking (Step 8) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected Networking Features ( Network Utilities, Windows Networking API/Redirector (SMB/CIFS) and TCP/IP) and Networking Local Area Network (Wired Local Area Network).

- On File System and Data Store (Step 9) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected Bit-based (File and Database Replication), RAM and ROM file System (File System Internal), Hive-based Registry (Registry Storage) and FAT File System ( Storage Manager).

- On Fonts (Step 10) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected Times New Roman, MSLogo, and Symbol. MSLogo and Symbol should always be included, they are what give you the default MS gui symbols like the “x” in the close window box.

- On International (Step 11) select what ever language you will need and for our purposes we selected Local Services (English (US) National Language Support only).

- On Internet client Services (Step 12) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows CE – Standard components.

- On Multimedia Technologies (Step 13) select what ever components you will need for your Kernel and for our purposes we selected Basic Multimedia and Multimedia components (Audio, windows Media Player, and Windows Media Technologies and we selected all of the components in all 3).

- On Security (Step 14) select what ever features you will need and for our purposes we didn’t select any.

- On Shell and User Interface ( Step 15) select what ever components you need and for our purpose we selected Shell ( Graphical Shell which is Windows Standard Shell), Command Shell ( with all components selected), and User interface ( Mouse and Network User Interface).

- Then click Finish (Step 16)

- Before you can build we need to add “ATAPI PCI/IDE Storage Block Driver” to the project. To do this, on the right hand side of the window, click Device Drivers then Storage Devices then Storage Devices again then you will see “ATAPI PCI/IDE Storage Block Driver” and right click on it and then select add to platform.

- Make sure the Active configuration window says Release

- Now Click Build.

- After 20 minutes you should see:

ECE4180TEST - 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)

At this point you have build Windows CE kernel.

- If you have errors you should start all over again.

- Now copy C:\WINCE420\PUBLIC\ece4180test\RelDir\ICOP_VORTEX86Release\NK.bin file to the bootable Flash Memory stick.

- Now put the bootable Flash Memory Stick into Ebox and turn on EBox. When it gets boot menu select option 1.

- On CE machine

Go start->settings->Network and Dial-up Connections

Right click PCI-RTL81391 and specify an IP address