

Much like Android Windows 10 IoT Core is more of a presentation OS that is meant to drive basic physical outputs, display information and handle communications. Is Windows 10 IoT Core real-time like Windows CE? A Windows 10 platform abstraction layer handles syscalls (e.g., virtual memory allocations) from the pico process and delivers them to the Windows 10 host OS for processing. This sees the entire Windows CE environment, both user mode and kernel mode, lifted into the pico process, which runs in the user mode of the underlying Windows 10 IoT OS.

Microsoft has recognised that many developers will be keen to port applications from CE, so has developed a ‘pico’ solution. NET applications, C++ application will run but are limited in the features that can be supported. Can Windows 10 IoT Core run the same applications as CE7 or WEC2013? While the older Windows CE variants are still officially supported by Microsoft (see our detailed article ‘Windows Embedded Compact Migration and End-of-Life Support’), the last version – WEC2013 – dropped mainstream support in 2018 and hits the extended support buffers in 2023. Windows CE (WEC2013 – the last released version) allowed the kernel and drivers to be modified to suit the developer’s target system, while Windows 10 IoT Core is a closed system – both kernel drivers and kernel are closed and require driver signing – but the system can be configured for the target at the user level. However, Windows 10 IoT Core is more of an out of the box experience where Windows CE was more of a toolkit for a system. There are similarities between the two offerings, in that they were both intended for embedded or limited resource systems. Here we take a look at the pros, cons and wider details around Windows 10 IoT Core… Is Windows 10 IoT Core just a newer Windows CE? The latter ensures that major security holes and upgraded feature-sets for new standards are available (Microsoft has committed to a 10-year support window), while low license costs and dedicated commercial developer tools (notably the ability to create test and retail images) are gaining attention. Windows 10 IoT Core is gradually growing in popularity among system designers, not only because of its simplicity, but also due to the combination of low licencing costs and ongoing updates.


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