Introducing the .NET Micro Framework Platform SDK

Develop firmware with the .NET Micro Framework SDK for devices too constrained to run other embedded systems.

The .NET Micro Framework is a powerful and flexible platform for rapidly creating embedded device firmware with Microsoft Visual Studio®. It gives you the means to develop firmware for devices that are too constrained to run Microsoft Windows® CE and the .NET Compact Framework. With the .NET Micro Framework, you can use Visual Studio to write, test, and debug software on your hardware just as you would when developing software for the .NET Framework or the .NET Compact Framework. For more details on the uses and benefits of the .NET Micro Framework, see What is the .NET Micro Framework?

The architecture of the .NET Micro Framework provides you with the tools necessary to develop your firmware as managed C# applications. It does this by making use of specialized versions of the .NET common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework class library. For details, see .NET Micro Framework Architecture and .NET Micro Framework Programming Model.