How to Get Started with .NET Micro Framework Hardware

The .NET Micro Framework is a free and open source version of the .NET Framework, created by Microsoft, and supported by both Microsoft and the community. The current production version is 4.1 and supports C# development. The latest beta, version 4.2, adds support for Visual Basic as well as several Microsoft-contributed and community-contributed features.

The .NET Micro Framework, Apache 2.0 licensed, is a great open source success story at Microsoft. It's also a great way to either learn programming, or to leverage your current .NET skills to go places you may not have previously considered.

In a nutshell, .NET MF is a CLR and set of libraries that runs on tiny low-cost microcontrollers which have limited resources. Many of these have memory measured in KB, as opposed to GB, and processing speeds well under 100Mhz. Over 1.5 million devices, commercial and hobby, are currently running the .NET Micro Framework. This includes things like vending machines, and the various components we'll talk about in this post.

You code for the .NET MF using either a free or retail version of Visual Studio, and an SDK and drivers provided by the microcontroller or board manufacturer. As each unique microcontroller requires the .NET MF to be ported to it by those vendors, they are the source for all the software you'll need. Since it's open source, you could also port it to any processor of your choice if you have the skill and time.

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