Windows Embedded Compact

Windows Embedded Compact, also formerly known as Windows CE (Win CE), is a real-time, small foot-print operating system. This OS is ideal for building embedded products targeted for variety of industrial applications. The gamut of built-in tools and technologies accelerates time-to-market and enhanced user-experience for embedded products.

Windows Embedded Compact 7 / 2013

Advantages

Free pre-built images

Toradex provides free pre-built images for Windows Embedded Compact (CE5 to WEC2013)

Free Run-time license

The Run-time license is included in the price of many modules

Flexibility

Due to built-in flexibility and configurability, customers use the Toradex standard Windows Embedded image

Enhanced feature set

Enhanced feature set compared to a standard Windows Embedded Compact platform

Easy configuration

Allows easy configuration of a wide range of OS parameters and driver settings, e.g. display configuration and power management

Free libraries

Workspace files and libraries are freely available

Free tools & utilities

Tools and utilities are provided that allow customers to customize their own image rapidly, leveraging the Toradex adaptations

Extensive documentation

Our developer web site contains hands-on documentation and a transparent development road map

Software updates

Constantly improving OS stability through feedback from our huge customer base in various industries

Move From Windows to Linux

Windows Embedded Compact support from Microsoft is nearing its end-of-life date. For this reason, it isn’t recommended for brand new projects. Toradex continues to release Windows Embedded Compact updates for critical bug fixes. Toradex has a large user base on WinCE and WEC. We know the move to embedded Linux can be challenging, so to simplify this process for developers coming from the Microsoft Ecosystem, Toradex has built Torizon, an easy-to-use industrial Linux platform.

Torizon, built with Windows Developers in Mind!

When our customers began to look for alternatives to WinCE surveyed more than 2000 people about what they like to see from an embedded Operating System. We did an in the deep market study of available solutions such as Android, Windows 10 IoT, Ubuntu Core, and many other Linux Distributions. It became clear that an embedded Linux was the best solution for most applications in our target markets. Reasons included its large ecosystem, customizability, silicon support, and much more. However on the flip side it the steep learning curve and its difficulty to maintain it was a major draw back.

With all this in mind, we created Torizon, an industrial, open-source, and easy to use Linux Platform.

Be Productive in a Familiar Environment

Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code Integration

Torizon integrates seamlessly with the highly productive Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code IDE. You can keep your Windows Development PC, or give Linux a try.

Support for .NET Core

The C# language and the .NET framework are popular with many Windows developers. Leverage your existing know-how to port applications with minimal effort. .NET Core is truly cross-platform, open-source and optimized to run on even small devices.

TorizonCore Builder

Configure your Torizon installation to work with a custom display, carrier board or peripherals with this simple-to-use tool. There’s no need to rebuild Linux kernels. Toradex collaborates with partners offering cameras, modems and other peripherals to make your life easier.

Focus on your Application

With Torizon, the focus is on your application, not the operating system. Torizon stays in the background and makes sure you have a good developer experience, allowing you to focus on the added value.

Tools and Libraries

We offer a gamut of free tools and utilities that can help with embedded development on our modules. A few of these tools are listed below.

GPIOConfig

Provides an interactive interface to the GPIOs on our modules

Toradex Task Manager

Shows CPU and RAM usage, threads running, thread priority and so on.

Colibri Tweak

Free tool which allows you to adjust many system parameters on Colibri modules

UpdateTool

Updates the Windows CE image, bootloader, splash screen and much more

Launcher

Automatically runs any .exe or .lnk file in an AutoRun folder

RTCSync

Synchronizes the system time with the RTC chip

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