Diving In - Windows 10 IoT Core for Digital Signage - Part 1, Explore

Diving In - Windows 10 IoT Core for Digital Signage - Part 1, Explore

Exploring a new technology stack can be really hard when you are just getting started.  However, it isn't unusual to just need a push in the right direction to start.  Based on customer questions and some common themes I see in the community, I thought I'd write up a short guide for exploring Windows 10 IoT Core, a lightweight purpose built OS for applications that blend the line between traditional embedded and general purpose computing systems.

Why Windows 10 IoT Core?

I've written a lot about Windows 10 IoT Core, Now Micro IoT Player and even made a few videos if you want to get the 30 min version.

• A streamlined, purpose built version of Windows for running UWP apps and easy to cloud enable
• Secure by default and regularly patched
• Available on supportable, commercial grade hardware

Prerequisites:

1. A UWP app you want to run.  Start with a sample if you don't have a universal app.  Or Now Micro Player if you just want to run some HTML5 content.
2. A device-  The Raspberry Pi doesn't have hardware accelerated video, but is a great exploratory device.  If you are building a commercial product, be sure to understand your case, certification, display resolution and cost requirements.
3. Windows 10 IoT Core Dashboard - This makes finding your device's IP and some other tasks easier. The Windows 10 IoT Core Dashboard also will download and image SD cards for your Raspberry Pi.

Things to Explore

1. Remote PowerShell - PowerShell is my favorite way to automate a job away and there are a ton of commands you can run on the system.
2. Windows Device Portal - In place of a local GUI, use Windows Device Portal to manage the device.  The CPU and GPU performance graphs are the best way to figure out if you have enough hardware for the job.
3. Windows 10 IoT Dashboard - If you have a bunch of devices, this is the easiest way to discover them.
4. Azure IoT Central - A SaaS management solution for IoT that is a quick setup.

Part 2 - Commercialization