Microsoft is opening up Windows 10 to more hardware with the first non-preview public release of Windows 10 IoT Core that can be used by the $35 Raspberry Pi 2 and Intel's MinnowBoard Max boards. Microsoft launched a preview version of the "Internet of Things" version of Windows 10 in late April.
The first non-preview version of Windows 10 IoT Core contains a number of improvements compared to the preview version launched in April, including support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connections. Other new features and improvements include:
- Improved support for Python and Node.js, including a new Express Node.js project template
- GPIO performance on the Raspberry Pi 2 has improved by 8X to 10X
- Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and pulse-width modulation (PWM) are now supported via breakout boards and ICs
- New Universal Windows Platform (UWP) APIs give apps easy control over system management features like time zone and network connections
Microsoft adds that this initial version of Windows 10 IoT Core still requires a PC running the 10240 build of Windows 10, along with Visual Studio 15. It adds:
"Windows 10 IoT Core is a new edition for Windows targeted towards small, embedded devices that may or may not have screens. For devices with screens, Windows 10 IoT Core does not have a Windows shell experience; instead you can write a Universal Windows app that is the interface and "personality" for your device. IoT core designed to have a low barrier to entry and make it easy to build professional grade devices. It's designed to work with a variety of open source languages and works well with Visual Studio."
Source: Microsoft
