I try to learn programming an ARM-based device. But how can I start? Do I need a compiler for ARMs? Does there exist a freeware-compiler? Is it possible to compile on my i386-Linux-machine for ARMs?
I have in mind playing aroung with OBEX as happened in Palantir. So I want to write a program for the iPAQ (Pocket PC) for connecting to th Empeg via IR.
It could be C or almost any other language, JAVA may be preferred.

Any ideas?

Rolf

I'm assuming it would be the same as writing an app for the Empeg, you would have to install a cross-compiler, like Mark Lord has linked to here. If you were to write your app in C, there is probably a toolkit for PocketPC devices, but with Java it's probably much easier. You would just have to write your app on your PC with your JVM and then get a JVM installed on your PocketPC. It would be very portable.

Initially when I wrote Palantir I looked at writing it in Waba or SuperWaba, but those VM's did not allow me the flexibility I have with C on the Palm. It is much harder to write in Java on the Palm than it is to write in C. I am not sure about the PocketPC, but it has a more powerful processor and I'd imagine the Java support is better.

Here are a few links where you could start on your project:

Tools for developing on the PocketPC: http://www.pocketpcdn.com/tools/index.html
3rd party development tools: http://www.cegadgets.com/cedevtools.htm
How to beam OBEX with the PocketPC: http://www.pocketpcdn.com/articles/obex.html
Database options for the PocketPC: http://www.cegadgets.com/cedatabases.htm
Windows CE Developers FAQ: http://www.cegadgets.com/wincedevfaq.htm

Good Luck!

Wow, what a support!
Thank you. I will test it. To update my JAVA.knowledge, I'd better write in JAVA, so in the next step my mobile can be programmed to communicate with the empeg, too :-)).

Rolf

P.S.: Don't expect a fully functional iPAQantir tomorrow ;-)

Most mobile phones talk OBEX, so if you get that running on your iPAQ, you should be in good shape.

Here is a much simpler way to do OBEX on PocketPC. I'm in the process of making a simple C++ wrapper for these functions (since microsoft doesn't say what dll they are in) then I am going to be p/invoking these simple functions from C# and use that to do the UI. I'll probably use just an MDB accessed by ADO.NET to hold the data.

MSDN Library, Obex Functions

Easy as:
1 ObexConnect(...);
2 ObexSendData(...);
3 ObexDisconnect(...);

Also, I would like to edit Empire to accept different type of OBEX objects, we could simply use obex to control the Empeg just as if the pocketpc/palm were the remote.

Pickle, are you working on a Palantir for CE?

I just started looking into it yesterday, and was planning on writing one possibly in Java. I haven't done much win32 programming before, but I was under the impression that the OBEX functions on the webpage you linked to only worked with CE version 4 and above (CE .NET).

Also, are you aware that Empire will take appx. 5 seconds to recieve an OBEX object? It's not very quick, so I did not consider using it for a remote type function. See some of my previous posts about a solution that could be possible using IR pulse shaping to get the CE device to output the consumer ir signal to emulate the remote.

Mark,

as a quick thought - could you use IrDA Ultra to send OBEX objects for remote control operations to save some time by eliminating the discovery and connection phases?

Just an idea

*laughs* I wasn't aware that there was a "connectionless IrDA" but now that I am, I can't find any documentation on it either with the Linux IrDA stack or OpenObex. I'll keep looking, though. That would be a good way of sending remote signals, though.