.NET CF App won't work on ARMV4i device

[Michael]

Hi Everyone

I used the guide by Steve and Mike
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnembedded/html/embedded04012003.asp).
to create a simple .NET CF Application for my ARM4i device (connected
through ethernet, not ActiveSync). I followed the guide step by step
and encountered no problems - til launching the application.

Everything worked out fine, VS .NET2003 could deploy the app to the
device, but the App just does not run. It does nothing, there is no
error there is no mouse pointer change, there is absolutely nothing
happening, when the application should start (see log below).
If I try to manually start the deployed application on the device by
double clicking the .exe file, absolutely nothing happens - no error,
nothing.
This is driving me insane.

Has anyone an Idea what the problem could be?
Thanks for any hints
-Michael

P.S. If I deploy the app on the Emulator it works.

LOG below:

------ Build started: Project: SmartDeviceApplication3, Configuration:
Debug Windows CE ------

Preparing resources...
Updating references...
Performing main compilation...

Build complete -- 0 errors, 0 warnings
Building satellite assemblies...
Visual Studio is ready to deploy SmartDeviceApplication3



------ Deploy started: Project: SmartDeviceApplication3,
Configuration: Debug Windows CE ------

Deploying to Windows CE .NET Device using TCP Connect Transport
Connected to Windows CE .NET Device (Windows CE) running on ARMV4T.
Copying files from
'C:\WINCE420\VS2003\SmartDeviceApplication3\SmartDeviceApplication3\bin\Debug'
to '\Program Files\SmartDeviceApplication3'
Copying SmartDeviceApplication3.exe
Files in the package 'netcf.all.wce4.armv4t.cab' are more recent on
the device than on the development computer. Consider upgrading to the
latest version. Files affected are:
Microsoft.windowsce.forms.dll
Microsoft.visualbasic.dll
System.data.dll
System.net.irda.dll
System.xml.dll
System.windows.forms.datagrid.dll
System.windows.forms.dll
System.web.services.dll
System.drawing.dll
System.dll
Mscorlib.dll
Netcfagl1_0.dll
Cgacutil.exe
Mscoree1_0.dll
Mscoree.dll
Copying System_SR_enu.cab
Launching device installation of 'System_SR_enu.cab'. Please check
device screen for further instructions.........



---------------------- Done ----------------------

Build: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped
Deploy: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped


Launching Application
<no more output>

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

1. Make sure the device has enough allocated Program and Storage memory for
your operation.
2. Try manually installing the CF and running the app outside of Studio.

 

[Michael]

Hi Chris

1. Make sure the device has enough allocated Program and Storage memory for
your operation.

Currently I have
Storage Memory Allocated: 4736kB InUse: 196kB
Program Memory Allocated: 8124kB InUse: 3664kB

2. Try manually installing the CF and running the app outside of Studio.

I included CF into the Platform I am using and downloaded the App as
..exe File through Remote File Viewer.
If I double click the .exe nothing happens, no flickering, no mouse
cursor change, nothing.
I even tried strating the .exe through File / Open in an Explorer
window - with the same result.

Could it be that the ARM4t CF runtime that is apparently being used
does not work on ARM4i?

-Michael

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

Manually copy the CF cab to the device and install it. I've had problems
(especially early on) where installing the CF binaries, but not the right
reg settings, caused this exact behavior. Manually installing helped me to
see what I was missing.

 

[Michael]

Manually installing the CAB File for .NET CF did not change the
situation.

A general question concerning binaries built by VS2003 for .NET CF:
When building a smart device app, VS2003 yields an .exe file.
Now as I understand there must be somekind of loader information that
instructs the Windows executable loader to load CF and not the
'acutal' program. Is this loader information processor independent or
am I missing some point?

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

The actual EXE is independent. I've taken binaries and run them on an ARM
device with the CF, an x86 CEPC with the CF and an x86 PC under Server 2003
with the full 1.1 framework.

 

[Michael]

Chris,

Thanks for your help.
I suppose it must be something concerning my ARM platform, since I
made an Emulator build (instead of ARMv4i) of my platform, downloaded
it to the Emulator and there everyting works just fine.
This is most frustrating, since I do not have any clue of what might
be wrong since there is no kind of debug/error information.

For today I have to give up...

-Michael

 

[Stan Adermann [Msft]]

Michael,

I don't know if this will help, but obtain the SP1 for NETCF, and try that.
It contains an ARMV4i instead of an ARMV4t, and may work better.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1f62a2a3-7282-4ba9-
b26b-2267e972501d&languageid=f49e8428-7071-4979-8a67-3cffcb0c2524&displaylan
g=en


Stan Adermann
Developer
Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| From: Michael <[email protected]>
|
| Chris,
|
| Thanks for your help.
| I suppose it must be something concerning my ARM platform, since I
| made an Emulator build (instead of ARMv4i) of my platform, downloaded
| it to the Emulator and there everyting works just fine.
| This is most frustrating, since I do not have any clue of what might
| be wrong since there is no kind of debug/error information.
|
| For today I have to give up...
|
| -Michael
|
|
|
|
| On Tue, 9 Dec 2003 13:42:00 -0500, "Chris Tacke, eMVP"
|
| >The actual EXE is independent. I've taken binaries and run them on an
ARM
| >device with the CF, an x86 CEPC with the CF and an x86 PC under Server
2003
| >with the full 1.1 framework.
|
|