Opening Windows 10 on the IoT

The newest platform for the IoT is officially out, and its name means it’s likely to be a juggernaut right out of the gate.

Windows 10 IoT Core is out as of August 10, and is ready for development for the Raspberry Pi 2 and the MinnowBoard Max. Developers can visit the Windows IoT Dev Center online to choose a target board, then provision the board, acquire the tools, and get started making something good. The release requires a development machine running the July 29 release of Windows 10, build 10240 and Visual Studio 2015.

This IoT-specific version of the OS is targeted toward small embedded devices that may or may not have screens. For devices with screens, there is no Windows shell experience, but developers can write a Universal Windows app to be the interface for the device. It includes support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, improved support for Python and Node.js, analog-to-digital converter (ADC)—and pulse-width modulation (PWM) are now supported via breakout boards and ICs and new Universal Windows Platform (UWP) APIs to give apps easy control over system management features like time zone and network connections.

All of the IoT samples are available on Github in addition to documentation and a growing set of libraries and helper tools. The project system and runtime support for Python and Node.js are also available open source on GitHub. Once the early releases start developing into projects, they will be listed on Hackster.io.

Microsoft has been making major investments in IoT technology for the better part of a year, and this release is just the beginning of the company’s push for domination of the platforms and standards space. The others in the industry would be wise to watch their backs.

Platforms and operating systems for the IoT will be a key focus of the content at IoT Evolution Expo, running next week, August 17 to 20 in Las Vegas. Register now.