Microsoft has just released their first Release Candidate for the .NET Micro Framework SDK 3.0 to the Microsoft Connect Site. It contains many new features, improvements, and bug fixes suggested by the beta community and our own internal testing. These include:

• Support for Visual Studio 2008 SP1
• Support for Visual C# 2008 Express Edition
• File system (including emulator support)
• Significant DPWS improvements
• WiFi support (pending hardware availability)
• Performance optimizations
• New sample code and improved documentation
• Lots of Bugfixes

The .NET Micro Framework is a .NET platform for extremely resource-constrained devices. It includes a small version of the .NET CLR and supports development in C# and debugging (in an emulator or on hardware), both using Microsoft Visual Studio. It also features a subset of the .NET base class libraries (about 70 classes with about 420 methods), a GUI framework loosely based on Windows Presentation Foundation, and additional libraries specific to embedded applications.

The .NET Micro Framework aims to make embedded development easier, faster, and less expensive by giving embedded developers access to the modern technologies and tools used by desktop application developers. Additionally, it allows desktop .NET developers to use their skills in the embedded world, enlarging the pool of qualified embedded developers.

Changes in version 3.0:

• Visual Studio 2008 now supported: .NET Micro Framework V3.0 now runs under Visual Studio 2008. Additionally, .NET Micro Framework V2.5 projects can also be built using VS 2008 and the .NET Micro Framework V3.0.
• DPWS CodeGen tools: The .NET Micro Framework v3.0 now includes a tool, MFSvcUtil.Exe that can be used to generate .NET Micro Framework DPWS client proxies and DPWS Service stubs from WSDL files.
• USB Device support: In addition to allowing debugging over USB, hardware running the .NET Micro Framework 3.0 can now act as USB devices using the Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware.UsbClient namespace.
• Stylus/Touch Panel support: Using touchscreen-enabled hardware, or the new touchscreen emulator, you can create code that reacts when UI elements are pressed, captures “ink” for signatures or jotted notes, or handles gestures for UI navigation. You can access this functionality through Microsoft.SPOT.Touch, Microsoft.SPOT.Ink, and new extensions to the Microsoft.SPOT.Presentation namespaces.
• Secure Sockets support: The .NET Micro Framework v3.0 now supports Secure Sockets Layer (*SSL) networking for secure communications.

A newer version of the .NET Micro Framework SDK has been released. Read this post for more information and download links.