Microsoft Announces Windows IoT Support for Arduino and DragonBoard

Microsoft released Windows 10 back in July of this year with the aim of being able to use it on everything, including PCs, mobile devices, and, most notably, on SBCs (Single Board Computers) and dev boards.

Microsoft has been making efforts to get their latest OS into the Maker scene through SBC integration — the latest Raspberry Pi, the Pi2, runs it natively, and Windows 10 has since migrated over to other popular boards including Arduino, MinnowBoard Max, and more recently Arrow Electronics’ DragonBoard 410c.

Microsoft has just updated Windows IoT Core (AKA Windows 10) to include support for the DragonBoard at the company’s WinHEC conference held in Shenzhen, China. So what does that support entail beyond the fact that the board can now run Windows 10?

Well most notably, it brings support for onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as for ushering in DirectX graphics, which can be exploited by the DragonBoard’s Adreno 306 GPU.

Will this enable users to play high-resolution games such as Battlefield 4 or EA’s upcoming Star Wars Battlefront? Nope, but you should be able to play AAA titles commonly found on mobile devices, which is still a good deal considering you also get HD media playback as well.

Microsoft also announced their continued partnership with Arduino and unveiled two new technologies that are designed to connect physical Arduino-based dev boards to the Windows IoT Core realm. The first is designated as Windows Virtual Shields, which essentially allows Windows 10-based devices to act as a shield (i.e. an add-on board) to the Arduino platform.

The second is designated as Windows Remote Arduino, which turns Windows 10 mobile devices into a remote control unit for Arduino boards. To put it simply, users can run the Arduino board’s basic functions without having to write any code for it to function, since it does everything through a Windows app.

Those looking to get their hands on Windows IoT Core for the DragonBoard 410c can do so through the Windows Insider page on Microsoft’s website, while the Arduino support tech can be accessed through their dev site.