<s>
Microsoft	O
.NET	B-Application
Gadgeteer	I-Application
is	O
an	O
open-source	B-Application
rapid-prototyping	O
standard	O
for	O
building	O
small	O
electronic	O
devices	O
using	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
.NET	B-Application
Micro	I-Application
Framework	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	O
Visual	O
Studio/Visual	O
C#	B-Application
Express	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Gadgeteer	O
platform	O
centers	O
around	O
a	O
Gadgeteer	O
mainboard	B-Device
with	O
a	O
microcontroller	O
running	O
the	O
.NET	B-Application
Micro	I-Application
Framework	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gadgeteer	O
sets	O
out	O
rules	O
about	O
how	O
hardware	B-Architecture
devices	O
packaged	O
as	O
add-on	O
modules	O
may	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
mainboard	B-Device
,	O
using	O
solderless	O
push-on	O
connectors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gadgeteer	O
includes	O
a	O
small	O
class	B-Library
library	I-Library
to	O
simplify	O
the	O
implementation	O
details	O
for	O
integrating	O
these	O
add-on	O
modules	O
into	O
a	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
way	O
of	O
assigning	O
the	O
plethora	O
of	O
functions	O
that	O
a	O
microcontroller	O
provides	O
to	O
sockets	O
that	O
have	O
a	O
standardized	O
,	O
small	O
set	O
of	O
interfaces	O
at	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
.NET	B-Application
Gadgeteer	I-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
researchers	O
at	O
Microsoft	O
Research	O
Cambridge	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
Sensors	O
and	O
Devices	O
group	O
created	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
way	O
develop	O
device	O
ideas	O
rapidly	O
and	O
iteratively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
outside	O
interest	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
then	O
released	O
Gadgeteer	O
as	O
an	O
open	B-Application
source	I-Application
software	I-Application
project	O
,	O
describing	O
the	O
project	O
as	O
"	O
an	O
open	O
collaboration	O
between	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
hardware	B-Architecture
manufacturers	O
,	O
and	O
end	O
users	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
core	O
libraries	O
are	O
published	O
under	O
the	O
Apache	B-Application
2.0	I-Application
License	I-Application
,	O
while	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
designs	O
are	O
under	O
the	O
Creative	O
Commons	O
3.0	O
License	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
has	O
stated	O
plans	O
to	O
continue	O
supporting	O
and	O
investing	O
in	O
the	O
.NET	B-Application
Gadgeteer	I-Application
ecosystem	O
,	O
including	O
hosting	O
educational	O
materials	O
and	O
working	O
with	O
companies	O
to	O
create	O
compatible	O
kits	O
and	O
modules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
.NET	B-Application
Gadgeteer	I-Application
projects	O
consist	O
of	O
a	O
mainboard	B-Device
and	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
modules	O
connected	O
via	O
a	O
standard	O
10	O
pin	O
connector	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mainboard	B-Device
sockets	O
can	O
support	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
modules	O
,	O
shown	O
by	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
letters	O
next	O
to	O
the	O
socket	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Connecting	O
modules	O
incorrectly	O
does	O
not	O
harm	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
–	O
providing	O
only	O
one	O
red	O
power	O
module	O
is	O
used	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Gadgeteer	O
library	O
includes	O
a	O
layer	O
of	O
event-driven	O
drivers	O
and	O
code	O
generation	O
,	O
which	O
integrates	O
with	O
Visual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
enables	O
developers	O
to	O
visually	O
create	O
a	O
diagram	O
in	O
Visual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
of	O
which	O
hardware	B-Architecture
modules	O
(	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
a	O
camera	O
module	O
,	O
button	O
module	O
and	O
screen	O
module	O
)	O
are	O
connected	O
to	O
which	O
sockets	O
on	O
the	O
mainboard	B-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
Gadgeteer	O
SDK	O
then	O
auto-generates	O
code	O
creating	O
object	O
instances	O
for	O
all	O
the	O
relevant	O
hardware	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
way	O
the	O
developer	O
can	O
immediately	O
begin	O
writing	O
.NET	O
code	O
targeting	O
the	O
connected	O
hardware	B-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
different	O
modules	O
are	O
currently	O
available	O
for	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
hardware	B-Architecture
vendors	O
,	O
including	O
wireless	O
transmission	O
,	O
environment	O
sensors	O
,	O
actuators	O
and	O
custom	O
community	O
modules	O
resulting	O
in	O
a	O
large	O
ecosystem	O
of	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Any	O
hardware	B-Architecture
manufacturer	O
,	O
builder	O
or	O
hobbyist	O
can	O
create	O
.NET	O
Gadgeteer-compatible	O
hardware	B-Architecture
;	O
currently	O
multiple	O
manufacturers	O
participate	O
.	O
</s>
