Architecting and integrating sensor drivers

1. HW-249T Architecting and integrating sensor drivers Gavin Gear Program Manager Microsoft Corporation

2. Agenda • Sensor opportunities and challenges • Sensor features in Windows 8 • Sensor fusion fundamentals • Engineering and building PCs with sensors • Sensor certification and validation You’ll leave with examples of how to • Design PC hardware using the latest sensor technology • Build a Windows 8 compliant sensor system

3. Sensor technology and apps are evolving at a rapid pace.

4. Sensor opportunities • Yesterday’s rocket science is today’s consumer electronics technology • Apps use sensors in new and novel ways • Sensor fusion takes capabilities to the next level • Sensors allow devices to adapt to the user and environment • Sensor part costs are decreasing while capabilities are increasing

5. Challenges: building devices with sensors Connecting sensors, building drivers Quality of sensor data, performance Hardware platform inconsistencies

6. Windows 8 offers comprehensive support for cutting edge sensors.

7. demo Labyrinth Using accelerometer in Windows 8

8. Windows 8 tablet and convertible sensors • Windows 8 tablets/convertibles include the following: • Ambient light sensor • Motion / orientation sensors • 3D Accelerometer • 3D Gyro • 3D Magnetometer • Sensor Fusion

9. Windows 8 sensor platform and features

10. Location and sensor platform • Sensor definitions (define sensor interfaces) • Sensor Device Driver Interface (DDI) • Sensor API • Location API • Sensor service

11. Built-In sensor features • Adaptive brightness • Screen brightness is dynamically controlled based on ambient lighting conditions • Auto screen rotation • Screen automatically rotates when devices changes orientation • Seamlessly integrated with apps • Windows location provider

12. Built-in sensor drivers • HID Sensor Class Driver • Ambient Light • Motion/orientation • Human presence / human proximity • Additional sensors • ACPI Sensor Driver (ambient light)

13. Sensor Fusion The whole is greater than the sum of the parts

14. What is Sensor Fusion? The process of using multiple sensor inputs to enhance or synthesize sensor outputs.

15. demo Steering Wheel Using sensor fusion in Windows 8

16. Sensor fusion inputs and outputs (9-axis) Accelerometer 3D Accelerometer Pass-Through 3D Gyro Gyro 3D Magnetometer Sensor Fusion Compass Inclinometer Device Orientation

17. demo Sensor Fusion Visualizing device orientation and motion

18. Sensor fusion implementation options • Hardware solution • Dedicated sensor processor performs heavy lifting • Leverages in-box driver support (HID sensors) • Turn key solution • Software solution • Requires custom drivers • More work required to swap out individual sensors

19. Sensor architecture and engineering considerations

20. Sensor platform overview Blue = In Windows 8 Green = 3rd Party Sensor APP (Metro) Sensor Service Sensor APP (Win32) Metro Sensor API Sensor API (Win32) UMDF Sensor Class Extension Sensor Driver (3rd Party) Sensor Driver (HID) Sensor Hardware (non-HID) Sensor Hardware (HID)

21. Simple peripheral bus sensors Blue = In Windows 8 Green = 3rd Party UMDF Sensor Class Extension Sensor Driver (3rd Party) KMDF Simple Peripheral Bus API I2C Controller Driver (3rd Party) Sensor Hardware (I2C)

22. Engineering sensor systems • Think of sensors as “systems” • Example: ALS – sensor and optics/enclosure are a system • Sensor Fusion • Placement of components is critical • Engineer with electro-magnetic interference in mind • Collaboration is key • Sensor vendor and PC manufacturer need to co-engineer and validate sensor implementations per Windows guidelines

23. Power management • Sensors are powered down when screen is off • Individual sensors are powered up only when needed, example: • Screen rotation only: • accelerometer only • Motion controlled game: • accelerometer + magnetometer + gyro

24. Sensor certification • Hardware Certification Kit for Windows 8 provides guidelines and tests for sensor implementations • Used to help ensure: • Sensor apps perform consistently across PC platforms • Windows 8 system features work properly • Screen auto-rotation • Adaptive Brightness

25. Recap

26. Windows 8 and sensors • Windows 8 makes it easy to innovate with sensors in apps • Consistent hardware platform • Tools and language support for Metro style apps • Simple yet powerful interfaces for sensors • Windows 8 makes it easier to integrate sensor hardware • Built-in drivers • Simple peripheral bus support • Documentation, samples, device driver interface

27. Related sessions • [HW-774T] Building great Windows 8 systems • [PLAT-781T] Using location and sensors in your app • [PLAT-754T] From touch to gamepads: master player input in your Metro style game • [HW-251T] Introducing low-power buses for Windows 8

28. Further reading and documentation References: • Sensor Devices • Integrating Motion and Orientation Sensors with PC Hardware Running Windows Developer Preview • Windows Hardware Dev Center • Windows Dev Center • Contact info – sensext@microsoft.com

29. thank you Feedback and questions http://forums.dev.windows.com Session feedbackhttp://bldw.in/SessionFeedback

30. © 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.