The secret to maximising your productivity is ensuring you have the correct tools for the job. When it comes to bringing up a new kernel for a processor that you have not supported before, an embedded ICE is a must have. Before now Windows CE has lacked a set of high quality tools for kernel bringup. Normally the first step in CE development is the creation of a the Kernel Independent Transport Layer (KITL) so that you can debug your kernel drivers over Ethernet. The problem with this is that you need a large portion of the kernel and Ethernet driver to be working before you can do any debugging. As soon as any problems occur in the kernel, the entire debugging session locks up. We have been lucky as an ARM tools distributer to be able to trial a pre-beta version of the Windows CE 6.0 eXDI2 drivers for the Real View ICE. The driver plugs directly into Visual Studio and provides source level kernel debugging of an embedded platform as if it was a desktop application. It has allowed us to single step through the kernel of our AT91SAM9260 platform before the kernel was up and running. No longer do we need to toggle LED's in a seemingly random sequence of pulses to indicate boot progress! The Windows CE 5.0 eXDI2 plugin for Platform Builder is available for general release by registering on the ARM website. http://www.arm.com/products/DevTools/eXDI2RVI.html The Windows CE 6.0 eXDI2 plugin will be available for general beta testing in the very near future.