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VXD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv
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Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Summary: This posting contains Frequently Asked Questions (with answers)
for the comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd newsgroup.
This newsgroup is for people writing device drivers (VxDs)
for Microsoft Windows 3.x and Windows 95.
X-Last-Updated: 1996/09/20
Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd:10918 comp.answers:26833 news.answers:106257
Archive-name: windows/programming/vxd
Posting-Frequency: bimonthly
Last-modified: Sep 20, 1996
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
for
comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd
Editor: Stephen Lewin-Berlin (berlin@vireo.com).
This document is copyright (C) 1995-1996 by Stephen Lewin-Berlin.
This document, like most FAQ documents, is a work in progress. If you have
comments, additional questions, or additional answers, please forward them
to
the editor. If you write a good Questions and Answer, it will almost=
certainly
be included.
The FAQ is distributed to the newsgroup every few weeks, but the text is
typically updated every few months. If you are reading this off-line, I
encourage you to check for an updated copy. The most recent copy can be=
found on
many newsgroup archive sites, and at=
ftp://ftp.ultranet.com/pub/berlin/faq.txt.
Note: The FAQ has undergone some major revisions since the last (early July)
posting.
Contributors: Raymond Chen, Lee Fisher, Michael Geary,
Chris Marriott, Raymond Chen, Dan Norton,
Don Matthews, Karen Hazzah, Stephen Lewin-Berlin, and others.
Questions
Help, I need a driver for ...
What are the differences between device drivers for Windows 3.1, Windows=
3.11,
Windows 95, and Windows NT?
What is Windows Driver Model (WDM)?
What is a VxD?
Can I use Windows as a real-time operating system?
How do I access physical memory at (e.g. D000:0000) from a Windows 3.1
application?
What are the differences between embedded, installable, and conventional
device drivers?
I need to write a Windows device driver. Should it be a DLL or a VxD?
How do I call an application from a VxD?
How do I handle interrupts in my VxD?
How do I access physical memory in my VxD?
How do I access memory from my application or DLL in my VxD?
How do I allocate memory from a Win16 application that can be accessed by a
VxD at interrupt time?
How do I share memory between a Win32 application and a VxD?
Give me an overview of Plug and Play
How do I initiate DMA from a VxD?
Do I need a Device ID for my VxD?
Can I write device drivers in C/C++, or must I use assembly language?
Why can't I use MSVC 4.1 to build a VxD?
What commercial products are available to help write device drivers?
How do I find someone to write a driver for me?
What books and magazines are available?
What on-line resources are available?
Are there classes in device driver development available?
Statement of interest
Answers
Help, I need a driver for ...
I'm afraid you've asked on the wrong group. This is a newsgroup for
discussions of device driver programming, not for requesting drivers=
for
particular devices. I'm sure you'll get help if you ask on the correct
newsgroup, which is "comp.os.ms-windows.setup".
What are the differences between device drivers for Windows 3.1, Windows=
3.11,
Windows 95, and Windows NT?
Windows 3.x and Windows 95 share a common device driver model. Windows=
NT
depends an a completely new, and completely incompatible driver model.
Let's discuss Windows 3.x and Windows 95 first, then a brief word about
Windows NT, and finally some discussion about compatibility between NT=
and
Windows 3.x/95.
There are really two kinds of device drivers for Windows 3.x/95. =
Virtual
Device Drivers (VxDs) run as part of the privileged (ring-0) operating
system. VxDs can be thought of as a DLL for the operating system. =
Running
at ring 0, VxDs have complete access to the physical hardware, and can
access data in the address space of any DOS, Windows, or Protected Mode
application. Under Windows 3.x, VxDs are typically given a .386 file
extension, and are loaded when Windows starts. Under Windows 95, VxDs=
are
given the .VXD file extension, and may be loaded at startup time, or
dynamically loaded later.
Windows 95 uses the same basic architecture for VxDs as Windows 3.x. =
Thus,
drivers written for Windows 3.x can be loaded on a Windows 95 system=
and
should generally work fine. However, Windows 95 adds hundreds of new
services for VxDs, and extends the VxD architecture to allow full=
dynamic
loading, pageable code and data, access to the system registry,=
interfaces
to Win32 applications, and many other features. VxDs written for=
Windows
95 cannot be loaded on a Windows 3.x system.
In addition to VxDs, Windows 3.x/95 supports non-privileged (ring-3)
Communication and Printer drivers. These are typically given .DRV file
extensions.
Windows NT uses a new driver architecture, called "Kernel Mode=
Drivers".
Refer to the Windows NT DDK for detailed information. VxDs are not
compatible with Windows NT.
In order to provide compatibility between Windows NT and Windows=
95/3.x,
Microsoft provides "Miniport Drivers" for certain kinds of devices.
Miniports allow driver developers to write a single driver using a pre-
defined interface that is provided on both Windows NT and Windows=
95/3.x.
Microsoft provides Miniport drivers for SCSI, Printer, and Display=
devices.
What is Windows Driver Model (WDM)?
WDM, or Windows Driver Model, was announced with much fanfare at the
Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in March, 1996. WDM is=
a
standard API for device driver development under Windows that will be
supported across Windows 95 and Windows NT platforms. WDM will be based=
on
the Windows NT driver model, with additions to support Plug and Play.
Although the definition has not been released, Microsoft has said that=
a
future release of Windows 95 will support a subset of the Windows NT=
device
driver services and architecture. No dates are provided. However,=
Microsoft
has also declared that WDM will require an upgrade to the operating=
system,
as many key components of the kernel must be modified to support the=
new
device driver architecture.
Microsoft will initially support new busses (such as USB and P1394)=
with
WDM class drivers. Support for sound and input devices is also=
planned
sooner rather than later. No specific commitment has been made=
regarding
other classes of devices.
It appears that VxDs will continue to be required for many classes of
devices for the indefinite future.
What is a VxD?
"VxD" stands for Virtual "something" Device, where 'x' stands for
"something". Microsoft often names drivers according to this=
convention,
thus "VKD" is the Virtual Keyboard Device, and "VPICD" is the Virtual
Programmable Interrupt Device. VxDs are loaded into the protected=
(ring-0)
operating system address space, and have full access to the system
hardware. VxDs can modify page tables directly, install true hardware
interrupt handlers, and generally wreak unrestricted havoc on the=
system.
Of course, just because you *can* doesn't suggest that you *should*.
VxDs can be used to virtualize physical hardware by intercepting
application requests to use the hardware and arbitrating between=
requests
from different applications. In the more extreme case, VxDs can provide=
a
"virtual" device that is not actually present at all, by emulating the
behavior of a hardware device. VxDs, by virtue of their privileged=
access
to the system, can also be used to implement software monitors,=
debuggers,
and to modify the behavior of other software on the system.
VxDs under Windows 95 are also used to implement many other components=
of
the operating system, including the protected mode file system (IOS and
IFS), the Virtual Communication Architecture (VCOMM), plug and play
(Configuration Manager, etc.), and network transport and protocol=
drivers
(NDIS).
Can I use Windows as a real-time operating system?
Can you say semi-real-time? Microsoft Windows is not designed as=
a real
time operating system. In other words, there are no guarantees of real=
time
performance. Let me repeat that. There are NO GUARANTEES for real time
latency under any version of Microsoft Windows. If your application
requires absolutely guaranteed real-time response, otherwise a plane=
will
crash, a nuclear reactor will melt down, or a patient may die, then DO=
NOT
use Windows as a platform. On the other hand, if you can design you
application (hardware/software) to accommodate some delays, you will=
find
that in most cases, Windows can provide excellent average latencies.
For example, experiments run on a 486/66 system with no other programs
running suggest that a VxD can handle over 10,000 interrupts per second
without losing any of them. However, as soon as other software is=
loaded,
interrupts begin to be dropped.
Windows is an open system in the sense that applications and=
drivers can
disable interrupts at will. If one device driver disables interrupts=
for a
long period of time, no interrupt servicing will be performed. While=
new
drivers tend to keep interrupts disabled for very short periods, older
drivers and applications sometimes poll hardware devices and keep
interrupts disabled for unpredictable amounts of time.
Of course, you can write a driver that disables interrupts and polls=
YOUR
hardware. The mouse and keyboard will not respond, and other device=
driver
developers will grumble and curse if your driver happens to running on=
a
system where THEY want to do real-time-like operations. However, this=
may
be an acceptable alternative for in-house projects, or on well=
controlled
systems.
The only real answer is to test your driver with a wide variety of=
software
and hardware installed and gather empirical evidence. If you have the
luxury to control the design of the hardware, build in buffering to
accommodate worst-case latency situations.
How do I access physical memory at (e.g. D000:0000) from a Windows 3.1
application?
This is very easy to do. Here is a sample program that references the=
VGA
display buffer at A000:0000. You can use the same technique, except=
use
_D000h instead of _A000h. KERNEL defines a whole set of these=
selectors
for you covering the A000 through F000 range.
#define STRICT
#include "windows.h"
typedef WORD SELECTOR;
// __A000h is an absolute value; by declaring it as a NEAR variable
// in our data segment we can take its "address" and get the
// 16-bit absolute value.
extern BYTE NEAR CDECL _A000h; // use _A000H for Borland=
compilers
SELECTOR selVGA =3D (SELECTOR)&_A000h;
int PASCAL WinMain (HINSTANCE hinst,
HINSTANCE hinstPrev,
LPSTR lpszCmdLine,
int cmdShow
)
{
WORD FAR * lpVGA =3D MAKELP( selVGA, 0 );
// Should put garbage pixels on top left of screen
lpVGA[0] =3D 0x1234;
lpVGA[1] =3D 0x5678;
return 0;
}
What are the differences between embedded, installable, and conventional=
device
drivers?
All of these terms can be used to describe 16-bit protected-mode DLLs.
> An embedded device driver is a DLL that basically acts as an=
extension
of a particular Windows application. It usually contains an=
interrupt
handler, and it exports any set of services the author might=
choose to
implement.
> An installable device driver must conform to more rigid=
guidelines.
This type of driver can be opened, closed, enabled, disabled, etc.=
by
other applications or DLLs. It contains a DriverProc, which is=
like
the WindowProc in a Windows application. The DriverProc responds=
to a
standard set of messages sent by Windows and to custom messages=
sent
by applications. This is the type of driver that can be installed
using the Control Panel applet.
> A conventional device driver (also sometimes called a "standard"
device driver) interacts with a hardware device supported by the
Windows API. For example, the display, keyboard, and printer are
considered to be "standard" devices. These drivers are sometimes
given a file extension of .DRV, and are usually installable=
drivers.
They work with certain pre-defined data structures and provide=
certain
pre-defined services.
I need to write a Windows device driver. Should it be a DLL or a VxD?
This is the kind of question whose answer really depends on your
application and your objectives. In general, a VxD is more difficult=
to
develop, but yields higher performance when processing interrupts and
accessing I/O ports. A VxD can also do things that aren't otherwise
possible with a DLL.
The first step is to determine what it is that your driver must do. If=
it
must support a hardware device, then which of the following system
resources are required by your hardware?
a.) I/O ports
b.) IRQ lines
c.) Memory ranges
d.) DMA channels
If I/O ports are involved, then be aware that there are performance=
issues
related to accessing I/O ports from ring 3, as you would in a DLL, as
compared to accessing them from ring 0 in a VxD. There is overhead
associated with accessing I/O ports from ring 3, perhaps as much as=
100% or
more (i.e. ring 3 accesses take twice as much time as ring 0 accesses).=
If
the port is trapped by another driver, then the overhead to access the=
port
will be drastically greater.
If IRQ lines are involved, then be aware that there is significantly=
more
interrupt latency associated with an ISR running in ring 3 than in a=
VxD.
Access to physical memory can be accomplished with DPMI services in a=
DLL,
or VMM services in a VxD.
Access to DMA channels should go through VDS (Virtual DMA Services).
If you need to make your hardware appear to be shared by Windows
applications and DOS applications running in separate DOS boxes, then=
you
need to "virtualize" your hardware with a VxD. You also need to
"virtualize" your hardware if you need to mediate access, or resolve
contention for your device.
Note also that VxDs are not supported for Windows NT or OS/2, as those
operating systems use a different form of device driver. DLLs should=
work
correctly across the platforms.
How do I call an application from a VxD?
There are several possibilities, depending on what kind of application=
you
are calling, and whether the driver is running under Windows 3.x or=
Windows
95.
Here is a brief outline of some of the options.
Windows 3.x
Use Nested Execution services to call PostMessage to send a=
message to
a Windows application.
Use Nested Execution services to simulate a call or interrupt into=
a
V86 or Protected Mode context.
Windows 95
Use Nested Execution services to call PostMessage to send a=
message to
a Windows application.
Use Nested Execution services to simulate a call or interrupt into=
a
V86 or Protected Mode context.
Use Shell_Post_Message to post a message to a Windows application.
Use shell services such as Shell_Call_At_Appy_Time or
Shell_Post_Message.
Use Vwin32_QueueUserAPC to initiate a User Asynchronous Procedure
Call.
How do I handle interrupts in my VxD?
Use the services provided by the Virtual PIC Device (VPICD) to install=
an
ISR for your hardware device. This involves creating a data structure=
in
the locked data segment of your VxD of type VPICD_IRQ_Descriptor. In=
it,
you specify the IRQ number and the address of your ISR, among other=
things.
You then register your ISR by calling VPICD_Virtualize_IRQ. This=
returns
an IRQ Handle, which you should save for future reference.
Later, when an interrupt occurs, your ISR will be entered with minimal
latency. The ISR must be in a locked code segment. The IRQ Handle=
that
uniquely identifies this interrupt will be in EAX upon entry. You=
should
call VPICD_Phys_EOI at the end of your ISR. Just before returning from
your ISR, clear the carry flag if you successfully processed the=
interrupt.
If the IRQ is sharable, you can pass the IRQ on to the next handler in=
the
chain by setting the carry flag. Return from the ISR with a RET
instruction, not IRET.
Upon entry to the VID_Hw_Int_Proc (your ISR), interrupts are masked at=
the
PIC for that particular interrupt, and an EOI has already been sent to=
the
PIC for that same interrupt. The call to VPICD_Phys_EOI at the end of=
the
ISR doesn't actually send an EOI to the physical PIC, as the name=
implies,
but rather simply unmasks the interrupt at the PIC. The EOI was=
actually
sent to the PIC before entering VID_Hw_Int_Proc. The name of the
VPICD_Phys_EOI service is misleading.
Check out the useful services provided by VPICD.
How do I access physical memory in my VxD?
You should first convert the physical address to a linear address with=
the
_MapPhysToLinear service. If you need to pass the address to an
application, you can convert the linear address to either a=
protected-mode
address in (selector):(offset) form or a V86-mode address in
(segment):(offset) form with the Map_Lin_To_VM_Addr service.
How do I access memory from my application or DLL in my VxD?
You should convert the protected-mode address to a linear address with=
the
Map_Flat service. Do not depend on the address remaining valid
indefinitely unless you have locked the linear address with the=
GlobalFix
API.
How do I allocate memory from a Win16 application that can be accessed by a=
VxD
at interrupt time?
In order to allocate memory that is safe to access froma VxD at=
interrupt
time, you must perform several steps.
GlobalAlloc() Allocate a block of memory.
GlobalLock() Keep the segment in memory.
GlobalFix() Prevent the segment from moving in linear memory.
GlobalPageLock() Prevent the memory from being swapped to disk.
Then, pass the segment:offset address of the memory block to the VxD.=
The
VxD can use the MapFlat service to translate the memory address to a=
linear
address for use by the ISR.
How do I share memory between a Win32 application and a VxD?
Under Windows 95, VxDs and Win32 applications share the same linear=
address
space. Therefore, you can allocate memory in a VxD and pass the linear
address to a Win32 application directly. The address space of an
application includes both private and shared regions. If a VxD needs to
access memory allocated in a Win32 application, the memory must be in a
shared (global) region, or the VxD must be running in thread context=
from
which the memory was originally allocated. Use the=
Schedule_Thread_Event
service to change contexts if necessary.
If a VxD needs to access application memory at interrupt time, the=
memory
must be page locked. There are no Win32 services for page locking=
memory,
but the VxD may lock the pages. Use the VMM service _LinPageLock,=
setting
the last parameter (flags) to PAGEMAPGLOBAL. The service returns an=
address
for the specified page that may is usable from any memory context. Use
_LinPageUnLock to unlock the memory.
Give me an overview of Plug and Play
If you write a VxD for a device in Win95, you must provide a Device
Information file (.INF) that tells Win95 how to install the VxD and =
how
to configure the device. Information about INF files can be found in=
the
Win95 DDK.
If you're writing a Win95 VxD for a PCI, PCMCIA or PNPISA device, you
should also add Plug and Play support to your VxD. All that means is=
that
your VxD uses Configuration Manager (a VxD) services to find out which
system resources (I/O addr, IRQ, etc.) have been assigned to the=
device,
as opposed to obtaining this info from an INI file or hardcoding it.
To add this required Plug and Play functionality, your VxD must handle=
the
PNP_New_DevNode message sent by the Config Mgr. In response to this
message, you should register yourself as the device driver by calling
CM_RegisterDeviceDriver. When calling this function, you pass the CM a
callback function. The CM will call you back later when your resources=
have
been assigned, passing you a function code. When your callback =
function is
called with the CONFIG_START function code, call the function
CM_GetAllocLogConf to find out which resources have been assigned to=
your
device. This call fills in a CM_CONFIG structure, which has a field for
I/O address, IRQ, etc.
Some types of VxDs, including SCSI MiniPort Drivers, Network Drivers=
and
VCOMM Port Drivers, may need to use a different method of obtaining=
config
info. These types are different because in each case another VxD is=
acting
as Device Loader, and it's the Device Loader that actually interacts=
with
the CM, not the driver VxD. These drivers may need to use configuration
services provided by the Device Loader (IOS, Ndis wrapper or VCOMM)
instead of interacting with the CM directly.
The Configuration Manager will never send your VxD a PNP_New_DevNode
message until the appropriate registry entries are made. The best way=
to
get the registry entries is not by hand, but with an INF file. Win95=
will
prompt you for an INF file the first time it sees your device. For
PCI,PCMCIA and ISAPNP devices, this should automatically happen the=
first
time you physically install the device. For other devices, you may=
have to
run the Add New Hardware wizard from the Device Manager application.=
Win95
will use the INF file you supply to make registry entries. INF files=
are
documented in the Win95 DDK.
How do I initiate DMA from a VxD?
The following information applies to both Windows 3.x and Windows 95,
unless otherwise noted. It assumes some knowledge of DMA operations=
under
DOS, describing only differences under Windows.
A Windows driver for a DMA device can be implemented as a Ring 3 driver=
DLL
or as a VxD. A VxD will offer much better performance, because Ring 3=
DMA
generally results in double buffering.
To set up a DMA transfer in a DLL, program the the system DMA=
controller
registers using normal I/O instructions, setting up the DMA mode,=
count,
address, etc. Use GlobalDosAlloc to allocate the DMA buffer. All other
methods result in a linear address above 2 GB, larger than the 24-bit
controller can address. GlobalDosAlloc returns a segment value and a
selector value. Uses the segment value as you would under DOS to=
calculate
a physical address -- shift left by 4. Program this value into the
controller's base address register, just like under DOS.
So it's easy to do DMA from a DLL. But there's a cost to performance.=
The
VDMAD intercepts all I/O reads and writes to the DMA controller,=
writing
the data to its own virtual registers but not to the actual registers.
When the DLL unmasks the controller, the VDMAD gets ready to start the=
DMA
operation. VDMAD looks at the value written to the base address=
register.
Treating this as a linear address, it determines if the pages are
physically contiguous. Only random chance would make them contiguous,
because a Windows app or DLL cannot specify contiguous when=
allocating. If
they're not (and they won't be), the VDMAD writes into the actual
controller register the physical address of another buffer instead --=
one
allocated as contigous by VDMAD. If transfer is from memory, VDMAD=
copies
data from original buffer to its buffer. VDMAD programs the controller
with the remaining virtual register values, and the transfer begins.=
If
the transfer is to memory, VDMAD copies from its buffer to the=
original
buffer when the transfer is complete. All this is transparent to DOS=
or
Windows application that performed the transfer. But the buffer copy
required to insure DMA buffer physical contiguity may slow down the
transfer considerably.
To do DMA in a VxD, allocate the DMA buffer with PageAllocate, using=
the
PageUseAlign and PageContig flag bits, and pType of PG_VM. Under=
Win3.x,
these flags are valid only during initialization. Under Win95, the=
flags
are valid at any time. Do not program the system DMA controller=
directly,
use VDMAD services. Call VDMAD_Virtualize_Channel once before the=
first
transfer to reserve the channel. For every transfer, call
VDMAD_Lock_DMA_Region to page-lock the buffer and get it's physical
address; VDMAD_Set_Region_Info to program the controller with physical
address; VDMAD_Set_Phys_State to program the controller's mode; and=
last
VDMAD_Phys_Unmask_Channel to unmask the channel. The VDMAD Lock and=
Unlock
services cannot be called in a ISR, schedule an event handler instead=
if
necessary.
Do I need a Device ID for my VxD?
Most developers will not need a device ID. To communicate with a VxD=
from a
Win32 application, use the Device IOCTL call. To obtain the VxD entry=
point
from a 16-bit application running under Windows 95 given the device
name (1-
8 characters) without needing an ID number, do this:
AX =3D 1684h (Get VxD entry point)
BX =3D 0000h (UNDEFINED_DEVICE_ID)
ES:DI -> 8-character space-padded case-sensitive buffer with the=
VxD
name.
Int 2Fh
This will return ES:DI =3D callback address if successful, or 0 on=
error.
For example, if your device is called "MYDEV", you could write
MyDevName db 'MYDEV ' ; 8 characters space-padded case-sensitive
mov ax, 1684h
mov bx, 0
push ds
pop es
mov di, offset MyDevName
int 2fh
mov ax, es
or ax, di
jz error
mov word ptr EntryPoint[0], di
mov word ptr EntryPoint[2], es
If your driver provides services to be called by other VxDs, you may=
want a
unique device ID. Send email to vxdid@microsoft.com and an application=
for
a device ID will be automatically sent to you.
Can I write device drivers in C/C++, or must I use assembly language?
VxDs are 32-bit programs. You may use a 32-bit C/C++ compiler, but you
must be careful about segmentation, calling conventions, and run time
library routines that require initialization. Many of the interfaces
provided by the Virtual Machine Manager have register-based calling
conventions.
Vireo Software sells a toolkit that allows you to use C or C++ to write
VxDs. See below.
Why can't I use MSVC 4.1 to build a VxD?
There is a bug in Microsoft Visual C/C++ version 4.1 that prevents two=
key
macros (VxDjmp and VxDCall) from working correctly. The problem does=
not
appear in MSVC 4.0 or 4.2. Vireo Software has posted a detailed=
description
and workaround on their web site:
http://www.vireo.com/
What commercial products are available to help write device drivers?
Microsoft Developer Network (Microsoft)
Soft-ICE/ (Nu-Mega Technologies)
VtoolsD (Vireo Software)
WinRT (BlueWater Systems)
Microsoft Developer Network
Summary: The Microsoft Developer Network is available in=
several
versions. The basic version consists of a CD containing
product documentation and publications. Options include
subscriptions for quarterly updates, and SDK/DDK packages.
Contact: Microsoft Developer Network
PO Box 10296, Des Moines, IA 50336
(800) 759-5474 or (206) 936-8661
VtoolsD for Windows 3.1
Summary: VtoolsD is a toolkit that allows developers to build=
VxDs
in C or C++ using the Microsoft 32-bit C/C++ compiler.=
VtoolsD
includes a visual-programming VxD code generator, ANSI C=
run-
time libraries, VMM/VxD service libraries, examples, and a=
VxD
Class Library. Compatible with Microsoft and Borland C/C++
compilers.
Contact: Vireo Software
21 Half Moon Hill, Acton, MA 01720
(508) 264-9200
fax: (508) 264-9205
mailto:info@vireo.com
http://www.vireo.com
VtoolsD for Windows 95
Summary: VtoolsD for Windows 95 allows developers to build VxDs
for Windows 95, including registry, plug and play, file=
system
drivers, Win32 application interfaces, and much more.=
VtoolsD
for Windows 95 includes Microsoft's WDEB386 debugger and=
the
Windows 95 debug kernel along with dozens of VxD examples.
Contact: Vireo Software (see above)
Soft-ICE/W
Summary: Soft-ICE/W is a full-screen character-mode debugger=
that
can be used to debug VxDs and applications. Soft-ICE/W can
debug VxDs at the instruction level, or display ASM, C, or=
C++
source code.
Contact: Nu-Mega Technologies, Inc.
PO Box 7780, Nashua, NH 03060
(603) 889-2386
fax: (603) 889-1135
mailto:info@numega.com
Compuserve: !GO NUMEGA
http://www.numega.com
WinRT
Summary: WinRT is a Win32 programmer's toolkit that allows a=
Win32
thread to perform Port I/O, Memory I/O and Interrupt=
without
building a device driver. Available for Windows 95 and
Windows NT.
Contact: BlueWater Systems
PO Box 776, Edmonds, WA 98020
(206) 771-3610
fax: (206) 771-2742
mailto: info@bluewatersystems.com
http://www.bluewatersystems.com
How do I find someone to write a driver for me?
Vireo Software maintains a list of consultants and contract programmers=
who
specialize in device driver software. Follow links from Vireo's home=
page
at http://www.vireo.com/
What books and magazines are available?
Magazines
There are no magazines devoted strictly to device driver=
programming.
The following publications have published articles about device=
driver
technology at one time or another. Someday, I may have time to=
collect
references to specific articles.
Microsoft Systems Journal
Dr. Dobb's Journal
Windows Developer's Journal (Formerly, Windows/Dos Developer's
Journal)
Windows Tech Journal
Books specifically about device drivers:
Title: Systems Programming for Windows 95
Author: Walter Oney
Publisher: Microsoft Press
ISBN: 1-55615-949-8
Price: $39.95
Title: Writing Windows VxDs and Device Drivers
Author: Karen Hazzah
Publisher: R&D Publications
ISBN: 0-13-100181-7
Price: $49.95
Title: Writing Windows Virtual Device Drivers
Author: David Thielen and Bryan Woodruff
Publisher: Addison Wesley
ISBN: 0-201-62706-X (may be replaced by:)
ISBN: 0-201-48921-X
Price: $39.95
Title: Writing Windows Device Drivers
Author: Daniel Norton
Publisher: Addison Wesley
ISBN: 0-201-57795-X
Price: $29.95
Other books useful to device driver developers:
Title: Undocumented DOS (2nd Edition)
Author: Andrew Schulman et al
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
ISBN: 0-201-63287-X
Price: $44.95
Title: DOS Internals
Author: Geoff Chappell
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
ISBN: 0-201-60835-9
Price: $39.95
Title: Unauthorized Windows 95 Resource Kit
Author: Andrew Schulman
Publisher: IDG Books
ISBN: 1-56884-305-4 (with disk)
ISBN: 1-56884-169-8 (no disk)
Price: $39.95
What on-line resources are available?
Internet news groups
news:comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.vxd
news:microsoft.public.win32.programmers.kernel
World Wide Web sites
http://www.vireo.com/
Vireo Software (VtoolsD) home page
http://www.albany.net/~danorton/ddk/
Dan Norton's DDK resource page
http://www.microsoft.com/
Microsoft home page
http://www.ora.com/windows/
O'Reilly Associates home page
http://www.numega.com/
Nu-Mega Technologies (Soft-ICE) home page
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/thirdparty/hardware/
Windows Hardware Technical Information for IHVs and OEMs
http://www.bluewatersys.com/
Blue Water Systems (WinRT) home page
http://www.teleport.com/~usb/
Universal Serial Bus Home Page
http://www.tiac.net/users/waltoney
DDK annotations
Mailing lists
DDK-L ($15.00 fee)
This list is for discussion of Microsoft Windows Driver
Development, including VxDs, printer drivers, and Windows NT=
kernel
mode drivers. To join, send "subscribe DDK-L first_name=
last_name"
in the body of a message to LISTSERV@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM. The
list is free for the first 30 days. After that, the fee is $15
annually. The up-to-the-minute archives are publicly available
without charge at:
http://www.albany.net/~danorton/ddk/ddk-l/index.shtml
VCOMM (Free)
This is for discussion of VCOMM port driver development. To=
join,
send a message to "majordomo@corp.nsc.com" with the text
"subscribe vcomm" in the body of the message. A VCOMM FAQ is=
also
available.
DDK (free)
This list is for discussion of Microsoft Windows Driver
Development, including VxDs, printer drivers, and Windows NT=
kernel
mode drivers. To join, send "SUBSCRIBE DDK" in the body of a
message to Majordomo@cfn.ist.utl.pt.
Internet FTP sites
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Developr/drg/developer-info/devinfo.zip
This file contains a list of developer resources available=
from
Microsoft; it is not driver specific.
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Developr/MSDN/
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Developr/DRG/MSDN-Info/
These directories contain additional information about=
Microsoft
Developer Network.
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/examples/windows/win95.update/schulman.html
=
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com\developr\drg\winsock\ms-extensions\vxdtdi.zip
Documents how to access the TCP/IP stack
Are there classes in device driver development available?
Walter Oney Software
Walter Oney offers training classes in VxD development.
Walter Oney Software
4 Longfellow Place
Boston, MA 02114
800.737.9876
fax: 617 227 5760
mailto:WaltOney@tiac.net
The October 1992 Microsoft Windows NT Device Driver Developer's=
Conference
video/audio tapes are still available. Contact:
MobileTape Co. Inc.
address: 25061 W. Stanford, Suite 70; Valencia, CA 91355, USA
phone (orders): 800.369.5718
phone (info): 805.295.0504
fax: 805.295.8474
ask for the order form for the event:
Microsoft Windows NT Device Driver Developer's Conference
October 26-28, 1992
Anaheim, CA
David Solomon Expert Seminars
5 Partridge Trail
Sherman, CT 06784
http://www.solsem.com
mailto:seminars@solsem.com
800.492.4898
860.355.9029
fax: 860.355.9050
They offer Windows NT kernel mode device driver programming=
seminars,
as well as other topics such as NT internals, advanced Win32
programming, Visual C++ & MFC, and OLE. Instructors include well
known experts Jeff Richter, Richard Hale Shaw, Matt Pietrek, David
Solomon, and Jamie Hanrahan.
Statement of interest
The editor works for Vireo Software, Inc. and is one of the authors of=
the
VtoolsD VxD toolkit mentioned in this document.
-- Steve Lewin-Berlin
Berlin@vireo.com
Vireo Software
"The Device Driver Tools Company"
Stephen Lewin-Berlin mailto:berlin@vireo.com
Vireo Software http://www.vireo.com
"The Device Driver Tools Company"
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