Design your Device Driver First!

Abstract

I know that most readers at this point feel the itch at their fingertips to just start hitting the keyboard and implement a device driver. Device drivers, unlike applications, are fairly straightforward units of software so why not get to the point. My answer to this valid question is twofold; it eliminates costly mistakes and saves time. It eliminates mistakes because it forces you to research and understand the hardware. Select the right model for your design. Plan the device driver structure; think through how the device driver will access memory. Think through and plan the device driver interrupt handling. You save time by avoiding ad hoc development and the information you gather for the design helps even if using a third-party tool like the device driver wizard to generate a jumpstart device driver skeleton more efficient. This chapter is designed to highlight the points you should consider when planning and designing your device driver.