Device Drivers explained in hardware talk.
What's the relation to a Driver and the devices P.I.C/Processor instruction set.
Is half of a Device Driver a program in the P.I.Cs instruction set or Micro code? If this is true how are these commands converted to system calls? Thanks in advance! :hattip: |
Member response
Hi,
Quote:
Device driver/Module is the layer between the kernel and the device firmware. Now the device firmware is the device's control program or handling of that local hardware by the devices interface hardware. Device firmware can be changed to improve device operations for actions and intercommunication with external handlers; Quote:
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Thanks for the Reply and I appolgise for having two threads that are closely related going.
Does not every Cpu on any type of Device have both an Instruction Set and Firmware/Microcode? If a Driver is the layer between Firmware/Micorcode and the Kernel ,what happened to the Instruction Set?
I thought that P.I.C as in 'Peripheral Interface Controller' was the generic name for a separate device attached to another 'main' cpu/processor and that the other P.I.C was 'Perfectly Independent Computer'.So what is the correct term for the former? |
Member response
Hi,
Quote:
The instruction set for which? The PIC or the main system CPU arch system? Each PIC manufacture has independent instructions set. Look at in this way: The PIC controls the device and operations for that device. Say a printer. The Print driver(module) controls the flow between the kernel and the PIC firmware. The two use different instruction sets. You seem to fail to realize the two systems (independent) have instruction sets for the separate system CPU and one instruction set (much smaller set) for micro-controller on the device. Plus do not confuse the PIC (Programmable Interrupt Controller) with a PIC micro-controller. The former being a hardware device to control hardware interrupts in a system. HTH! |
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