CIFX/netX device driver for Windows CE
 
Most operating systems and real-time extensions require a device driver to integrate hardware components. Hilscher CIFX/COMX components require such device drivers as well.

Hilscher offers a series of device drivers for a wide variety of operating systems and Windows real-time extensions.

All Hilscher drivers have a standard user interface (CIFX-API) and are based on a C toolkit that can also be used for developing independent device drivers.

The drivers are fully responsible for administering the communication components, a task that includes loading firmware and configuration files. The user interface contains all of the functions needed to initialize, parametrize and exchange data, and to sort status information.

Depending on the operating system and real-time expansion, the user interface is housed in a DLL or library, and the drivers support existing bus connections (ISA/PCI/PCIe and dual-port memory connections) wherever possible. The C toolkit, and therefore the basis of the drivers’ code, is designed in such a way that an unlimited number of communication components can be used simultaneously. However, the specific characteristics of each operating system must be taken into account.

The CIFX/netX device driver for Windows CE is a “stream” driver that runs in the kernel of the operating system. It consists of a driver DLL and an API-DLL and can be integrated into a Windows CE image or loaded from a data carrier at the time of operation. The driver interface is compatible with the CIFX API offered in Windows by the CIFX Windows driver. The API-DLL is used to convert the CIFX API functions to corresponding IO control requests from the driver.
The driver supports both direct dual-port memory connections (DPM) and ISA, PCI and PCI/e components, which can be combined arbitrarily.

Facts at a glance:

• Standard application interface
• Standard code basis (C toolkit)
• Not dependent on field bus system
• Number of supported devices limited only by operating system