USB Host Driver

Greetings,

We are currently developing a specialized USB host controller mini-port
driver that is not UHCI, OHCI, or EHCI compliant for Windows 2K, 2003 server,
and Windows XP. The current DDK does not provide any information concerning
the interface between the Windows host controller driver (e.g., usbport.sys
under WinXP) and the minicontroller drivers (e.g., usbuhci.sys).

The design of our hardware requires that we interface to the USB host
controller stack at the USB mini-port level, so we need information about how
to create a USB mini-port driver for these different operating systems. We've
had discussions with other developers who have done this and they've told us
we need to contact Microsoft directly to obtain this information.

Could anyone please advise us how we go about obtaining this information?

Thanks,
Keith

Don
Mon Jan 10 13:53:13 CST 2005

This is going to be very challenging, if at all possible reconsider your
design so that you have a standard interface. If you need extra
functionality can you put it in a second device and have a filter that
routes special requests to this device?

If you insist on going ahead, you need to see if your firm has a Microsoft
Hardware Evangelist. If you do, you need to convince that individual on why
you need to do something our of the norm. If you can convice them, the
evangelist can see if there is a chance to license the USB code with rights
to redistribute. Be aware you will have to continually license the code,
and track Microsofts changes, this will be a significant cost per year for
your firm.

I've been contacted about this type of thing over the years, and know other
consultants who have been asked similar questions. I don't know of anyone
who has convinced Microsoft of the need for this. So seriously, look at
your design, and be sure that a custom interface can be justified.


--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Remove StopSpam from the email to reply

"WWCurrier" <WWCurrier@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:81CAE06D-6D55-4320-9AAD-F903F983B383@microsoft.com...
> Greetings,
>
> We are currently developing a specialized USB host controller mini-port
> driver that is not UHCI, OHCI, or EHCI compliant for Windows 2K, 2003
server,
> and Windows XP. The current DDK does not provide any information
concerning
> the interface between the Windows host controller driver (e.g.,
usbport.sys
> under WinXP) and the minicontroller drivers (e.g., usbuhci.sys).
>
> The design of our hardware requires that we interface to the USB host
> controller stack at the USB mini-port level, so we need information about
how
> to create a USB mini-port driver for these different operating systems.
We've
> had discussions with other developers who have done this and they've told
us
> we need to contact Microsoft directly to obtain this information.
>
> Could anyone please advise us how we go about obtaining this information?
>
> Thanks,
> Keith
>
>

KSBurgoyne
Mon Jan 10 16:07:10 CST 2005

Hi Don --

Thanks. I'll forward your recommendations. For this particular inquiry,
I'm just the middleman who's responsible for our MSDN subscription. <g>

BTW... this is "WWCurrier". My last posting pointed out to me that the
display name for the account was out of date.

Thanks for your help,
Keith



"Don Burn" wrote:

> This is going to be very challenging, if at all possible reconsider your
> design so that you have a standard interface. If you need extra
> functionality can you put it in a second device and have a filter that
> routes special requests to this device?
>
> If you insist on going ahead, you need to see if your firm has a Microsoft
> Hardware Evangelist. If you do, you need to convince that individual on why
> you need to do something our of the norm. If you can convice them, the
> evangelist can see if there is a chance to license the USB code with rights
> to redistribute. Be aware you will have to continually license the code,
> and track Microsofts changes, this will be a significant cost per year for
> your firm.
>
> I've been contacted about this type of thing over the years, and know other
> consultants who have been asked similar questions. I don't know of anyone
> who has convinced Microsoft of the need for this. So seriously, look at
> your design, and be sure that a custom interface can be justified.
>
>
> --
> Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
> Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
> Remove StopSpam from the email to reply
>
> "WWCurrier" <WWCurrier@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:81CAE06D-6D55-4320-9AAD-F903F983B383@microsoft.com...
> > Greetings,
> >
> > We are currently developing a specialized USB host controller mini-port
> > driver that is not UHCI, OHCI, or EHCI compliant for Windows 2K, 2003
> server,
> > and Windows XP. The current DDK does not provide any information
> concerning
> > the interface between the Windows host controller driver (e.g.,
> usbport.sys
> > under WinXP) and the minicontroller drivers (e.g., usbuhci.sys).
> >
> > The design of our hardware requires that we interface to the USB host
> > controller stack at the USB mini-port level, so we need information about
> how
> > to create a USB mini-port driver for these different operating systems.
> We've
> > had discussions with other developers who have done this and they've told
> us
> > we need to contact Microsoft directly to obtain this information.
> >
> > Could anyone please advise us how we go about obtaining this information?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Keith
> >
> >
>
>
>