device drivers - general info

[George Locke]

thanks for your reply.

the header for the for the external library does exist as source code,
eg #include "foo.h" where foo.h is C++ source code, but the functions
aren't defined within that file (just prototyped), and afaik they are
not defined anywhere in raw source code format.  If that is good
enough then i have a place to start.

Is that good enough?

thanks,
George

On 10/25/06, Gary R. Van Sickle <g.r.vansickle@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> > From: George Locke
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:48 PM
> > Subject: device drivers - general info
> >
> > Hi group,
> >
> > I am running windows 2k with the most recent Cygwin version
> > 1.5.21-1, just installed it last week.
> >
> > I wish to create a C++ program that communicates with a
> > windows device driver (for a PCI card that interfaces with
> > external electronics).
> > The maker of the driver has provided a C++ library that
> > allows me to write C++ programs that communicate with the PCI
> > card, and i know that this works in regular windows, but i am
> > feeling unsure about whether it will work in Cygwin.
> >
> > Would you say "in general yes, that kind of thing should
> > work"?
>
> If the C++ library is not provided in source-code form, you're pretty much
> out of luck, due to name-mangling differences and other issues.  If they're
> giving you a C++ source library that ultimately communicates with the
> kernel-level driver via normal Win32 filehandles and/or IOCTLs, I would say,
> "if you've followed me so far, in general this kind of thing can be made to
> work, but be prepared to roll up your sleeves, because odds are that the
> code was written for Visual Studio."
>
> >  Is there a general rule for how Cygwin interacts with
> > windows hardware drivers?
>
> The Cygwin DLL is Win32 application-level code, so Cygwin apps don't
> interact any differently with drivers than "normal" Win32 apps.
>
> >  is there a web-page that will
> > explain driver issues within Cygwin (googling the cygwin site
> > has been unfruitful so far)?
> >
>
> I'm sure there is no such animal, since again there's nothing special with
> Cygwin when it comes to drivers.
>
> > If you need more specifics i'll provide them.  I can't simply
> > test this because I don't have the driver, and i won't buy it
> > ($900) unless i feel assured that i will be able to make it
> > work, hence this email.
> >
> >  Regards,
> >
> > George Locke
> >
>
> --
> Gary R. Van Sickle
>
>
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