Device driver

This article is about device drivers for hardware. For other software drivers, see Driver (software).
Operating systems
UserApplicationOperating systemHardware
Common features

In the context of an operating system, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer or automaton.[1] A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about the hardware being used.

A driver communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects. When a calling program invokes a routine in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device (drives it). Once the device sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling program.

Drivers are hardware dependent and operating-system-specific. They usually provide the interrupt handling required for any necessary asynchronous time-dependent hardware interface.[2]

  1. ^ "What is all device driver?". WhatIs.com. TechTarget. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  2. ^ EMC Education Services (2010). Information Storage and Management: Storing, Managing, and Protecting Digital Information. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470618332. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2020-11-10.