The Kernel Mode Driver Framework (KMDF) also makes drivers more reliable, Microsoft is claiming.
Currently beta testing, WES now comes with
Kernel-Mode Driver Framework (KMDF), according to Weijuan Shi, an Embedded Windows program manager. The framework's library, part of the
Windows Driver Kit (WDK), aims to help developers create drivers that support the Microsoft
Windows Driver Model (WDM). Unlike drivers that use WDM interfaces, however, framework-based drivers do not typically communicate directly with kernel-mode components of the operating system, such as the PnP manager or the I/O manager. Instead, they communicate with the framework, which then uses WDM interfaces to communicate with the operating system.
Notes Shi, "Since more features like Power Management and Plug-and-Play are handled by the framework, a KMDF driver is less complicated and has less code than an equivalent WDM driver." In addition to getting developed more quickly, KMDF-created drivers are more reliable, she adds.
KMDF is one of twelve categories highlighted by Microsoft as part of its WES
bug challenge. Developers who download and experiment with the WES beta -- termed a
Community Technology Preview -- can win a digital photo frame by submitting severe, reproducible bugs to the company by Jul. 3. For more information on the challenge, see our earlier coverage,
here.
The freely downloadable CTP version of WES is fully functional but will time out after 120 days. Planned for final release in the fourth quarter, WES costs $995 for its tools, plus a $90 license for each shipping device based on it. Those who purchase Windows XP Embedded in the interim will receive a free upgrade to WES, the company adds.
For more information on WES, see Microsoft's website,
here. To download the CTP or newly updated information, go
here [login with a Windows Live ID required]. To read Weijuan Shi's posting about KMDF, see the Windows Embedded Standard blog,
here.
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