Intermec 6100 Reference Guide

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The device drivers and the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the

real power of Windows as an operating environment.  The book, The Mother of

all Windows Books, by Woody Leonhard and Barry Simon (AddisonĆWesley,

1994), does an excellent job of explaining the role of a device driver.

Windows device drivers have a filename extension of DRV.  Like the DOS device

drivers, the Windows drivers are responsible for controlling access to the periphĆ

erals.  But unlike DOS, Windows must have drivers that become intermediaries

for all peripherals.  Windows does not allow the application to access the hardĆ

ware directly; that is the job of the device driver.  By following this approach, the

application does not need to concern itself with details of the display or other peĆ

ripheral; as long as it conforms to the API, it works with any device driver.  WinĆ

dows device drivers are typically provided by the hardware manufacturer.  HowĆ

ever, Windows comes with a small number of generic drivers that are compatible

with the basic features of many brands of peripherals.
In the Windows environment for the PEN*KEY 6000 Series Computer, the reĆ

quired device drivers are provided with the minimal configuration.  These inĆ

clude the Microsoft communications, the keyboard, the system, the sound drivĆ

ers; the Pen Windows mouse driver; and the NORAND display driver.  To the

applications, the display appears as if it was a standard CGA; and the driver

handles the actual placement of pixels on the platform specific screen, as well as

rotation from landscape to portrait modes.