BSQUARE WinDK 3.0 Speeds Development of Cross-Platform Windows Device Drivers

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2001

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2001

New Toolkit Supports Plug-and-Play and Power Management

For Microsoft Windows Driver Model

BSQUARE(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR) today announced the immediate availability of WinDK(TM) 3.0, a complete Windows(R) device driver development toolkit that reduces driver development time and increases driver quality and reliability.

WinDK features several productivity tools that streamline the development of kernel-mode drivers for high-performance hardware devices such as data acquisition cards, parallel ports, and communication cards.

WinDK 3.0 supports the Microsoft(R) Window Driver Model (WDM) for drivers that are source-code compatible across all Microsoft Windows operating systems, including the new Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, and Windows 98, as well as Windows NT and Windows NT Embedded operating systems.

"Developers can use WinDK 3.0 to simplify the complexity of porting their existing device drivers from Windows NT to WDM, which opens up the door to every other Windows desktop operating system," said Pauline Lee, Product Manager for BSQUARE Corporation. "Instead of spending time creating new device drivers for every OS, developers can concentrate on adding value to their hardware products."

WinDK 3.0 ships with more than 100,000 lines of fully tested source code, including C++ Classes and C modules that encapsulate large portions of Microsoft's device driver toolkit (DDK). By using a minimum number of calls, these modules make time-consuming operations, such as device creation and resource assignment, much easier and faster to code. WinDK also includes a reference library of over 60 samples of actual drivers for typical hardware chipsets from Altera, Cypress, V3, AMCC, and PLX.

"We typically build custom device drivers for clients on a short-term fixed-price basis, so time-to-market directly impacts our profits," said Timothy A. Johns, President of Driver Development Corporation based in Lynnwood, WA. "We really value the library code included with WinDK because it's very mature and well tested, so it helps increase the quality and reliability of our work. Simple library functions handle normally tedious driver tasks like power management, reducing the complexity of the code we have to write and the amount of time required to create and debug the driver."

WinDK 3.0

BSQUARE WinDK 3.0 has its roots in the Windows NT kernel-mode driver model and provides a set of well-tested and proven Application Program Interfaces (APIs) that have been deployed on a wide range of peripherals, platforms, and devices. By eliminating many of the complex and time-consuming tasks of developing device drivers, WinDK's driver-APIs allow developers to concentrate on hardware functionality, rather than the underlying-OS driver model.

WinDK 3.0 supports a full range of device drivers, including PCI, ISA, PMCIA, USB, IEEE 1394 FireWire, and other local bus cards and devices. WinDK also includes enhanced support for Slave and Busmaster DMA, Plug-and-Play, and power management. Other new features include Windows XP compatibility, WMI support, bus drivers, and WinDK Library support for tough driver implementation issues such as IRP queuing, DMA channel allocations, and resource mapping.

One of the most difficult parts of building a device driver is creating the driver's framework. The WinDK Device Driver Wizard simplifies this step by asking a series of questions about the target hardware and automatically generating an extensive structure, providing a solid starting point for adding the hardware-specific features. The wizard creates both source and build files, and adds hundreds of lines of commented source code to lay down the foundation of the device driver. This single tool can cut development time by weeks, especially for developers who have little experience in creating drivers.

"The wizard helps us start new driver development projects quickly," said Johns. "The wizard always trims at least a few days off the development cycle and reduces errors from cut-and-paste. I believe this time savings is probably much more substantial for people who don't know much about Windows drivers."

Availability and Pricing

WinDK 3.0 is available immediately and includes three months of telephone and electronic technical support. A single license is priced at $750 with source code. A 15-month subscription program is also available for $1145. It includes expert technical support, product upgrades, and participation in BSQUARE's beta program. Developers can download a fully functional 30-day evaluation copy at http://www.bsquare.com/products/devtools/windk. Contact BSQUARE's sales department for any additional pricing and purchasing information at 888/820-4500 or sales@bsquare.com.

About BSQUARE

BSQUARE Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR) is a global leader in providing solutions for smart devices in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and automotive markets. As a leading partner for Microsoft, BSQUARE empowers the creation, connection, and management of Windows Embedded-powered smart devices through software, hardware, and service solutions. BSQUARE has an extensive product portfolio of software development and quality assurance tools, device and device management software and complete end-to-end managed device solutions. BSQUARE provides critical engineering services including device development, quality assurance, and system integration as well as services for managing client devices deployed into the market. For more information, visit BSQUARE at www.BSQUARE.com or call 888/820-4500.