New DOS USB driver package, Open source and very recent External links Options

[Icecube]

I found a free DOS USB driver package, which is open source and which is very recent (July 1, 2009).

DOS USB Drivers (New as of July 1, 2009)

THIS downloads a zip file containing the complete set of DOS USB drivers (542 kB).

The files are current as of June 30, 2009. The programs are all still in a testing phase (alpha/beta), so do not yet include complete documentation. Read the included USBINTRO.DOC file for documentation and information on how to use the programs.

The zip file contains more than 20 different programs, and includes drivers for keyboards, mice, joysticks, printers, and disk drives, as well as several different test and support programs. Unfortunately, the only type of host controller currently supported is UHCI (full-speed controllers made by Intel and Via Technologies). Support for additional host controllers (OHCI, EHCI, WHCI, XHCI) and devices will be added in the future.

THIS downloads a zip file containing the source code for all of the programs in DOS USB driver package above. Most of the programs are written in Assembly Language, but some are written in C++.

This is a DOS USB driver package. There are several programs here that
will allow you to use USB keyboards, mice, joysticks, printers, and disk
drives in DOS. These programs work VERY differently than any of the DOS
USB drivers you have seen before, and will allow you to use USB devices
in ways you probably never even imagined possible until now.

These programs do have some limitations, however. The main limitation
is that the only USB Host Controller protocol included here is UHCI
(Universal Host Controller Interface). This means that these programs
will currently only work with USB host controllers manufactured by Intel
Corporation or Via Technologies, and will only operate a full-speed
(maximum 12 Mbps). One of the included programs (USBHOSTS.COM) will
tell you what kind(s) of USB host controller(s) you have if you don't
already know. In the future, support for other protocols (OHCI) and
faster speeds (EHCI, WHCI, XHCI) will be added, as will support for
other types of devices.

These programs are still under development (alpha/beta), and therefore
do not include complete documentation. The attached USBINTRO.DOC file
contains basic documentation for all of the programs, and you should
read it before attempting to use any of the programs. It explains
everything you should need to know to be able to start using the
programs, including the licensing arrangements.

You can also go to my web site (http://bretjohnson.us) and download the
source code for all of the programs if you want. The source code is not
included here since I know most people will not be interested in it
anyway, and it takes up a lot of space (makes the download take a lot
longer and takes up a lot of room on your hard drive).

If anybody is interested in helping me out with the progression of this
DOS USB project, I will gladly accept volunteers. There are LOTS of
things that still need to be done, including testing, documentation,
program additions and upgrades, etc. You don't necessarily need to be a
programmer to help out, either. In fact, NOT being a programmer or even
a "power user" is a tremendous asset for certain things, especially
writing documentation.


Good luck,

Bret Johnson
Email: see !README file in the zip file
http://bretjohnson.us

Website: http://bretjohnson.us
Forum: http://bretjohnson.us/forum/index.php

The USBINTRO.DOC file for documentation and information on how to use the programs is fairly large (184 pages).

I didn't test it yet, but a new developed DOS USB driver will hopefully work better than the old ones, which are floating around the internet.

[MedEvil]

Cool!
Where is by DOS stuff? :dig-delve-burrow:

[maanu]

thanks for the info ice cube ,

bt i had also seen a similar package yesterday ,

CODE

http://johnson.tmfc.net/dos/

it has many other goodies as well ..

[was_jaclaz]

Very interesting.

Though of course them being limited to UHCI seriously lessen the number of people capable of testing the drivers.

I guess that most of us have EHCI controllers installed (please read USB 2.0)

jaclaz

[Icecube]

It would be nice if the developer of the Plop bootmanager could share his knowledge with this guy. But Plop bootmanager isn't open source, so sharing knowledge doesn't seem to have a high priority (I hope I am wrong).

[was_jaclaz]

It would be nice if the developer of the Plop bootmanager could share his knowledge with this guy. But Plop bootmanager isn't open source, so sharing knowledge doesn't seem to have a high priority (I hope I am wrong).

Sharing knowledge and releasing as Open Source is not necessarily the same thing.

A good (or bad ) example is Winbuilder itself:

• source is closed
• knowledge is spread/open

Personally I find that simply "giving away" the source code with no documentation/comments is much "worse" than illustrating in a more general way the "principles/methods" used.



jaclaz

[MedEvil]

I may be wrong, but can't Intel chips do both EHCI and UHCI?
XP without Servicepacks can only do USB1.1 and used to work on my machine with Intel USB2.0.

[was_jaclaz]

I may be wrong, but can't Intel chips do both EHCI and UHCI?
XP without Servicepacks can only do USB1.1 and used to work on my machine with Intel USB2.0.

I guess you are right:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_controller_interface
http://blogs.gurulabs.com/stuart/archives/2006/06/post.html

If it's Intel or Via, the drivers should work on the EHCI USB2.0 MB controllers as well, though at USB 1.x speed.
But one has to test whether the drivers do recognize the EHCI bus.
I seem to remember that "old", known DOS drivers, like the ones in the link maanu posted were very "picky" about this.



jaclaz

[MedEvil]

I seem to remember that "old", known DOS drivers, like the ones in the link maanu posted were very "picky" about this.

I only use Intel hardware, cause no matter how picky a program is, it always works fine with Intel stuff.

[SHUBHENDU_PAL]

Intel chips support both EHCI and UHCI as jaclaz pointed out. On the site the author also confirms this and suggests a try out. So, go ahead.