Device Driver

• software that controls one specific type of device
  
• software must match hardware
• usually for a particular model of some type of device or a class of similar devices
  • e.g., disks compatible with IBM 3380
  • e.g., dumb terminal

• trends:
  • more and more of device driver is in tabular format
  • low--level device drivers can be easily added and removed from the system
  • interfaces to devices are becoming simpler as devices become more autononous (e.g., recent disk devices manage their own sectors, tracks, and cylinders)