WinXP serial port driver - Serial to IP communication

Hello

I want to develop a serial port driver that is able to pass over all
data to a specific IP address. My questions are:

1. How to add a virtual COM ports to the Device Manager so that they
are available as normal physical ports?
2. Which technology/API to use to access IP (Winsock probably not
possible) layer from kernel mode? Are there any examples in the DDK/
Internet?
3. What is a good starting point for writing a serial port driver for
Win32 (XP)? I know the example from DDK, but it looks rather too
complex to be a simple driver.

Thanks in advance
dominolog

 

Comments inline:

You can create the ports dynamically in your driver, look at the Toaster bus
sample.

Since you are talking XP you need to use TDI.

What you are proposing is not a simple driver. The sample in the DDK/WDK is
the actual serial port driver for the system. You are going to need to
reproduce all the calls into the driver.



--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
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Hello
What do you mean by "reproduce all the calls into the driver"? Do you
mean handling all the ioctls calls?

Also, can you provide me with a good starting point for TDI start?

Thanks

 

Also, can You advice whether do I really need a driver? I want to
emulate serial COM ports and capture all the data that is sent to it
via (WriteFile/ReadFile) into the IP packets to some destination
endpoint.

Thanks

 

Yes all the IOCTL's and read/write etc. For TDI seriously consider the
samples (they cost) from http://www.pcausa.com/. If nothing else, join that
egroup many of the TDI pro's hang out there.


--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
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Hello
What do you mean by "reproduce all the calls into the driver"? Do you
mean handling all the ioctls calls?

Also, can you provide me with a good starting point for TDI start?

Thanks

 

After considering what You wrote I think I would rather try to move
most of the needed code into the user space. This means I'll write a
Serial Driver that simply implements all IOCTLs and forward them to a
user space Win32 service application that handles sockets connection
for forwarding data to remote IP endpoints. Thus I would potentially
reduce the complexity and possible errors of the kernel mode serial
driver. Thus I'll need a mechanism to communicate between user mode
and kernel mode - can You recommend me sth?

Do You consider this as a good approach?

Thanks

 

Yes, this is a doable approach. If you check the web there are multiple
drivers people sell that are serial ports that provide an API to user space
for emulation/connection.

--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
Remove StopSpam to reply

After considering what You wrote I think I would rather try to move
most of the needed code into the user space. This means I'll write a
Serial Driver that simply implements all IOCTLs and forward them to a
user space Win32 service application that handles sockets connection
for forwarding data to remote IP endpoints. Thus I would potentially
reduce the complexity and possible errors of the kernel mode serial
driver. Thus I'll need a mechanism to communicate between user mode
and kernel mode - can You recommend me sth?

Do You consider this as a good approach?

Thanks

 

Thanks.

Can U simply point to some API functions? Or what duo you mean by
"there are multiple
drivers people sell that are serial ports that provide an API to user
space
for emulation/connection. "

Thanks

 

driver. Thus I'll need a mechanism to communicate between user mode

The usual inverted calls - the user mode calls DeviceIoControl, and the request
is pended in the driver till it will be filled with data and completed.

Yes.

 

There are companies that will sell you the emulation driver, depending on
your needs this could be a good approach.


--
Don Burn (MVP, Windows DDK)
Windows 2k/XP/2k3 Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr
Remove StopSpam to reply




Can U simply point to some API functions? Or what duo you mean by
"there are multiple
drivers people sell that are serial ports that provide an API to user
space
for emulation/connection. "

Thanks