Robert Rolf <PICLIST@mitvma.mit.edu> wrote:

> What I object to is the silliness of having to load a different
> driver for nearly every USB device. I have 4 different web cams on
> my security box. I had to load 4 DIFFERENT drivers to get them to
> work.  Why did the USB spec not just define a 'standard' protocol
> for cameras, like the ATA spec for hard drives?

    There IS a video class-driver spec; it's downloadable from:

        http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs

> It is this lack of common drivers that I am bitching about. But
> that's the "USB way" so I'll shut up now.

    There's no lack of common drivers; if you look at the web page I
    referenced above, you'll see Human-Interface Device, Mass
    Storage, Video, Still Image, Audio, Smart Card, Communications,
    Printers, etc.

    The "USB way" is to use those drivers; manufacturers who choose
    to use their own non-standard drivers are, I think,
    short-sighted.

> If [MP3 players] looked like a storage device, then they would
> work without any 'extra' drivers, wouldn't they? But they don't.

    Sure they do.

> The fact remains that USB MP3 players require unique drivers for
> EACH device, rather than using a common 'storage class' driver.

    Most MP3 players (and many cameras, and all compact-flash
    cards) DO look like mass-storage devices, so they DO interface
    without additional drivers to any modern Mac, PC, or Linux
    machine.

> This is just plain stupid, RIAA notwithstanding. The 'custom'
> device driver does nothing to improve the customer experience, and
> -this- customer has been really turned off by the experience.

    The RIAA isn't the reason for custom drivers.  Some player
    manufacturers don't want to implement complex flash
    file-management protocols within their players; instead, they do
    all the difficult work with a custom driver on the PC side.
    Others include custom drivers so their players can be used with
    Windows 98, which doesn't include its own mass-storage class
    driver.

    No one WANTS to write a custom USB driver; everyone prefers to
    talk to a standard class driver if one's available.  I don't
    know why all your MP3 players wanted to load custom drivers, but
    if you're using an OS newer than Win98, you should easily be
    able to find a player that works with the built-in mass-storage
    driver.

    -Andy

=== Andrew Warren -- aiw@cypress.com
=== Principal Design Engineer
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
===
=== Opinions expressed above do not
=== necessarily represent those of
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
[PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads