Through the driver software, the operating system gives its orders to the hardware devices. After all, it controls not only memory, but also all the variety of computer devices. The function of most drivers is to translate electrical signals from high-level programming languages into "languages". High-level languages are native to the operating system and applications. But the equipment is used to dealing with electrical signals. Drivers receive data from the operating system and translate it into bit streams located in special memory areas of drives or in a series of laser pulses when it comes to a printer.
Hardware devices are very different from each other, so each of them requires its own driver- "translator". Most drivers are loaded when there is a need for a device associated with this driver. The driver functions like any other process running in the operating system. In the process of the driver, the operating system will often send him data blocks with a high level of priority. Thus, the hardware device will do its job as quickly as possible in this configuration.
Many users are not happy about the fact that many drivers are not included in the operating system. This approach has its own reasons. The fact is that drivers often make changes. If they were "stitched" in the OS, every driver change would require modification and recompilation of the entire operating system as a whole. In addition, driver development rests primarily with the creators of the hardware, and not with the developers of the operating system. This is very logical, since only those who worked on the device itself can fully know about its features.
The input and output control largely consists of managing queues and buffers, as well as special sections of the data collector. The operating system receives a set of bits from a device (for example, a keyboard or a serial port), holds this data and sends it to the processor in a form that is clear to it. This function takes on special significance in the light of the fact that many processes are running at the same time, requiring precious processor time.
The processor-distributing operating system instructs the buffer to continue receiving data from the input device, but it itself suspends its transmission to the central processor for the time during which the input device remains in standby mode. When an input occurs, the process associated with the device goes into an active state, and the operating system instructs the buffer to transmit data. This approach allows the input device (for example, a keyboard or a modem) to work quickly, even taking into account the fact that the processor does not receive data from this source at any time.
Managing all the hardware resources of a computer is a significant part of the work performed by the operating system. If we are talking about a real-time operating system, it also happens that you need to handle all the available functionality of the system. The rest of the operating systems start working with the device driver only when it is necessary. About what operating systems are, we have already spoken.
Continuing the story of operating systems should ...
Based on computer.howstuffworks.com
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