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Knowledge/A Level/H446/01 Computer systems/Systems Software/Device drivers

Device drivers

1.2.1 Systems Software

Practise exam questions

Systems Software — Note 7 of 8

Candidates need to understand what is meant by ‘device drivers’ and why they are needed for communication between hardware and the operating system.

What you need to know

A device driver is software that allows the operating system to communicate with a particular piece of hardware. It translates the general instructions from the OS into the specific commands the device understands.

What to know

  • Each device (and often each model) needs its own driver, written for a specific operating system.
  • Drivers allow new hardware to be added without changing the operating system itself.
  • Drivers are usually supplied by the device manufacturer and may be downloaded and updated automatically.
  • The driver handles the device's interrupts and data transfers, and reports errors to the OS.

Key terms

Device driver

A program that acts as a translator between the operating system and a hardware device, so the OS can control it without knowing exactly how it works.

Exam technique

  • Tip:Explain that drivers are needed because each device works differently; the OS sends standard instructions and the driver converts them for that device.
  • Mistake:Saying a driver is hardware. It is software.

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Practise 1.2.1 questions
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Back to Systems Software

Systems Software

Note 7 of 8

  1. 1The need for, function and purpose of operating systems
  2. 2Memory management: paging, segmentation and virtual memory
  3. 3Interrupts, Interrupt Service Routines (ISR) and their role in the FDE cycle
  4. 4Scheduling: round robin, FCFS, multi-level feedback queues, SJF and SRT
  5. 5Distributed, embedded, multi-tasking, multi-user and real time operating systems
  6. 6BIOS
  7. 7Device drivers
  8. 8Virtual machines: executing intermediate code and running one OS within another
Topic overview