Port Drivers

A port driver is a driver for open transportation. The driver communicates with the particular device through the computer bus, or communications subsystem, in which the hardware is connected. Once a device is connected via a port driver it is assigned an address, a process known as enumeration, and allows the computer to discover what type of data transfer the device will need to perform. The advantages of USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is that the data transfer speed is much faster than the computer’s serial port and parallel port, and will automatically configure a device once plugged in to the USB port. Nearly every computer component today is created to connect via a USB port. Although the Firewire port may have its advantages in speed, the USB is universal in virtually all products and provides the plug and play choice function.

Initially, two ports could be found on computers: a serial port and a parallel port. Devices such as a modem attach to the serial port, and a printer would plug into a parallel port. Printers require a bulk of data to be sent at once and therefore require a bulk transfer mode. Zip drives, however require a high speed connection, and can also connect via a parallel port, although not providing the speed rate needed. A USB port driver is the solution. Even the serial port has essentially been replaced by USB port drivers for connections to secondary and accessory devices. The USB controls the transfer rate at which data can be sent between the computer and the attached device. This port driver allows data to travel from the device to the computer, as well as instructions from the computer to the device. This travel rate is much faster than both the parallel port and the serial port. The average serial port has a transfer rate of 150 kbps; the parallel port at a rate of 1.2 mbps. The USB port transfers data at a rate up to 12 mbps, therefore all devices connected via the USB port will operate at a much faster speed. Components such as cameras, webcams, printers, scanners, external hard drives, flash drives, all require a USB port. The USB provides a simple, standardized way to connect over 120 devices to a computer.

Common Problems associated with USB drivers are:

• The driver not being recognized by the operating system

• Malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured hardware

• Malfunctioning or incorrectly-configured, or missing, device driver

• Mismatched Cabling

Troubleshooting USB Drivers

If errors occur with your USB port, first try unplugging the device and then re-plugging it in. You may be prompted for a device driver. Before installing any hardware the necessary driver will need to be installed. Follow the instructions provided with the device trying to connect, or visit the website of the device manufacturer to find the driver needed. Commonly, if a faulty, incorrectly configured device is inserted into a USB port, the computer will not respond. If this occurs, restart the computer and try again. If problem persists, the device is malfunctioning.