All - I believe - I am not sure - that the primary benefit of
"libft2xxx" is as follows:
(a) It is measurably faster.
That just requires "work" to make it faster.
(b) It works on more platforms, ie: Win7, WinVista, because drivers
exist for those platforms.
This is tough/hard, nobody on this list is a "windows driver developer".
Grrr. Such is life.
(c) Nobody was offering a universal "libusb" - type "INF" files for
windows.
Looks like Freddie Chopin is working on that :-) Perhaps - we could
have a "contrib" folder with a *binary* libusb0.sys file
and associated "INF" files that references *ALL* ftdi based dongles
- (The VID/PID list is in the source file...)
That *INF* file and matching SYS file should be deliverable with
OpenOCD.
(d) There is another choice - "WinUSB"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa476426.aspx
As I understand, it is a a multi-(windoze)-platform solution that
exposes the USB device, functionally in the same manor and style as
"libusb" does, ie: the ablity (1) to rd/wr endpoints, (2) send control
commands.
I believe there is the only open question that needs to be asked and
answered.
The MS-WinUSB driver - did not *ship* with WinXP, but is available as a
"co-install" for WinXP.
As I understand (I have not confirmed, and I do not know all the details
of it), the driver and associated OS-libraries/headers are *PRESENT* on
Vista, and I presume Win7 (with appropriate dev tools installed),
therefore it functionally *SHIPS* with the operating system, and as such
it sould fall under the standard operating system component exception to
the GPL.
This solution is - by design - something that can be added to WinXP (the
co-install solution). I think of it sort of like this: "The old system
only supplied a CDROM (read-only) driver" - later - new systems come
with CD-WRITER (and today, we have CD-RW) - the *new* os does not
require an upgrade, the *old* os has an upgrade path to make the
CD-WRITER (and now CD-RW) work.
I should - as a user of that old system - install the OS update - and be
able to make use of that GPL software.
All is not rosy and perfect, "WinUSB" would require an INF file that
*points* to the driver - much like the work that Freddy is working
towards with a universal libusb inf file
Agree?
-Duane.
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