[W/K] :: device driver

  device driver
       n : (computer science) a program that determines how a computer
           will communicate with a peripheral device [syn: driver]

  device driver
       
           Software to control a hardware component
          or peripheral device of a computer such as a magnetic
          disk, magnetic tape or printer.
       
          A device driver is responsible for accessing the hardware
          registers of the device and often includes an interrupt
          handler to service interrupts generated by the device.
       
          Device drivers often form part of the lowest level of the
          operating system kernel, with which they are linked when
          the kernel is built.  Some more recent systems have loadable
          device drivers which can be installed from files after the
          operating system is running.
       
          (1994-10-27)