NComm Framer Drivers

NComm drivers provide the perfect interface needed to properly design WAN framer devices into your product. Written the way drivers are supposed to be written, they provide a clean partition between the device and the application. Well-defined, consistent Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are used that are identical for similar devices. Thus, all T1 driver APIs will be the same, T3, etc. They are written from a developer's perspective, not a chip vendor's perspective.

• Comm standard API
• Function oriented interface
• Feedback for function failures
• Multiple instances of devices
• Handles chattering
• Includes work arounds for device iissues
• No OS required
• Processor independent
• “Thin” driver partitioned to be independent of application

Benefits

• “Thin” driver partitioned to be independent of application
• Checks for configuration integrity
• Increases application portability
• Pre-validated on actual hardware
• Less costly than internal development

NComm Driver Architecture
All NComm drivers follow a three-function architecture. Utilizing these functions, you can control, monitor and manage all activity within the device. These functions include Control, Poll and Call-Back functions. The Control function is used to actually change some attribute of the device such as setting line format, setting spans, etc. The Poll function allows you to ask for status information without affecting the behavior of the device. The Call-Back function is used in situations where the device needs to inform you of some important event that has occurred. All capabilities are truly function oriented, not register oriented. Thus, a single function call may perform the setting or reading of several bits.

Major Features
Following a standardized, consistent API, the driver accommodates all device nuances and reduces them to hardware independent functions. Thus, should you want to move from one framer to another, you just need to replace the driver and the rest of your code stays the same. Being functionally oriented, the driver also assures configuration integrity and provides error feedback in the case of function call failures. NComm drivers implement work arounds for device issues if possible. They handle multiple instances of devices, are non-algorithmic, handles chattering and run in interrupt mode if possible. Special device functions are addressed through #defines.

PMC Drivers Currently Available