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Chapter 15 described how to use USB device controllers designed specifically
for virtual COM-port applications. USB virtual COM-port devices can also use
just about any generic full- or high-speed USB device controller with support-
ing firmware. As with any USB device, the descriptors returned by the device
determine which INF file the PC uses to identify drivers for the device. A USB
virtual COM-port device can use drivers provided by Windows or vendor-spe-
cific drivers.
USB virtual COM-port devices that use the drivers provided by Windows
belong to the USB communication devices class. This chapter introduces the
class and its use in virtual COM-port devices.
The USB communication devices class (CDC) encompasses a variety of
devices, including telephones and “medium-speed” networking devices. The
telephones group includes generic virtual COM port devices as well as analog