Windows pointer device data delivery protocol

Updated: September 4, 2013

This section provides information about Windows Pointer Device for Windows operating systems. It provides guidelines for use of the human interface device (HID) protocol for pointer devices to communicate with the Windows host.

This information applies to Windows® 8 and Windows 8.1.

In this topic:

In this section:

Overview

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, a Windows pointer device refers to devices that support pen, or touch, functionality. In the context of a Windows Pointer Device, a pen is a single contact point active stylus input which is also known as tablet-pen that supports hovering. Touch functionality refers to a single finger contact or two or more concurrent finger contacts.

Windows pointer devices are expected to use the HID protocol to communicate with the host. Before you read this topic, you must have a good understanding of the HID protocol. The following documents include information about the protocol:

Links to more information about the HID protocol are included in Additional resources.

Because Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 includes a HID class driver and corresponding HID I2C and HID USB miniport drivers, you do not need to implement one. You only need to report the usages that are described in this topic in the firmware for your pointer device. Windows will use your firmware and its own HID drivers to enable touch and pointer capabilities for your device and furnish the Windows touch and pointer APIs with access to your device.

To report data for any type of integrated stylus, the input must be reported by using a pen CA (Collection Application) collection. Similarly, touch data should be reported by using a touch CA collection. External stylus devices should use the digitizer CA collection. Sample descriptors are included in the Sample Report Descriptors section of this document.

Windows Hardware Certification

As part of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 touch hardware certification, digitizers are required to appear to the Windows operating system as HID devices and follow the rules described in this document.

Glossary

The following terms are used in this section:

 

Term Definition

Human Interface Device (HID)

Human interface device (HID) refers to either the protocol or the device itself. In this topic, HID refers to the device and HID protocol refers to the protocol in definition.

USB

Universal Serial Bus

I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)

I2C is a multi-master serial single-ended bus that is used to attach low-speed peripherals to the motherboard, embedded.

Main Items

Entries in a report descriptor that define data fields.

Local Items

Entries in a report descriptor that describe certain properties of a data field. Local items are only associated with the main items they precede in the report descriptor.

Global Items

Entries in a report descriptor that describe the properties of a data field. Unlike local items, global items remain the same across multiple main items until they are changed.

Usage

The name of a value, button, or collection in a HID report.

Additional resources

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