Most operating systems require a device driver to integrate hardware components. Hilscher CIFX/COMX components require such device drivers as well. Hilscher offers a series of device drivers for a wide variety of operating systems. All Hilscher drivers have a standard user interface (CIFX-API) and are based on a C toolkit also usable for independent device driver development. The drivers are fully responsible for managing the communication components, including loading firmware and configuration files. The user interface contains all of the functions needed to initialize, parametrize, exchange I/0 data and acquire status information. Depending on the operating system, the user interface is contained in a DLL or library. As far as possible, the drivers support existing bus connections such as ISA, PCI, PCIe and dual-port memory connections. The C toolkit, and therefore the basis of the driver code, is designed in such a way that an unlimited number of communication components can be used simultaneously. However, the specific characteristics of each operating system must be taken into account.