Building a Simple USB Driver
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Set up and load a driver that logs output to the Console app. |
| App architecture | A C++, C/Objective-C header sample centered on SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver, with direct use of IOKit. |
| Main patterns | No named application pattern supported by the extracted structure |
| Project style | 3 scanned source file(s) across C++, C/Objective-C header, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
| Execution model | No structured execution marker indexed; callback threading requires source review. |
| State/event model | No structured observation or publisher-scheduling marker indexed. |
| Key frameworks/packages | AssertMacros.h, IOKit, os; these are source dependencies, not architecture labels. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
├── SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/
│ ├── SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h
│ ├── SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.cpp
│ ├── debug.h
│ └── Info.plist
├── Configuration/
│ └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.xcodeproj/
├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
└── project.pbxproj
Structure observations
- Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
- Primary languages: C++, C/Objective-C header.
- The verified tree contains 4 project/configuration file(s) and 1 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver"]
N2["IOKit APIs"]
N1 --> N2
Reference code
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:34 — architecture anchor
#ifndef _SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver_h_
class SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver: public IOService
{
OSDeclareDefaultStructors(SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver)
// ...
};
#endifInterpretation
The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into Kernel.
Ownership and state
classDiagram
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver --> KernelAPIs : uses
Ownership evidence
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.cpp:15 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
OSDefineMetaClassAndStructors(SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver, IOService);| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver |
Kernel APIs | Uses framework types; no stored lifecycle relationship was detected in the architecture anchor. | The declaring implementation controls calls. |
Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.
Concurrency, scheduling, and thread safety
Evidence limit: actor isolation, async/await, or Task creation does not by itself prove background-thread execution; Sendable conformance alone does not prove thread-safe mutation.
No source-visible execution, scheduling, or synchronization boundary was found in the indexed source.
@MainActor/MainActor.run, DispatchQueue.main, and RunLoop.main are reported as distinct isolation, queue, and event-loop mechanisms. A plain Task is kept separate from Task.detached; neither is labeled as a background thread.
State propagation, frameworks, and dependencies
Evidence limit: an import proves a source-level compilation dependency at the cited line; it does not prove runtime use, architectural adoption, or whether a Swift package is a direct application dependency.
| Category | Mechanism or module | Verified role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source import | AssertMacros.h |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/debug.h:92 |
| Source import | IOKit |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:31 |
| Source import | os |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/debug.h:13 |
receive(on:) describes downstream delivery scheduling, while subscribe(on:) describes upstream subscription/request/cancel scheduling. An import Combine alone establishes neither behavior nor a Store, reducer, Redux, or other application architecture.
Class and protocol design
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:34 — representative type boundary
#ifndef _SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver_h_
class SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver: public IOService
{
OSDeclareDefaultStructors(SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver)
// ...
};
#endif| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver |
Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle | IOService |
No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.
Access control
| Symbol | Access | Verified effect | Likely rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver (SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:34) |
header-visible |
The declaration is exposed to translation units that import the header. | Inference: declare a contract needed by other Objective-C/C translation units. |
debugMasks_t (SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/debug.h:16) |
language/file boundary |
Visibility follows header/implementation and language linkage rules. | Inference: the language’s file or module boundary is sufficient for this sample collaboration. |
Reference code
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:34 — representative boundary
#ifndef _SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver_h_
class SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver: public IOService
{
// ...
};
#endifSwift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.
Logic ownership and placement
| Logic | Owning type or file | Placement rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Feature and framework orchestration | SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver |
The sample keeps the demonstrated path in its primary concrete type. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| No named application pattern | SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h:34 |
The verified source directly composes concrete framework types; this document avoids forcing a pattern name. |
Naming conventions
- Types: feature-specific names rather than reusable layer suffixes.
- Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
- Methods: no representative method name extracted from the architectural files.
- Files:
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h.
Architecture takeaways
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriveris the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches IOKit through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
- Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
- Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
- The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.
Source map
| Source file | Relevant symbols |
|---|---|
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.h |
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver, IOKit |
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver.cpp |
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver, Feature implementation |
SimpleUSBInterfaceDriver/debug.h |
debug, AssertMacros.h, os, Feature implementation |