OpenHCI

The Open Host Controller Interface (OpenHCI) Specification for the Universal Serial Bus is a register-level description of a Host Controller for the Universal Serial Bus (USB) which in turn is described by the Universal Serial Bus Specification, released by Intel Corp. The purpose of OpenHCI is to accelerate the acceptance of USB in the marketplace by promoting the use of a common industry software/hardware interface. OpenHCI allows multiple Host Controller vendors to design and sell Host Controllers with a common software interface, freeing them from the burden of writing and distributing software drivers. The design goal has been to balance the complexity of the hardware and software so that OpenHCI is more than the simplest possible Host Controller for USB yet not the most complex possible. [Source: Compaq OpenHCI Specifications]