Plug and Play - Architecture and Driver Support

Properly implemented, Plug and Play provides automatic configuration of PC hardware and devices. For modern versions of Microsoft Windows, the system and its firmware must comply with Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification (ACPI). The driver architecture for Windows supports comprehensive, operating system-controlled Plug and Play.

Plug and Play technologies are defined for IEEE 1394, PCI, PC Card/CardBus, USB, SCSI, ATA, ISA, LPT, and COM.

Each Plug and Play device must be uniquely identified, state the services it provides and resources it requires, identify the driver that supports it, and allow software to configure it.

ISA PnP Vendor IDs: For information about how to request a unique Vendor ID to use with legacy Plug and Play devices, see Plug and Play ID - PNPID Request.