Develop USB applications with Windows Embedded Handheld 8.1
7/17/2014
Starting with Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld, you can access custom USB devices in your Handheld solutions. In this context, “custom” refers to a peripheral device for which Microsoft does not provide an in-box class driver. This topic provides information on the namespaces and classes you will need, sample applications demonstrating how to use USB, and other information to help you get started.
Important
Although Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld supports USB, Windows Phone does not.
Using USB in Handheld 8.1
WinRT namespaces
The Windows.Devices.Usb defines Windows Runtime classes that a Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld app can use to communicate with a USB device that does not belong to a device class, or for which Microsoft does not provide an in-box driver.
How to develop USB applications
You can use the Windows Runtime APIs, introduced in Windows 8.1, to write Handheld apps that give users access to their peripheral USB device. Such apps can connect to a device based on user-specified criteria, get information about the device, send data to the device and conversely get data streams from the device, and poll the device for interrupt data.
For detailed information on writing apps that communicate with USB devices, please see the following:
Talking to USB devices, start to finish
Important
Note that device metadata and autoplay are not supported in Handheld 8.1; otherwise, the information provided in the links is fully applicable to Handheld solutions.