Get PID/VID of already open device?

[vanweric]

I am developing an application that might have to co-exist with multiple copies of itself.  Each instance needs to be able to enumerate HID devices, but only one instance can connect to a given device at once.  I'm a bit confused on how the file handle permissions should be set.

How do I open a handle such other processes can read its PID/VID, but can not actually _use_ the device?

You can assume that the competing processes are well behaved (or at least both written with this in mind), but that they do not have any side-channel to talk to each other.

Thanks!
 - Eric

[Jan Axelson]

You can get the VID and PID with a handle opened without requesting read or write access.

See my example code on my HID page:

http://www.lvr.com/hidpage.htm#MyExampleCode

Jan

[vanweric]

I took a look through two of the C# examples, but I was unable to find my answer - could you please point me a little closer?

In GenericHID it looks like FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE is set both when you open for getting PID/VID and when you open to actually communicate, but GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE is only set when you actually open to communicate:

Code:

hidHandle = FileIO.CreateFile(myDevicePathName, FileIO.GENERIC_READ | FileIO.GENERIC_WRITE, FileIO.FILE_SHARE_READ | FileIO.FILE_SHARE_WRITE, IntPtr.Zero, FileIO.OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0);
hidHandle = FileIO.CreateFile(devicePathName[memberIndex], 0,  FileIO.FILE_SHARE_READ | FileIO.FILE_SHARE_WRITE, IntPtr.Zero, FileIO.OPEN_EXISTING, 0, 0);

Wouldn't this allow another process to do a full open?

Thank you
 - Eric

[Jan Axelson]

Try it without FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE.

Jan

[vanweric]

That does it!  Thanks Jan!

For the record, my call to check PID/VID etc is opened with

Code:

write_handle = CreateFileA(DevicePath,0,0,NULL,
OPEN_EXISTING,0,NULL);

and my call to start communication is

Code:

write_handle = CreateFileA(DevicePath,GENERIC_WRITE |GENERIC_READ,0,NULL,
OPEN_EXISTING,0,NULL);

[Jan Axelson]

That makes sense. Glad you got it working.

Jan