Customer Reviews
Jan hits the target with this book
I was sceptical. I no longer am. This book shows you how to get started implementing USB in Windows based programs. Visual Basic may be used on the PC side, and Jan shows examples that do just this. While USB design is usually thought to require C/C++ programming, this isn't necessarily true. Of course, actual design and/or performance requirements may dictate that VB not be used, still it may be a viable way to implement specific USB designs. Jan also shows that USB design involves the firmware that is implemented in the USB hardware itself. She covers these details well.
A rare combination: easy to read, complete, and accurate
I teach a USB class, so I've had occasion to review every book on the subject. I've chosen Jan's book for my class text because it is, by a wide margin, the best single book on the Universal Serial Bus I've seen. Jan has the unique talent of talking directly to the user in a very friendly, clear, and easy to read style, while losing absolutely nothing in scope or detail. The chapter on how to coerce Visual Basic into making the Windows API calls necessary to support the USB HID class got me over major hurdles while preparing lecture materials. Instead of the usual kitchen sink approach, Jan zeros in on exactly what you need to know to do the job and covers it completely. And her examples actually work!
If you're looking for a book that spans basic USB principles to advanced topics, all clearly explained, you can't go wrong with this book.
Note to previous reviewer - "he" is a "she"
This isn't the first time I've seen this assumption, but having been on mailing lists with Ms. Axelson, I can tell you Jan is a she, not a he, as the previous overly negative reviewer said. "Complete" comes from the title of a previous book by this author on RS-232. Admittedly, that term is probably over-reaching, but it beats Intel's lousy "DBE" on USB.
