What is a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)?

What does HAL stand for?

A Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) is a logical division of Code that serves as an abstraction layer between a Computer’s physical hardware and its Software. It gives a Device driving force Interface allowing a program to speak with the hardware.

The fundamental purpose of a HAL is to hide distinct hardware architectures from the OS by using imparting a uniForm interface to the device Peripherals.

What Does Hardware Abstraction Layer Mean?

A hardware abstraction layer is covered in many OSs to avoid enhancing the OS Kernel to run this sySTEM on Computer Systems with various hardware architecture. A PC may also include the HAL in the OS kernel or inside the form of tool drivers that offer a consistent interface for applications to have interaction with the hardware peripherals.

The HAL offers the subsequent blessings:

• Allowing Packages to extract as much performance out of the hardware gadgets as feasible
• Enabling the OS to perform no matter the hardware architecture
• Enabling tool drivers to offer direct Access to each hardware tool, which lets in programs to be device-unbiased
• Allowing Software Program applications to talk with the hardware gadgets at a standard level
• Facilitating Portability

Some of the OSs that Characteristic HALs encompass the Mac OS, Linux, DOS, Solaris, BSD, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and IBM’s AS/400.