All above my paygrade, but here is the low down on WHQL:I need to send an e-mail to one of their actual Engineers regarding hardware support. The MetaTF package that can be installed on Windows and used on Windows has an Akida IP simulator, but I don't believe it will work with the physical hardware.
When I recently ordered the M.2 device and was contacted to choose which Key I wanted (they didn't have it as a selection on the order form), I asked if they had any other documentation I could use since I wanted to work on a Windows driver. I got the following response:
Our platform runs on Linux, ubuntu. It hasn’t been qualified on Windows platforms.
All the information you need to get up and running can be found on our MetaTF site.
I'm not quite sure what they mean by "qualified" (maybe they now have a Windows driver, but it is not Microsoft WHQL certified?) but I understood it couldn't currently be used on Windows. I know that I had originally installed Windows 10 on my shuttle PC when I purchased the PCIe card, and it wouldn't even detect the hardware nor try to install any drivers. After adding a new SSD and installing Ubuntu, I successfully ran their scripts to install the kernel driver and use the tools to detect and test the Akida PCIe card.
Ultimately I want to be able to use the hardware on Windows operating systems, not the simulator that comes with MetaTF.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000093158/graphics.html
There are two types of drivers listed on the Download Center: drivers with and without a WHQL Certification. What are the differences between the two?
Resolution
Drivers labeled as WHQL Certified have been thoroughly tested by Intel, have passed Windows Hardware Lab Kit testing on various platforms and configurations, and are signed by Microsoft as compatible with Windows* operating systems.
Drivers that do not have WHQL Certification are also thoroughly tested by Intel, are of the same functional quality as WHQL Certified drivers, and are signed by Microsoft. The key difference is that Non-WHQL drivers have not completed the full Windows Hardware Lab Kit testing prior to release. This is known as an attest-signed driver.
... but this may only apply to things available from the Intel download centre.
But there is a requirement for the latest Visual C++ redistributable package when using Windows:
https://doc.brainchipinc.com/installation.html
Using Windows, the latest Visual C++ redistributable package is required. Please refer to this link for installation.
available from MS:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170
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