Communicating with peripheral devices (XAML)

[This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation]

Purpose

Your Windows Store app can communicate with a wide range of peripheral devices. Learn how your app can scan content from a scanner, print to a 3D printer, and use device protocol APIs to communicate with USB, HID, Bluetooth GATT, and Bluetooth RFCOMM devices.

In this section

Topic Description

3D printing

Support 3D printing to a 3D printer in your app built for Windows 8.1.

Scanning

Learn here how to scan content from your Windows Store app using C# or C++, by using a flatbed, feeder, or auto-configured scan source.

USB devices

Windows Runtime in Windows 8.1 provides a new namespace: Windows.Devices.Usb. By using the namespace, you can write a Windows Store app that talks to a custom USB device. "Custom" in this context means, a peripheral device for which Microsoft does not provide an in-box class driver.

Bluetooth devices

Windows Runtime in Windows 8.1 provides several new Bluetooth namespaces:

Using these namespaces, developers can write a Windows Store app that talks to Bluetooth devices.

Human Interface Devices (HID)

The Windows.Devices.HumanInterfaceDevice API lets your Windows Runtime app access devices that support the Human Interface Device (HID) protocol.