Plug and Play

Plug and play (also written as PnP) is a standard that enables a PnP-compatible computer and a PnP-compatible operating system to work together to automatically configure setting when PnP-compatible hardware is connected to the system.

When you install hardware, this is a way high-level overview of what happens:

1. you connect a piece of hardware to a PnP-compatible system running a PnP-aware operating system.

2. All PnP cards enter configuration mode by enabling PnP code built into the card.

3. One at a time, PnP cards are isolated and a handle is assigned to the card. The handle us
used to identify that card.

4. Resources are allocated to each card that dont conflict with resources allocated to any other
card.

5. All PnP cards are activated and exit configuration mode.