I am wondering how I will be able to integrate my KMDF driver into a Universal App. Currently I have the user download a KMDF driver which is used in my desktop application. If I transition to a universal app, how will I be able to use my drivers? Does "Universal Driver" mean it can run in a "Universal App"? How does the phone or xbox download my driver?
I think this is what I gather from my research:
it more relates to the fact it can run on any Microsoft device (Desktop, phone, tablet, xbox). However those devices must be UWP (Universal Windows Platform) which pretty much means they must have at least Windows 10.
The Universal Driver and Universal App are two separate things. The Universal App can implement the Universal Driver, but it can also implement a KMDF driver (but only in a Windows 10 desktop application). A Universal Driver can be used by WPF application (but only on a Windows 10 desktop).
If I turn my application into a Universal App, and change my drivers to be universal, any platform should be able to use my app.
Is this correct?
Still unsure how something besides a desktop runs a Universal Driver.
As you surmised, Universal Drivers mean that the drivers can run on any device running Windows 10 (PC, Phone, IoT, etc. -- in theory Xbox as well but that's a closed platform). A Universal Windows App can also run on any device running Windows 10, but it can't contain drivers; drivers must come from Windows Update or from a legacy installer like MSI for the desktop.
Whether or not your Universal App can talk to your Universal Driver depends on whether you need to pass Store certification or not; how the driver is exposed (eg, via HID or something else); etc.