摘要:
A system for abstracting the byte ordering of a computer firmware from the operating system by allowing a computer to automatically change endianness under full software control. The byte ordering can be switched completely transparent to the end user during system boot. The system is comprised of hardware and software to run either byte order stand alone software or operating systems on demand.
摘要:
An x86 based computer system that implements an advanced firmware based boot process without a conventional x86 BIOS. The computer system includes an x86 processor coupled to a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory via a bus, wherein the non-volatile memory includes an advanced firmware. The advanced firmware is executed by the processor to implement a boot sequence. During the boot sequence, the computer system initializes device drivers using the advanced firmware and interfaces with advanced firmware compliant program with the device drivers of the computer system. The computer system also initializes a virtual compatibility machine for supporting legacy software programs. The virtual compatibility machine includes a plurality of compatibility models. The compatibility models function by interfacing with legacy software programs and by translating functions received from the legacy software programs via the compatibility models into corresponding functions performed by the device drivers of the computer system, thus allowing the computer system to run both legacy software programs and advanced firmware compliant software programs natively.
摘要:
An .times.86 based computer system that implements a firmware based boot process without an .times.86 BIOS that supports expansion devices coupled to the computer system, wherein the expansion devices include their own respective BIOS extensions. The computer system includes an .times.86 processor coupled to a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory via a bus. The non-volatile memory includes firmware which when executed by the processor cause the computer system to implement the boot process. The firmware initializes device drivers for the computer system and initializes an application programming interface for the device drivers. The firmware then initializes a compatibility component for interfacing with the device drivers, wherein the compatibility component is operable for translating accesses by a first software application to an .times.86 BIOS into corresponding accesses to the device drivers. This enables the first software application to execute on the computer system by using the compatibility component while a second software application is able to execute on the computer system by accessing the application programming interface directly. The firmware then runs an expansion device BIOS extension from an expansion device coupled to the computer system to initialize a memory area in volatile memory. The memory area is configured by the BIOS extension to interface with the expansion device, such that the expansion device is made available to the first application and the second application.
摘要:
A system for abstracting the byte ordering of a computer firmware from the operating system by allowing a computer to automatically change endianness under full software control. The byte ordering can be switched completely transparent to the end user during system boot. The system is comprised of hardware and software to run either byte order stand alone software or operating systems on demand.