172 lines
6.1 KiB
Groff
172 lines
6.1 KiB
Groff
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AMI 286 and 386 BIOS
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new release
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Release notes
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Release date : 02/25/1989
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This release of AMI 286 and 386 BIOS will have the following new features
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and corrections over the previous release which was 12/15/1988.
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new features
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82C302-C chip support
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This release of AMI BIOS for will support 82C302-C chip which uses 4KB
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page size instead of 2KB page size supported by 82C302. This same copy of
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BIOS will support both the chips as the BIOS will automatically find out
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the type of chip used.
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Changes related to both C&T 386 chipset and NEAT Chipset
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Chipset register program bypass at soft reset...
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Previous releases of the AMI BIOS programed the C&T 386 and NEAT
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Chipset register either with BIOS default values or values set by user in
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the Extended CMOS in cold boot as well as soft reset. This version will
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bypass the Chipset programming in soft reset so that if the user runs any
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program to alter the chipset registers, it will remain unchanged till the
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machine is switched off.
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Compatibility issues resolved
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Western Digital WD1003V-MM2 controller and Miniscribe drives...
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The problems AMI BIOS had with the above combination of hard disk
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controller and hard drives have been solved.
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Problems in using hard drives with more than 1024 cylinders...
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All the previous releases of AMI BIOS supported more than 1024 cylinders
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directly through the BIOS. However the support in AMI BIOS was such
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that, the BIOS always use to return actual # of cylinders with the return
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disk parameter function call (function 8, interrupt 13h). This caused problem
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with DOS in using hard drives with more than 1024 cylinders because DOS
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can not handle more than 1024 cylinders. Also programs like Speedstore did
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not expect the BIOS to return more than 1024 cylinders with this function
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call.
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This release of AMI BIOS is modified to return maximum 1024 as # of
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cylinders in response to the return drive parameter function call(function 8,
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interrupt 13h). This will take care of the problem with DOS, Speedstore
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while using a drive more than 1024 cylinders.
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AMI BIOS
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Future release
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AMI, well known for its innovative ideas in making AMI BIOS more and
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more user friendly, will add the following new features in the AMI BIOS.
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The BIOS with these new features will be available in 3rd/4th week of
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March 1989.
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Modified CMOS SETUP Program
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Options to bypass Keyboard/Video/Floppy errors for Dedicated file servers
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and similar applications...
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The AMI BIOS will now have the option to configure the BIOS to bypass
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Keyboard and/or Video and/or Floppy tests through the CMOS SETUP
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program. This option is at present available through the AMIGEN program.
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User defined drive type...
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The AMI BIOS supports 46 predefined drive parameters. There will be
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occasions when you have a drive which does not match with any one of
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these 46 drive types. In these cases, you can use this new feature in AMI
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BIOS by which you can specify drive parameters through the CMOS SETUP
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program. These parameters will be stored in the CMOS. The type of drive
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will be type 47 which will be referred to as "USER DEFINED DRIVE
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TYPE".
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Features in last release(12/15/88)
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of AMI BIOS
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Options to bypass Keyboard/Video/floppy errors for Dedicated file servers
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or similar applications...
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This release of AMI BIOS can be configured to do one of the following:-
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- Bypass testing Keyboard and/or Video and/or Floppy controller
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during Power on self test.
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- Test all during Power on self test but in case of Keyboard and/or
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Video and/or Floppy controller errors do not wait for user to press
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the "F1" key.
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To configure the BIOS as above at your facility, you need the new AMIGEN
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program. You can buy the AMIGEN program from AMI if you do not have
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one. If you already have an AMIGEN program you can get the updated
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AMIGEN program and new release of the BIOS by paying nominal charges.
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Please refer to the price list for BIOS update for details.
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Support for additional serial ports...
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AMI BIOS will now look for additional on board or off board serial ports
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upto a maximum 4 ports. These serial ports will be assigned port numbers
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3F8,2F8,3E8,2E8 as COM1, COM2, CMO3, COM4 respectively. However, the
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BIOS support for COM3, COM4 is limited to integrating them into the
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system. The BIOS will support data transfer and programmability for COM1
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and COM2 only.
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Boot up screen...
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We have added a boot up screen for all types of BIOS with diagnostics
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program or extended setup program. This screen will contain data pertaining
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to system configuration.
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Changes related to both C&T 386 chipset and NEAT Chipset
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Additional memory configuration...
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In this release of C&T 386 and NEAT BIOS from AMI, you can have the
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following physical memory configuration which was not available in the
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earlier relases:-
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Bank 0,1 256KB chips Bank 2,3 1Meg chips
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BIOS will automatically assign physical bank 2,3 as logical bank 0,1 and
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make all the memory available to you.
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Changes in POST...
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In C&T 386 and NEAT BIOS the POST will always be performed with a
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memory wait state of 1 and it will be changed according to the EXTENDED
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CMOS settings before system boot.
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Clock Switching...
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The clock switching techniques for C&T 386 and NEAT is made more
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general. Now the AMI BIOS will support the following:-
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- Clock switching Using Keyboard controller pin
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- Clock switching programming processor clock speed
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- Clock switching programming processor clock and bus clock speed
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In last two cases the keyboard controller pin can also be used to bring the
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turbo led on or off.
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Changes related to AMI NEAT BIOS only
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386 SX support in the AMI NEAT BIOS...
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AMI NEAT BIOS will now support 386 SX processor and the associated 387
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SX co-processor. Contact AMI for an evaluation copy of this BIOS.
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82C212B support...
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The AMI BIOS will now support 82C212 and 82C212B chip in the same copy
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of the BIOS. The BIOS will automatically find out the type of chip and
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program the chipset registers accordingly. The built in EXTENDED CMOS
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Setup program will also support both 82C212 and 82C212B.
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