protech POS-3520, User Manual

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Chapter 4 AMI BIOS Setup
Page: 4-2
POS-3520 USER
′
S MANUAL
4-1. INTRODUCTION
This chapter will show you the function of the BIOS (Basic Input and Output System)
in managing the features of your system. The POS-3520 POS Terminal is equipped
with the BIOS from AMI (American Megatrends Inc). The following pages describe
how to use the BIOS for configure system hardware by BIOS Setup menu.
When the PC starts up, the first job for the BIOS is to initialize and identify system
devices such as the video display card, keyboard and mouse, hard disk, CD/DVD
drive and other hardware. The BIOS then locates software held on a peripheral
device (designated as a 'boot device'), such as a hard disk or a CD, and loads and
executes that software, giving it control of the PC.
BIOS code is stored on a non-volatile, ROM chip built into the system, on the
mother board and the BIOS software is specifically designed to work with the
particular type of system in question including having a knowledge of the workings
of various devices that make up the complementary chipset of the system
BIOS also provide a user interface, this is a menu system accessed by pressing a
certain key on the keyboard when the PC starts. In the BIOS UI, a user can configure
hardware, set the system clock, enable or disable system components, and most
importantly, select which devices are eligible to be a potential boot device and set
various password prompts, most importantly a password for securing access to the
BIOS UI functions itself and preventing malicious users from booting the system
from unauthorized peripheral devices.
The following diagram illustrates the relationships between system hardware, BIOS,
operating system, and application program: