PC BIOS
The PP 110/01x board is fitted with PC BIOS firmware that performs many of the functions of a
standard desktop PC. It also includes additional features specifically tailored for the
CompactPCI bus environment. In addition to the core BIOS firmware, the board is fitted with
BIOS Extensions for remote bootload capability via either of the on-board Ethernet channels. To
improve the flexibility of the board, some of these features may be selectively enabled or
disabled by an operator using BIOS setup menus. Many of the features provided by the PC
BIOS are unlikely to be adjusted by the user, but there are several options which many users will
find helpful. Some of these are already referenced in other sections of this manual, but the
remainder of this chapter will describe some other commonly-used options. More information
about each of the options available is provided in the Help box of the BIOS setup menus.
10.1
Entering the PC BIOS
The startup mode of the board may be selected using the MODE jumper, but can be either of the
following: PC BIOS mode (the factory default setting), which generally follows the behavior of a
desktop PC, and CPSA mode (a flexible testing mode primarily for use at the factory), which can
be used for system or board testing. CPSA mode operation and features are not described in
this manual. Figure 10-1 shows the location of the jumper on the board and its settings.
CPSA mode may be exited either by operator command, or by allowing the board to proceed
through the CPSA startup sequence without intervention. In either case, the board will enter PC
BIOS mode and continue as if this mode had been selected with the jumper. When the board is
reset, it will generally restart in the operating mode selected by the MODE jumper. However, a
reset caused by a keyboard <CTRL-ALT-DEL> keystroke combination, or by a programmed
reset using one of several different I/O access sequences, will only cause a PC BIOS restart. A
complete board or system reset (using the front panel switch or through the CompactPCI bus
PCI_RST signal) will cause the board to restart in the mode selected by the MODE jumper
setting.
Operator communication with the PC BIOS is usually through a VGA display connected to the
on-board graphics interface and a separate keyboard. This can be reconfigured with a board
jumper to use a serial terminal connected to the COM1 port. Section 6.1 describes the location
and settings for this jumper. A VT100-compatible serial terminal or emulator program should be
used. By default the serial line is programmed to operate at 9600 Baud with 8 data bits, 1 stop
bit and no parity (8N1). There is no flow control. For fast terminals, the baud rate can be
increased via the
Serial Console Baud Rate
field of the
Main
Setup menu.
PP 110/01x
10-1
Mode
BIOS
CPSA
Figure 10-1 Mode Jumper
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