[OpenBIOS] Intel holding back information

David J. Coffin dcoffin at shore.net
Sun Aug 8 20:25:50 CEST 1999


Niklaus,

     Your algorithm doesn't account for the fact that DRAM
has two dimensions.  You have to toggle the A11 and A12 lines
to find out the number of columns, and A22-A24 to find out
the number of rows.  Sometimes you have to change the DRB
registers and do more tests.  The details vary from one chip-
set to another.

     Always check both halves of a 64-bit word, in case some-
one installed a single SIMM, or mismatched SIMMs, by mistake.

> I have been thinking about doing that, but wouldn't that make me unable to
> write the bios after that (legally that is) ?

     If you can understand their code, reduce it to an algo-
rithm, and write your code to that algorithm, it's perfectly
legal.  (I've seen Award's source.  The disassembly is easier
to read!)

     Use get_PCI() and set_PCI() routines that are incompatible
with Award's.  That will force you to write something completely
original.
					Dave Coffin  8/8/99
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