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IBM PS2 and PC BIOS Interface Technical Reference

From RetroTechCollection

The IBM Personal System/2 and Personal Computer BIOS Interface Technical Reference, Second Edition (May 1988), is IBM's reference for the BIOS and Advanced BIOS (ABIOS) software interfaces of its PC and PS/2 systems. The back cover gives part number 15F0306. The PDF has 466 pages.

The preface lists the products it covers: the PC Convertible, PCjr, Personal Computer, Personal Computer AT, Personal Computer XT, XT Model 286, Portable Personal Computer, PS/2 Models 25, 30, 50, 60, 70 and 80, the Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, Enhanced Graphics Adapter, Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter, and devices using ESDI-type commands.

Contents

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The book has three parts, each with its own page numbering.

Part and section Subjects Page
BIOS 1. Introduction to BIOS interrupts, parameter passing, data areas and ROM tables, BIOS level determination, system groups 1-1
BIOS 2. Interrupts INT 02H NMI, 05H print screen, 08H system timer, 09H keyboard, 10H video, 11H equipment, 12H memory size, 13H diskette and fixed disk, 14H asynchronous communications, 15H system services, 16H keyboard, 17H printer, 19H bootstrap loader, 1AH timer and real-time clock, 70H real-time clock interrupt 2-1
BIOS 3. Data Areas and ROM Tables BIOS data area, extended BIOS data area, fixed disk drive parameter tables, diskette drive parameter table 3-1
BIOS 4. Additional Information interrupt sharing, adapter ROM, video compatibility, multitasking provisions, system identification, application guidelines, scan code and character code tables 4-1
Advanced BIOS 1-6 introduction, data structures, initialization, transfer conventions, interrupt processing and extending ABIOS, and the device interfaces (diskette, disk, video, keyboard, parallel port, asynchronous communications, system timer, real-time clock, system services, NMI, pointing device and more) 1-1
Supplements contents page listing the Asynchronous Communications supplement (July 1987) and the Programmable Option Select supplement (May 1988) end of PDF

Figures a repairer can use

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  • BIOS level determination (BIOS p. 1-4): every BIOS is dated, and IBM gives a four-line BASIC program that prints the version date stored at F000:FFF5. The model byte is at F000:FFFE, and the system identification table (p. 4-18) lists model byte, submodel byte, BIOS revision level and BIOS date for each product; INT 15H function C0H returns the same bytes (p. 2-92).
  • Fixed disk drive parameter tables (pp. 3-18 to 3-25): the drive types for the AT and PS/2 BIOS, a separate table for PS/2 products other than the Models 25 and 30, and the four-entry tables of the PC XT BIOS dated 11/10/82 and 1/08/86.

What this manual does not contain

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It documents interfaces only. There is no BIOS source listing, and nothing on hardware service: no FRU numbers, component values or schematics. System-specific hardware information is in each model's own technical reference.

Download: IBM PS2 and PC BIOS Interface Technical Reference.pdf

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