4 Summary of the HP/Phoenix BIOS

HP/Phoenix BIOS (BIOS version: GX.07.xx)

To see the tests performed during the POST, press when the initial HP “Vectra” logo appears, and the display will switch to text mode. In this mode, a summary configuration screen will be displayed at the end of the POST.

Devices, such as memory and hard disks, are configured automatically. The user is not requested to confirm the change. However, the user is prompted if a device is found to have gone missing since the previous boot. The user can simply accept the new configuration by pressing .

During the POST, the BIOS and other ROM data are copied into high-speed shadow RAM. The shadow RAM is addressed at the same physical location as the original ROM in a manner which is completely transparent to applications. It therefore appears to behave as very fast ROM. This technique provides faster access to the system BIOS firmware.

The table on the following page lists the POST routines in the order in which they are executed (from the shadow RAM). If the POST is initiated by a soft

reset and , the RAM tests are not executed and shadow RAM is not cleared. In all other respects, the POST executes in the same way following power-on or a soft reset.

Test

 

 

 

 

Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

System BIOS Tests

 

 

 

LED Test

Tests the LEDs on the control panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Processor Test

Tests the processor’s registers. Test failure causes the boot process to

abort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

System (BIOS) ROM Test

Calculates an 8-bit checksum. Test failure causes the boot process to

abort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RAM Refresh Timer Test

Tests the RAM refresh timer circuitry. Test failure causes the boot process

to abort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Checks the first 64 KB of system RAM used to store data corresponding to

Interrupt RAM Test

various system interrupt vector addresses. Test failures cause the boot

 

process to abort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tests the system ROM BIOS and shadows it. Failure to shadow the ROM

Shadow the System ROM

BIOS will cause an error code to display. The boot process will continue,

BIOS

but the system will execute from ROM. This test is not performed after a

 

soft reset (using

 

 

 

and

).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Load CMOS Memory

Checks the serial EEPROM and returns an error code if it has been

corrupted. Copies the contents of the EEPROM into CMOS RAM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CMOS RAM Test

Checks the CMOS RAM for start-up power loss, verifies the CMOS RAM

checksum(s). Test failure causes error codes to display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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