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http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c.htm http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c.htm7/27/2004 4:06:24 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers KarbosGuide.com. Module 6c1. About operating systems and driver programs The contents: ● What is an operating system? ● The operating system recognizes hardware On the following pages: ● BIOS or driver programs ● Which operating systems? ● DOS control of hardware ● 32 bit drivers and installation ● Next page ● Previous page Click & Learn deals primarily with hardware. In these pages I will cover the operating system as it connects downward towards hardware. The operating system is closely associated with the ROM BIOS program routines, which are described in module 2a . The two program layers (operating system + BIOS) are called system software and it is very useful to understand their importance for the PC. Let us start by studying what an operating system really is. What is an operating system? [top] Please support our sponsor. Traditionally the operating system consists of three parts: http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm (1 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:26 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers Part Function Kernel The low level core being loaded after the boot process. Has many functions such as control of the data flow between memory and I/ O units. Shell The user interface File system A standard for disk formatting The operating system can also be evaluated from these viewpoints: ● An operating system is a number of files, which are read from the hard disk at the end of the PC start-up routine. ● An operating system is a program layer. It connects to the PC hardware, to facilitate optimal execution of the user programs. The first definition does not say much. Let us start with the second: The operating systems links software and hardware together. It has to enable user programs, like Works, Office, etc., to function with all possible hardware configurations. You can imagine the relationship between hardware and user programs thus: ● Hardware is clumpsy and dissimilar. There are untold variations of PCs. They can have one or another type hard disk, CPU, video card, etc. All of these various PC configurations behave each in their own way. ● The user programs are 100% similar. They are off the shelf products, which expect the PC to respond in a certain manner. How do we make these two layers work together? Can we eliminate, take out, the differences in the PC hardware, so a standard product like Works just functions? Yes we can. We read in an operating system - a system layer, which smoothes out and standardizes the hardware: http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm (2 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:26 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers You should understand the operating system as a necessary layer, which smoothes out bumps and pot holes in your PC's hardware. This will give the user programs a stable, even work platform. The operating system recognizes hardware [top] The PC's hardware represents resources relative to the user program. Think of your word processing program: You want to print your text. The program issues a print order, expecting that the document will be printed as designed. The word processing program dispatches data according to your commands. How they are translated to signals understood by your printer - that is not the word processing program's problem. The printer is a resource relative to the word processing program. The connections to these resources is via the operating system. This holds true for all the resources, which are included in the PC hardware: http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm (3 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:26 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers As you can see, the operating system has a very central function in the PC. So with that placement, it must be able to recognize all forms and types of hardware. There is no point in connecting a new mouse, if it does not work! Then what makes it work - the operating system. The system must recognize your mouse! ● Next page http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm (4 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:26 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers ● Previous page Learn more [top] Also see The Software Tips Read of module 7a and module 7b about installation monitor and video card in Windows 95/98! Read about chip sets on the motherboard in module 2d Read module 5a about expansion cards, where we evaluate the I/O buses from the port side. [Main page] [Contact] [Karbo's Dictionary] [The Software Guides] Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B. Karbo. www.karbosguide.com. http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm (5 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:26 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers KarbosGuide.com. Module 6c2. About OSs and drivers - continued The contents: ● System software ● BIOS or driver programs ● Next page ● Previous page System software [top] Together, the operating system and the ROM BIOS program routines form the layer on which the user programs "rest." When the PC has to work, an operating system has to be read from a disk. There are many different operating systems to choose from. However, the BIOS is always placed firmly and centrally in the PC hardware. BIOS - firmware Please support our sponsor. One of the fundamental techniques in the PC design is the BIOS program layer. BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is a group of small programs, furnished by the PC manufacturer - also called firmware . http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c2.htm (1 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:28 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers The BIOS routines are placed in the hardware - in a ROM chip - and are always available. Being stored in the hardware, they are functional regardless of which operating system they have to work with. So, in designing an operating system, one must pay close attention to the BIOS. The operating system must be able to work closely with the BIOS. BIOS contains some very basic program routines, which handle data transfer between different hardware components. During PC start-up, the BIOS programs are the only accessible software. Later in the start-up process, the operating system is read. It will then take control of the PC. The operating system has to provide a user interface , on which the user programs can rest. Thus, the operating system has two "faces": One pointing up towards the user and his/hers programs and one pointing down towards the system and hardware: As computers have become more and more powerful, the user interface has become more graphic and user friendly. In a few years we will be able to address our commands directly to the operating system (you can do it already today with IBM's OS/2). Thus, the "upwards" face of the operating system will change greatly - supported by http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c2.htm (2 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:28 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers technological development. The "downwards" face - the operating system's interface with hardware - will change less. At least, the fundamental principles are the same as in the childhood of the PC. BIOS or drive programs [top] The operating system must be able to communicate with hardware. As we are going to see, this can be done in two ways: ● The operating system communicates directly with hardware through drive programs. ● The operating system utilizes the BIOS programs. While BIOS is hardware specific program code, stored in hardware, the drive programs are small hardware specific program elements read from the disk together with the operating system. Depending on which operating system is installed, both principles are used in various degrees. Since the BIOS programs consist of 16 bit code, it is typically DOS (a 16 bit operating system) which utilizes BIOS to a large degree. In the newer 32 bit operating systems, it is not efficient to use BIOS any more than necessary. Here is a model, which shows the operating system with BIOS and drive programs (usually just called drivers ): http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c2.htm (3 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:28 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers As you can see, the driver/BIOS functions are closely associated with the operating system. So let us look at that on the following page. ● Next page ● Previous page Learn more [top] Also see The Software Tips Read of module 7a and module 7b about installation monitor and video card in Windows 95/98! http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c2.htm (4 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06:28 AM [...]... original VGA cards were said to be "flat." They were unintelligent They received signals and data from the CPU and forwarded them to the screen, nothing else The CPU had to make all necessary calculations to create the screen image As each screen image was a large bit map, the CPU had to move a lot of data from RAM to the video card for each new screen image The graphic interfaces, like Windows , gained... improved Earlier there was some very lousy products in the market Follow my articles to know more of the video adapter! A video card is typically an adapter, a removable expansion card in the PC Thus, it can be replaced! The video card can also be an integral part of the system board This is the case in certain brands of PCs and is always the case in lap tops I have a clear preference for a replaceable... q q Next page Previous page About the accelerator cards Top In the early nineties the accelerator video cards appeared Today all cards are accelerated and they are connected to the CPU through high speed buses like PCI and AGP With accelerated video chips, Windows (and with that the CPU) need not calculate and design the entire bit map from image to image The video card is programmed to draw lines,... form an image q Some kind of RAM (EDO, SGRAM, or VRAM, which are all variations of the regular RAM) Memory is necessary, since the video card must be able to remember a complete screen image at any time Using AGP, the video card may use the main memory of the motherboard q A RAMDAC - a chip converting digital/analog signals Using Flat panel monitors, you do not need a the function of a RAMDAC The video... to analog form CRT monitors work on analog signals The PC works with digitized data which are sent to the graphics adapter Before these signals are sent to the monitor they have to be converted into analog output and this is processed in the RAMDAC: The reccommandation on a good RAMDAC go like this: q q External chip, not integrated in the VGA chip Clock speed: 250 - 36 0 MHz Heavy data transport The. .. this area Again, ATI and Matrox are http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module7b2.htm (3 of 4)7/27/2004 4:06 :39 AM An illustrated Guide to the Video Cards worth mentioning q q Next page Previous page To learn more Top Read about video basics in Module 7a Read about sound cards in Module 7c Read about digital sound and music in Module 7d Read about FPU work in 3D graphics [Main page] [Contact] [Karbo's... and the better 815, which also integrates the graphics controller and use parts of the system RAM as frame buffer Here the system is called Dynamic Video Memory Technology (D.V.M.T.) http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module7b1.htm (3 of 5)7/27/2004 4:06 :37 AM An illustrated Guide to the Video Cards The RAMDAC Top All traditional graphics cards have a RAMDAC chip converting the signals from digital to. .. panel -> System -> Computer In Windows 2000 you should click on Device manager: http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module6c4.htm (1 of 6)7/27/2004 4:06 :33 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers Then expand the entries to hardware units: http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module6c4.htm (2 of 6)7/27/2004 4:06 :33 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the. .. use ofhardware drivers Actually, you can see a long list of drivers in the picture above Windows has installed most of them during Windows installation An VIA Bus Master IDE controller, which regulates the hard disk can be found: http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module6c4.htm (3 of 6)7/27/2004 4:06 :33 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers I always have these... Windows , and other image elements The CPU can, in a brief code, transmit which image elements have changed since the last transmission This saves the CPU a lot of work in creating screen images The video chip set carries the heavy load: http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module7b2.htm (1 of 4)7/27/2004 4:06 :39 AM An illustrated Guide to the Video Cards All video cards are connected to the PCI or the AGP . http://www.karbosguide.com /hardware/ module6c4.htm (3 of 6)7/27/2004 4:06 :33 AM An illustrated guide to Operating Systems and the use ofhardware drivers I always have these drivers on the hard disk. to function with all possible hardware configurations. You can imagine the relationship between hardware and user programs thus: ● Hardware is clumpsy and dissimilar. There are untold variations. your PC& apos;s hardware. This will give the user programs a stable, even work platform. The operating system recognizes hardware [top] The PC& apos;s hardware represents resources relative to the