Arrangements having firmware support for different processor types

• US 6,381,693 B2
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clem, William J., Fish, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US09/223,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 717/5, 717/6, 717/11, 717/9, 711/163, 709/311
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44547 Fat binaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

A system, a method of operating the system and a system firmware. The system includes a processor and a system firmware including a plurality of customized firmware parts, with each firmware part performing system firmware functions required for and customized to only a subset of a plurality of types of processors which are operational when connected to the system, and a processor identification device, coupled to the system, which identifies which subset of the plurality of types of processors is connected to the system and in response to the identification of the type of connected processor, causes a customized firmware part corresponding to the identified types of processor to be executed by the processor.

Claims

1. A system operable with any of a plurality of different types of processors comprising:

a processor;

a system firmware including a common firmware part and a plurality of customized firmware parts;

the common firmware part providing at least one system firmware function mutually used in common for different types of processors;

each customized firmware part providing at least one system firmware function used for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors;

wherein the common firmware part executes upon system initialization; and

a processor identifier device, coupled to the system, which identifies which of the plurality of processor types is connected to the system, and in response to the identification of a connected processor type, causes the customized firmware part pertaining to an identified processor type to be executed by the processor, wherein only selected ones of the customized firmware parts executes upon system initialization.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by detecting if one of a particular pin and a predetermined physical trait on an integrated circuit of the processor type is present or absent.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type upon initialization of the system.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by determining if a predetermined signal is present or absent.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type upon initialization of the system.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by analyzing at least one signal to identify a predetermined signal pattern in the at least one signal, the predetermined signal pattern being customized to the processor type.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by reading an identification of the processor which is stored in the system.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a bus coupled to the processor, and wherein

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by reading a message transmitted on the bus.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a bus coupled to the processor; and

wherein

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type by identifying a protocol used by the bus.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

the processor identifier device identifies the processor type upon initialization of the system.

11. A method of operating a system with any of a plurality of processor types, each of the processor types using a system firmware which is customized with system firmware providing system firmware functions used for and customized to that type of processor, said method comprising:

providing a system firmware in the system including a common firmware part and a plurality of customized firmware parts, wherein the common firmware part provides at least one system firmware function mutually used in common for different types of processors and the common firmware part executes upon system initialization, wherein each customized firmware part performs at least one system firmware function used for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors which are operational when connected to the system;

providing an arrangement to identify which subset of the plurality of processors is connected to the system; and

providing an arrangement to use, in response to the identification of the connected different types of processors, the identification of the processor to select the customized firmware part of the system firmware to operate the system for the identified type of processor connected to the system, wherein only selected ones of the customized firmware parts executes upon system initialization.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein:

the type of processor is identified by detecting if a particular pin on an integrated circuit of the processor is present or absent.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein:

the type of processor is identified upon initialization of the system.

14. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the type of processor is identified by determining if a predetermined signal is present or absent.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the type of processor is identified by analyzing at least one signal to identify a predetermined signal pattern in the at least one signal, the predetermined signal pattern being customized to the type of processor.

16. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the type of processor is identified by reading an identification of the processor which is stored in the processor.

17. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

a bus is coupled to the processor; and

the type of processor is identified by reading a message transmitted on the bus.

18. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

a bus is coupled to the processor; and

the type of processor is identified by identifying a protocol used by the bus.

19. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

the type of processor is identified upon initialization of the system.

20. A system firmware for use in a processing system which is operational with a subset of a group of processor types each operating with system firmware which is customized to that type of processor, comprising:

a plurality of code sections which collectively contain the system firmware for all of the processor types, and each code section containing system firmware code for performing system firmware functions of a subset of the group of processors which is customized to the subset of the group of processor types.

21. A system operable with any of a plurality of different types of processors comprising:

a processor;

a system firmware including a common firmware part and a plurality of customized firmware parts;

the common firmware part providing at least one system firmware function mutually used in common for different types of processors;

each customized firmware part providing at least one system firmware function used for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors;

wherein the common firmware part executes upon system initialization; and

a processor identifier device, coupled to the system, which identifies which of the plurality of processor types is connected to the system, and in response to the identification of a connected processor type, causes the customized firmware part pertaining to an identified processor type to be executed by the processor, wherein only selected ones of the customized firmware parts execute upon system initialization.

22. A system operable with any of a plurality of different types of processors comprising:

at least one processor, with all processors of the system being of a common processor type;

a system firmware including a common firmware part and a plurality of customized firmware parts;

the common firmware part providing at least one system firmware function mutually used in common for different types of processors;

each customized firmware part providing at least one system firmware function used for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors;

wherein the common firmware part executes upon system initialization; and

a processor identifier device, coupled to the system, which identifies which processor type of the plurality of processor types is connected to the system, and in response to the identification of a connected processor type, causes the customized firmware part pertaining to an identified processor type to be executed by the processor, wherein only selected ones of the customized firmware parts executes upon system initialization.