Arrangements having firmware support for different processor types
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsANDREW J. FISH, WILLIAM J. CLEM
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims20
A system operable with any of a plurality of different types of processors comprising:
- a processor;
- a system firmware including a plurality of customized firmware parts, each customized firmware part providing system firmware functions required for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors;
- 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 the connected processor types, causes the customized firmware part pertaining to the identified processor types to be executed by the processor.
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 required for and customized to that type of processor, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a system firmware in the system including a plurality of customized firmware parts, each customized firmware part performing system firmware functions required for and customized to a subset of the plurality of different types of processors which are operational when connected to the system;
- identifying which subset of the plurality of processors is connected to the system;
- and
- in response to the identification of the connected different type of processor, using 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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.