Control system and method for a basic input / output system, and expansion card

Abstract

This invention provides a control system and method for basic input / output systems and expansion cards that improve development efficiency, ensure a consistent command format and accurate data transmission, and allow the BIOS to flexibly perform hardware configuration and control operations. [Solution] In a basic input / output system, the control method executed by the processing unit acquires an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, converts the operation command according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and if it is determined that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the multiple accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, generates a target command and provides the target command to the basic input / output system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and method for a basic input / output system and an expansion card.

Background Art

[0002] In recent technologies, engineers dealing with the basic input / output system (BIOS) face several significant challenges when changing hardware settings during the motherboard startup phase. First, due to the large and complex scale of the BIOS code, engineers need to have a deep understanding of the architecture and module details of the BIOS code. This makes the process of accurately identifying the segments that need to be changed a time-consuming and laborious task. Further, since the hardware-related configuration code is often distributed across different modules, it becomes even more difficult and time-consuming to identify the correct segments that need to be modified. Additionally, the compilation process of the BIOS takes significantly more time compared to normal application software. This is because a full compilation is usually required for each change, resulting in a longer development cycle and a decrease in overall efficiency.

[0003] Furthermore, testing and debugging pose another significant challenge. Engineers need to write the modified BIOS to a test motherboard to verify the functionality of the motherboard. Even a slight mistake can cause the motherboard not to start or lead to an error of unknown origin. Debugging such problems is complex and time-consuming, and often requires multiple iterations of modification and testing to ensure system stability.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a control system and method for a basic input / output system and an expansion card. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a control method for a basic input / output system is performed by a processing unit and includes obtaining an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, converting the operation command according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and if it is determined that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among a plurality of available parameters of the basic input / output system, generating a target command and providing the target command to the basic input / output system.

[0006] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a control system for a basic input / output system includes a motherboard, shared memory, and a processing unit. The motherboard includes the basic input / output system. Shared memory is connected to the motherboard and is configured to store a plurality of accessible parameters of the basic input / output system. A processing unit is connected to the motherboard and the shared memory and is configured to acquire an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, convert the operation command according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and, if it determines that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the plurality of accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, generate a target command and provide the target command to the basic input / output system.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, an expansion card is connected to a basic input / output system and includes a command receiving interface and a command sending interface. The command receiving interface is configured to receive operation commands corresponding to the basic input / output system, translate the operation commands according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and, if it determines the operation command corresponding to a target parameter among several accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, generates a target command. The command sending interface is connected to the command receiving interface and is configured to provide target commands to the basic input / output system.

[0008] Based on the above description, the BIOS control systems and methods in one or more embodiments of this disclosure enable BIOS engineers to quickly read or adjust BIOS settings and / or hardware configurations without having to recompile the entire BIOS code, thereby improving development efficiency. Furthermore, by translating operation commands based on the BIOS command format, a consistent command format and accurate data transmission can be ensured, allowing the BIOS to flexibly perform hardware configuration and control operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] The contents of this disclosure will be better understood from the contents described in detail below and the accompanying drawings. These drawings are illustrative for illustrative purposes and therefore do not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the control system of the basic input / output system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a control method for a basic input / output system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the control system of the basic input / output system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an extension card in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an expansion card in another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following detailed description includes many specific details to allow for a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the concepts and features of the invention based on the description, claims, and drawings provided in the specification. The following embodiments further illustrate various aspects of the invention, but do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0012] Refer to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a control system for a basic input / output system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the control system 1 includes a motherboard 11, shared memory 12, and a processing unit 13. The motherboard 11 is connected to the shared memory 12, and the shared memory 12 is connected to the processing unit 13. The processing unit 13 may be connected to the motherboard 11 via the shared memory 12. The motherboard 11 includes a basic input / output system (BIOS) 111.

[0013] The motherboard 11 is configured to execute user-inputted operational commands, which may be configured to change hardware settings in BIOS 111 or to read data from BIOS 111. Specifically, the operational commands may be configured to change hardware settings in the boot-up process of BIOS 111, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0014] The shared memory 12 is configured to store accessible parameters of the BIOS 111. Accessible parameters may be parameters to which the user has been granted access privileges prior to such modification or reading. Each accessible parameter may correspond to multiple identifiers. Operational commands may include identifiers for accessible parameters. Accessible parameters may include, but are not limited to, basic I / O register setting parameters, other system register setting parameters, inter-integrated circuit (I2C) communication setting parameters, system management bus (SMBus) setting parameters, memory setting parameters, memory-mapped I / O (MMIO) setting parameters, BIOS 111 variable setting parameters, central processing unit model-specific register (MSR) setting parameters, super I / O setting parameters, pulse width modulation setting parameters, general-purpose I / O setting parameters, and addresses of accessible storage blocks. The shared memory 12 may include one or more memories, the memories being non-volatile memory (NVM) and random access memory (RAM), and may include, for example, reparameterized memory (ROM), flash memory and / or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), and dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0015] The processing unit 13 is configured to acquire operation commands corresponding to the BIOS 111 and provide target commands corresponding to the operation commands to the BIOS 111 via shared memory 12. The processing unit 13 runs a real-time operating system (RTOS) to process commands with ultra-low latency, thereby ensuring the immediacy of hardware configuration changes. The processing unit 13 can receive operation commands via a user interface, which may be a web browser or a web application. The processing unit 13 has a web service interface, and operation commands may be output to the web service interface of the processing unit 13 via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Operation commands are sent to the BIOS 111 via an application interface. The application program interface is, for example, a representational state transfer (RESTful) application interface. The steps performed by the processing unit 13 described below are performed through the RTOS. The processing unit 13 may include one or more processors, which are, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller (MCU), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or other processors with signal processing capabilities.

[0016] Refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart of a control method for a basic input / output system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the control method includes the following steps: Step S101 is to obtain an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system. Step S103 is to determine whether the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among several accessible parameters of the BIOS. If the result of the determination in step S103 is "no", step S101 is executed again. If the result of the determination in step S103 is "yes", step S105 is to convert the operation command according to the command format of the BIOS and generate a target command. Then, in step S107, the target command is provided to the BIOS. Note that if the result of the determination in step S103 is "no", the control method may terminate, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0017] In step S101, the processing unit 13 may obtain an operation command from the BIOS 111. This operation command may be sent to the processing unit 13 by the user through the user interface.

[0018] In step S103, the processing unit 13 determines whether the operation command indicates one of the accessible parameters. If the processing unit 13 determines that the operation command does not indicate one of the accessible parameters, it may repeat step S101.

[0019] In step S105, if the processing unit 13 determines that the operation command indicates one of the accessible parameters, it converts the operation command to a target command according to the command format of the BIOS 111. The accessible parameters indicated by the operation command are hereinafter referred to as "target parameters". Furthermore, the command format may be in JavaScript object notation (JSON) format. The target command may include the operation command converted to JSON format. The processing unit 13 may further convert the target command to a command format string. The command format string may include identification information of the target parameter, the operation type corresponding to the operation command (e.g., read operation), the address corresponding to the operation type (e.g., the address of the block to be read), the data length corresponding to the operation type (e.g., the length of the data to be read), and the operation state corresponding to the operation command (e.g., the operation state "processing"). The command format strings described herein are examples, and this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0020] In step S107, the processing unit 13 provides a target command to the BIOS 111. For example, the processing unit 13 can provide a target command to the BIOS 111 via the shared memory 12. Alternatively, if the processing unit 13 and the motherboard 11 are directly connected, the processing unit 13 may directly output the target command to the BIOS 111.

[0021] The BIOS111 reads the command-format string from shared memory 12, parses the command-format string to identify the type of operation and the corresponding address, and then executes the read operation.

[0022] In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the BIOS control system and method enable a BIOS engineer to quickly read or adjust BIOS settings and / or hardware configurations without having to recompile the entire BIOS code, thereby improving development efficiency. Further, by converting operation commands based on the BIOS command format, a consistent command format and accurate data transmission are ensured, enabling the BIOS to flexibly execute hardware configurations and control operations.

[0023] In the embodiment of step S107, the processing device 13 may store a target command (or a character string in the above command format) in the shared memory 12, and the BIOS 111 may read the target command from the shared memory 12. After storing the target command that the BIOS 111 may read from the shared memory 12 in the shared memory 12, the processing device 13 may further read a command execution result from the shared memory 12, and this command execution result is generated by the BIOS 111. That is, after the BIOS 111 executes an operation corresponding to the target command, the BIOS 111 may store the command execution result corresponding to the target command in the shared memory 12. In this embodiment, the motherboard 11 and the shared memory 12 may be connected to each other by a wired connection. For example, the motherboard 11 and the shared memory 12 each have a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and the BIOS 111 may read the target command stored in the shared memory 12 via the PCIe interface, and the BIOS 111 may store the command execution result in the shared memory 12 via the PCIe interface.

[0024] Refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of a basic input / output system in another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the control system 2 includes a motherboard 21, a shared memory 22, and a processing device 23. The motherboard 21 is connected to the shared memory 22 and directly connected to the processing device 23, and the shared memory 22 is connected to the processing device 23. The motherboard 21 includes a BIOS 211. The configurations of the motherboard 21, the shared memory 22, and the processing device 23 may be the same as those of the motherboard 11, the shared memory 12, and the processing device 13 in FIG. 1 respectively, and their descriptions will not be repeated here.

[0025] In another embodiment of step S107, the processing device 23 may directly output a target command (or a character string in the above command format) to the BIOS 211 via an application interface. After outputting the target command to the BIOS 211, the processing device 23 can directly receive a command execution result from the BIOS 211 via an application program interface. That is, after executing the target command, the BIOS 211 may directly output the command execution result corresponding to the target command to the processing device 23. In this embodiment, the motherboard 21 and the processing device 23 may be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. For example, the motherboard 21 and the processing device 23 each have a network interface, and the processing device 23 can directly output a target command to the BIOS 211 via the network interface, and the processing device 23 can receive a command execution result from the BIOS 211 via the network interface. The network interface can include any one or more of a physical network cable and a wireless network interface. The network interface is, for example, a local area network (LAN) channel and / or a Wi-Fi channel, and the network interface of the motherboard 21 and the network interface of the processing device 23 may be connected to each other via an Internet router and / or an intranet router.

[0026] More specifically, the BIOS211 can parse a command-formatted string to identify the type of operation and its corresponding address, and then, after receiving a command-formatted string of the application program interface from the RTOS, it can execute a read operation.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the processing unit 23 can further store target commands in the shared memory 22. Furthermore, the processing unit 23 can store command execution results in the shared memory 22.

[0028] The implementation of PCIe and network interfaces allows users to choose the appropriate method for modifying and controlling BIOS settings according to their application scenarios and requirements. This enables support for a wider range of use cases.

[0029] Furthermore, in accordance with the above example of command-format strings, the command execution result may also be implemented in the form of a command-format string. The command execution result may include identification information of the target parameter, the operation type (e.g., read operation), the address corresponding to the operation type (e.g., the address of the block to be read), the data length corresponding to the operation type (e.g., the data length of the read data), the read data corresponding to the operation command, and the operation status (e.g., the operation status of "completed").

[0030] Refer to Figure 4. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an expansion card in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the expansion card 3 includes a command receiving interface 31 and a command sending interface 32. The command receiving interface 31 is electrically or communicatively connected to the command sending interface 32. The expansion card 3 is an expansion card configured to be inserted into a motherboard (for example, the motherboard 11 shown in Figure 1), and the command sending interface 32 may be directly connected to the motherboard.

[0031] The command receiving interface 31 is configured to receive operation commands corresponding to the BIOS and to convert the operation commands to target commands according to the BIOS command format. This conversion is performed when it is determined that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the BIOS's accessible parameters. The command receiving interface may include a hardware port for a web service interface. The command sending interface 32 is configured to provide the BIOS with a string or target command in the above command format. The command receiving interface 31 and the command sending interface 32 may be implemented in the processing unit of one or more embodiments described above.

[0032] The command receiving interface 31 can directly output target commands to the BIOS via the command sending interface 32. Furthermore, the command sending interface 32 may be configured to output the command execution result returned from the BIOS to the command receiving interface 31 after outputting the target command to the BIOS, thereby displaying the command execution result on the user interface via the command receiving interface 31. In this embodiment, the command sending interface 32 may include a network interface, that is, the expansion card 3 is connected to the motherboard via the network interface.

[0033] Furthermore, in embodiments where the expansion card 3 is connected to the motherboard via a network interface, the expansion card 3 may further include the shared memory of one or more embodiments described above. The shared memory is connected to a command receiving interface 31 and a command sending interface 32. The command receiving interface 31 may further be configured to store target commands in the shared memory, and the command sending interface 32 may further be configured to store command execution results from the BIOS in the shared memory.

[0034] Refer to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a block diagram illustrating an expansion card according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the expansion card 4 includes a command receiving interface 41, shared memory 42, and a command sending interface 43. The command receiving interface 41 is electrically or communicatively connected to the shared memory 42, and the shared memory 42 is electrically or communicatively connected to the command sending interface 43. The expansion card 4 may be an expansion card configured to be inserted into a motherboard (for example, the motherboard 11 shown in Figure 1).

[0035] The command receiving interface 41 is configured to receive operation commands corresponding to the BIOS, and if it determines that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the accessible parameters, it converts the operation command to a target command according to the BIOS command format. The command receiving interface 41 may store the target command in shared memory 42. The command sending interface 43 is connected to the BIOS and configured to provide the BIOS with a target command or a string in the above command format via shared memory 42. The command receiving interface 41 and the command sending interface 43 may be implemented by the processing unit of one or more embodiments described above.

[0036] The BIOS may read the target command from the shared memory 42 via the command transmission interface 43. The command transmission interface 43 may be further configured to output the target command to the BIOS and then store the command execution result sent from the BIOS in the shared memory 42. In this embodiment, the command transmission interface 43 may include a PCIe interface, i.e., the expansion card 4 is directly connected to the motherboard via a PCIe interface.

[0037] In one or more embodiments described above, the processing unit may further start the motherboard after outputting the target command to shared memory or the BIOS. The motherboard may read / receive the target command after startup. Furthermore, the processing unit may shut down the motherboard if the command execution result indicates an abnormal result.

[0038] Based on the above description, the BIOS control systems and methods in one or more embodiments of this disclosure enable BIOS engineers to quickly read or adjust BIOS settings and / or hardware configurations without having to recompile the entire BIOS code, thereby improving development efficiency. Furthermore, by translating operational commands based on the BIOS command format, a consistent command format and accurate data transmission can be ensured, allowing the BIOS to flexibly perform hardware configuration and control operations. Embodiments of PCIe and network interfaces allow users to select the appropriate method for changing and controlling BIOS settings depending on the application scenario and requirements. Thus, it can be adapted to a wider range of use cases.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a basic input / output system performed by a processing unit, Obtain an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, The operation command is converted according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and if it is determined that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the multiple available parameters of the basic input / output system, a target command is generated. This includes providing the target command to the basic input / output system, A control method for a basic input / output system.

2. Providing the target command to the basic input / output system means that The target command is stored in shared memory, The basic input / output system includes reading a target command from the shared memory, A method for controlling the basic input / output system according to claim 1.

3. The process further includes storing the target command in the shared memory and then reading the command execution result from the shared memory. The command execution result is generated by the basic input / output system. A control method for the basic input / output system according to claim 2.

4. Providing the target command to the basic input / output system means that This includes outputting the target command to the basic input / output system via a network interface, A method for controlling the basic input / output system according to claim 1.

5. After providing the target command to the basic input / output system, the further includes receiving the command execution result generated by the basic input / output system via the network interface, A control method for the basic input / output system described in claim 4.

6. The further includes storing the aforementioned target command in shared memory, A control method for the basic input / output system described in claim 4.

7. A control system for a basic input / output system, Motherboard including the aforementioned basic input / output system, A shared memory connected to the motherboard, the shared memory is configured to store multiple accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, and A processing unit connected to the motherboard and the shared memory, the processing unit is configured to acquire an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, convert the operation command according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and, if it determines that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the multiple accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, generate a target command and provide the target command to the basic input / output system, A control system for basic input / output systems.

8. The processing device is configured to store the target command in the shared memory. A control system for the basic input / output system according to claim 7.

9. The processing device is further configured to store the target command in the shared memory and then read the command execution result from the shared memory. The command execution result is generated by the basic input / output system. A control system for the basic input / output system according to claim 8.

10. The processing unit is connected to the motherboard via a network interface, and the processing unit is configured to output the target command to the basic input / output system via the network interface. A control system for the basic input / output system according to claim 7.

11. The processing device is further configured to provide the target command to the basic input / output system and then receive the command execution result generated by the basic input / output system via the network interface. A control system for a basic input / output system according to claim 10.

12. The processing unit is further configured to store the target command in shared memory. A control system for a basic input / output system according to claim 10.

13. An expansion card connected to the basic input / output system, A command receiving interface that receives an operation command corresponding to the basic input / output system, converts the operation command according to the command format of the basic input / output system, and generates a target command when it is determined that the operation command corresponds to a target parameter among the multiple accessible parameters of the basic input / output system, and Includes a command transmission interface connected to the command receiving interface and providing the target command to the basic input / output system, Expansion cards.

14. The command receiving interface and the command sending interface are further connected to a shared memory, and the command receiving interface stores the target command in the shared memory. The basic input / output system reads the target command from the shared memory via the command transmission interface. The expansion card according to claim 13.

15. The command transmission interface is further configured to supply the target command to the basic input / output system and then store the command execution result generated by the basic input / output system in the shared memory. The expansion card according to claim 14.

16. The command transmission interface is a peripheral device interconnect express interface. The expansion card according to claim 15.

17. The command transmission interface is a network interface. The expansion card according to claim 13.

18. The command transmission interface is further configured to output the command execution result generated by the basic input / output system to the command reception interface after supplying the target command to the basic input / output system. The expansion card according to claim 17.

19. The system further includes a shared memory connected to the command receiving interface, The command receiving interface is further configured to store the target command in the shared memory. The expansion card according to claim 17.

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