Apparatus and method for bios interface to features in multiple adapter cards in one operation using registers with bits distributed across the adapter cards

Claim 1

An apparatus for separately controlling a plurality of separately addressable I/O devices in a system, and wherein each of said I/O devices has functions which are independently controllable with respect to other I/O devices; said apparatus comprising: a processor; a system bus, said bus operatively connected to said processor; a plurality of I/O devices; at least one adapter, each adapter operatively connected to said bus and to at least one I/O device, each of said adapters further comprising: switch selection means to indicate to said adapter the address associated with each I/O device connected thereto; said adapters having a plurality of distributed registers, each associated with a different one of said functions, each one of said distributed registers associated with and distributed among all of said adapters and having a single system address for said distributed register for receiving information in a single BIOS call from a system bus relating to one of the functions of each I/O device, each of said distributed registers being comprised of at least one bit of information from each adapter and said at least one bit of information being operative to control one of said functions of each I/O device associated with said each adapter; and means to use said information in said distributed register to control or communicate selectively with each of said I/O devices from said single system address and control one of the functions of each I/O device independently of other I/O devices from said single operation in said single BIOS call; and BIOS means to transfer information to said register to execute hardware related functions in said system; said BIOS means including a given address to address all of said I/O devices, and means to provide a call to each I/O device therewith; means to store in said distributed register said call to each of said I/O devices individually and readable by all of said I/O devices; and whereby a single address serves to address each I/O device individually.

Claim 2

An apparatus for separately controlling a plurality of separately addressable I/O devices in a system, and wherein each of said I/O devices has functions which are independently controllable with respect to other I/O devices; said apparatus comprising: a processor; a system bus, said bus operatively connected to said processor; a plurality of I/O devices; at least one adapter, each adapter operatively connected to said bus and to at least one I/O device, each of said adapters further comprising: switch selection means to indicate to said adapter the address associated with each I/O device connected thereto; said adapters having a plurality of distributed registers, each associated with a different one of said functions, each one of said distributed registers associated with and distributed among all of said adapters and having a single system address for said distributed register for receiving information in a single BIOS call from a system bus relating to one of the functions of each I/O device, each of said distributed registers being comprised of at least one bit of information from each adapter and said at least one bit of information being operative to control one of said functions of each I/O device associated with said each adapter; and means to use said information in said distributed register to control or communicate selectively with each of said I/O devices from said single system address and control one of the functions of each I/O device independently of other I/O devices from said single operation in said single BIOS call; and BIOS means to transfer information to said register to execute hardware related functions in said system; said BIOS means including a given address to address all of said I/O devices, and means to provide a call to each I/O device therewith; means to store in said distributed register said call to each of said I/O devices individually and readable by all of said I/O devices; and whereby a single address serves to address each I/O device individually.

Claim 9

A method for individually controlling each of a plurality of separately addressable I/O devices in a system and wherein each of said I/O devices has functions which are independently controllable with respect to the other I/O devices having BIOS means, wherein there is at least one adapter with each adapter connected to at least one I/O device in said system; said method including the steps of: providing a plurality of distributed registers, each associated with a different one of said functions, each one of said distributed registers associated with and distributed among all of said adapters and having a single system address for all of said adapters associated with said distributed register to receive information in a single BIOS call relating to one ..of the functions of said I/O devices, each of said distributed registers being comprised of at least one bit of information from each adapter and said at least one bit of information being operative to control one of said functions of each I/O device associated with said each adapter; calling a BIOS function resident in said BIOS means from a program executing in said system; setting an address, under control of said BIOS means, into address selection means in each adapter to indicate to said respective adapter the address of any associated I/O device which is selected; and sending and receiving information, under control of said BIOS means, from a system bus to a distributed register in at least one adapter in a single BIOS call having a single system address, said distributed register being accessible to each I/O device from said single system address in said single BIOS call, and using said information to control the functions of each I/O device independently of other I/O devices in said single BIOS call.

Claim 10

A method for individually controlling each of a plurality of separately addressable I/O devices in a system and wherein each of said I/O devices has functions which are independently controllable with respect to the other I/O devices having BIOS means, wherein there is at least one adapter with each adapter connected to at least one I/O device in said system; said method including the steps of: providing a plurality of distributed registers, each associated with a different one of said functions, each one of said distributed registers associated with and distributed among all of said adapters and having a single system address for all of said adapters associated with said distributed register to receive information in a single BIOS call relating to one ..of the functions of said I/O devices, each of said distributed registers being comprised of at least one bit of information from each adapter and said at least one bit of information being operative to control one of said functions of each I/O device associated with said each adapter; calling a BIOS function resident in said BIOS means from a program executing in said system; setting an address, under control of said BIOS means, into address selection means in each adapter to indicate to said respective adapter the address of any associated I/O device which is selected; and sending and receiving information, under control of said BIOS means, from a system bus to a distributed register in at least one adapter in a single BIOS call having a single system address, said distributed register being accessible to each I/O device from said single system address in said single BIOS call, and using said information to control the functions of each I/O device independently of other I/O devices in said single BIOS call.