PC Hardware A Beginner’s Guide

(^124) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
 PCI IRQ Activated By If your computer includes the PCI bus and support,
some devices may require this option be set to allow edge-triggered interrupts.
Extended System Configuration Data
If a PC’s BIOS supports PnP, then the CMOS also storesextended system configuration data
(ESCD). This data includes the system resource assignments of PnP devices and serves as
a communications link between the BIOS and the operating system.
Power Management
Another menu in the advanced features of the BIOS setu p program is the Power Manage-
ment menu. This menu contains options that are used to control when the PC automati-
cally powers down based on a series of power conservation settings. Since 1998, the
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) has provided the power conservation
standards used on most PCs.
Integrated Peripherals
Many newer motherboard designs (see Chapter 4) integrate peripheral device controllers
into the motherboard itself. The Integrated Peripherals menu in some BIOS Advanced
Features menus is used to adjust the settings.
The more common settings found on this menu are as follows:

Base I/O Address Sets the base port address for serial and parallel ports.
 Interrupt Assigns default IRQs to serial and parallel ports.
 Mode Sets the interface modes for serial, parallel, and infrared ports.
 Serial Port A and B Controls the assignment of port IDs to serial ports. An
automatic assignment option allows the system to assign the first available
COM port or the assignments can be made manually.
 Parallel Port Controls the assignment of LPT ports to parallel ports.
This option works like the serial port setting.
 Audio Turns the audio system built into the motherboard on or off.
IDE Device Setup and Auto-detection
Another possible menu in the Advanced Features area of the BIOS setup program is the
IDE Configuration menu. This menu is used to set the configuration of any IDE devices
onthePC.IDEdevicesincludeharddiskdrives,CD-ROMdrives,tapedrives,andsoon.
HerearemanyoftheoptionsthatcanbeconfiguredontheIDEConfigurationmenu:

Auto Detect This option is used to enable the system to automatically configure
all IDE devices each time the PC is booted. It is not available on all BIOSs.
 IDE Controller Sets which IDE controllers are to be enabled.