How many (EEP)ROM locations are there / where are they?

[chrstrbrts]

Hi guys,

OK, here is what I mean:

I know that the CPU sees peripheral devices as memory locations mapped into the CPU's memory space (this paradigm is newer than isolated I/O I think).

More specifically, it's the peripheral device's registers, caches, and EEPROM / ROM chips that are mapped into the memory space.

I know that NICs have EEPROM / ROM chips.

But, what other peripheral ROM chips exist?

Where are they?

Are there ROMs associated with the bus system?

Thanks.




You have had two previous threads closed about this same matter.

The mods do not feel comfortable in allowing this discussion with the questions you are asking.
This is a mod's answer to my questions about your thread.


"That said, actual hardware Alteration/Change of MAC (the topic of the Thread in question) is considered very inappropriate and almost always it is done for Negative purposes.

Thus, I do not believe that it behooves us to help/provide specific instructions for it."

Now, do not create more threads about this subject matter.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[VirtualLarry]

What, your Ivy-League school didn't tell you...?

 

[zir_blazer]

You may want to check this presentation, and the reelevant sections of the UEFI 2.6 specification. There is something called the "PCI Bus Driver" that should be what you're looking for.

The PCI specification standarized the PCI Option ROMs, which a PCI Card may or may not have, and it can also advertise its presence in the PCI Configuration Space. You can have one or multiple images in an Option ROM identified with a header, which the Motherboard Firmware should check so it can load a compatible one during POST (Like, a BIOS image and a UEFI one). Discrete Video Cards universally have an Option ROM (The VBIOS).
The Motherboard Flash ROM where you have the Firmware also serves as an Option ROM since any modern Motherboard should have integrated BIOS and UEFI Drivers of the built in components there.

 

[chrstrbrts]

You may want to check this presentation, and the reelevant sections of the UEFI 2.6 specification. There is something called the "PCI Bus Driver" that should be what you're looking for.

The PCI specification standarized the PCI Option ROMs, which a PCI Card may or may not have, and it can also advertise its presence in the PCI Configuration Space. You can have one or multiple images in an Option ROM identified with a header, which the Motherboard Firmware should check so it can load a compatible one during POST (Like, a BIOS image and a UEFI one). Discrete Video Cards universally have an Option ROM (The VBIOS).
The Motherboard Flash ROM where you have the Firmware also serves as an Option ROM since any modern Motherboard should have integrated BIOS and UEFI Drivers of the built in components there.

Thanks for your reply.

Those links are awesome; I downloaded both.

The second is a real doozy!