Advanced OS Implementation Reference Materials

x86 Emulation

• Bochs - An x86 platform and CPU emulator.
  • User manual
  • Debugger reference
• QEMU - A new, much faster but less mature PC emulator. Use in this class at your own risk.

x86 Assembly Language

• PC Assembly Language, Paul A. Carter, March 2005. (local copy)
• Intel 80386 Programmer's Reference Manual, 1987 (HTML). (local copy - HTML) (local copy - tar.gz)
  Much shorter than the full current Intel Architecture manuals below, but describes all processor features used in this class.
• IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manuals, Intel, 2005. Local copies:
  • Volume I: Basic Architecture
  • Volume 2A: Instruction Set Reference, A-M
  • Volume 2A: Instruction Set Reference, N-Z
  • Volume 3: System Programming Guide
• AMD64 Architecture Programmer's Manual.
  Covers both the "classic" 32-bit x86 architecture and the new 64-bit extensions supported by the latest AMD and Intel processors. Local copies:
  • Volume I: Application Programming
  • Volume 2: System Programming
  • Volume 3: General-Purpose and System Instructions
• Writing inline assembly language with GCC:
  • Brennan's Guide to Inline Assembly, Brennan "Bas" Underwood
  • Inline assembly for x86 in Linux, Bharata B. Rao, IBM
  • x86 Inline Assembly Programming, Anthony Aaby
• Loading x86 executables in the ELF format:
  • Tool Interface Standard (TIS) Executable and Linking Format (ELF).
    The definitive standard for the ELF format.

PC Hardware Programming

• General PC architecture information
  • Phil Storrs PC Hardware book, Phil Storrs, April 2000.
  • Bochs technical hardware specifications directory.
• BIOS and PC bootstrap
  • BIOS Central
  • BIOS Services and Software Interrupts, Roger Morgan, 1997.
  • "El Torito" Bootable CD-ROM Format Specification, Phoenix/IBM, January 1995. (local copy)
  • BIOS Boot Specification, Compaq/Phoenix/intel, January 1996.
• VGA display cards - kern/console.c
  • VGADOC, Finn Thøgersen, 2000. (local copy - text) (local copy - ZIP)
  • Free VGA Project, J.D. Neal, 1998.
• Keyboard and Mouse - kern/console.c
  • Adam's μ-Resources, Adam Chapweske, 2004.
• 8253/8254 Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) - inc/timerreg.h
  • 82C54 CHMOS Programmable Interval Timer, Intel, October 1994. (local copy)
  • Data Solutions 8253/8254 Tutorial, Data Solutions.
• 8259/8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller (PIC) - kern/picirq.*
  • 8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller, Intel, December 1988.
• Real-Time Clock (RTC) - kern/kclock.*
  • Phil Storrs PC Hardware book, Phil Storrs, April 2000. In particular:
    • Understanding the CMOS
    • A list of what is in the CMOS
  • CMOS Memory Map, Padgett Peterson, May 1996.
  • M48T86 PC Real-Time Clock, ST Microelectronics, April 2004. (local copy)
• 16550 UART Serial Port - kern/console.c
  • PC16550D Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with FIFOs, National Semiconductor, 1995.
  • Technical Data on 16550, Byterunner Technologies.
  • Interfacing the Serial / RS232 Port, Craig Peacock, August 2001.
• IEEE 1284 Parallel Port - kern/console.c
  • Parallel Port Central, Jan Axelson.
  • Parallel Port Background, Warp Nine Engineering.
  • IEEE 1284 - Updating the PC Parallel Port, National Instruments.
  • Interfacing the Standard Parallel Port, Craig Peacock, August 2001.
• IDE hard drive controller - fs/ide.c
  • The Guide to ATA/ATAPI documentation, Constantine Sapuntzakis, January 2002.
  • Programming Interface for Bus Master IDE Controller, Brad Hosler, Intel, May 1994.
  • AT Attachment with Packet Interface - 6 (working draft), ANSI, December 2001.
• Sound cards (not supported in class kernel, but you're welcome to do it as a challenge problem!)
  • Signal Processing using Sound Cards
  • Sound Blaster Series Hardware Programming Guide, Creative Technology, 1996.
  • 8237A High Performance Programmable DMA Controller, Intel, September 1993.
  • Sound Blaster 16 Programming Document, Ethan Brodsky, June 1997.
  • Sound Programming, Inverse Reality.