The definition of BIOS differs from CMOS, can they be interchangeable?

BIOS (Basic input/output System) is the primary input/output systems. It is actually a set of programs that are solidified into computers, for computers

Provides the lowest level, the most direct hardware control. To be precise, the BIOS is a "translator" or interface (though it is only a program) between the hardware and the software program.

, responsible for the immediate requirements of the hardware, and the implementation of hardware requirements according to the software. Programmers can call the BIOS interrupt routine directly by accessing interrupts such as int 5, int 13, and so on.

The BIOS is a ROM chip that is solidified on the motherboard, and the System Setup program, the microcomputer component configuration is placed in a read-write CMOS RAM chip, which holds the system

CPU, soft hard drive, monitor, keyboard and other parts of the information, shutdown, the system through a backup battery to the CMOS power supply to maintain the information. When the computer is connected to the power, the system will have a pair of internal

The process by which each device is checked, which is done by a program that is commonly referred to as The post (power On Self test, and on the self-test). This is also a function of the BIOS. The full post self-test will include CPU, 640K of basic memory, extended memory above 1M, ROM, motherboard,

CMOS memory, serial port, display card, soft and hard plate system and keyboard test. If the problem is found in the self-test, the system will give a message or whistle warning. After the post self-test is completed, ROM

The BIOS will search for a valid boot drive, such as a soft hard drive and a CDROM, network server, according to the boot sequence in the system's CMOS settings

, read the operating system boot record, then give the system control to the boot record, and the boot record completes the system startup.

Currently the main BIOS in the market is the AMI BIOS and the award BIOS. 586 previous BIOS is more than rewritable EPROM chip, the above label is protected

The function of the BIOS content (UV irradiation will cause the content of EPROM to be lost), can not be easily torn off. 586 ROM After

The BIOS uses EEPROM (electrically erasable read ROM only), through the jumper switch and system with the driver tray, you can rewrite the EEPROM, easy to achieve BIOS upgrades, which is

We often speak of BIOS upgrades.

CMOS, (refers to the complementary metal oxide semiconductor--a large-scale use of integrated circuit chip manufacturing materials) is a microcomputer motherboard on a read-write Ram core

To save the current system hardware configuration and user settings for some parameters. The CMOS can be powered by the motherboard's battery, and the information will not be lost even if the system loses power. Cmos

Ram itself is only a piece of memory, only the data preservation function, and the parameters of the CMOS settings to pass a special program. The early CMOS Setup program resides

On a floppy disk (such as IBM's PC/AT model), it is inconvenient to use. Now most manufacturers will be CMOS Setup program to do the BIOS chip, in the boot through a specific button

You can enter the CMOS Setup program to easily set up the system, so the CMOS settings are also called BIOS settings.

The early CMOS is a separate chip mc146818a (Dip package), a total of 64 bytes of storage System information, see the CMOS configuration datasheet. After 386 of the computer will generally

MC146818A chips are integrated into other IC chips (such as the 82C206,PQFP package), and some of the latest 586 motherboards will be CMOS and system real-time clock and backup battery set

into a chip called Dallda DS1287. With the development of micro-computer and the increase of parameters can be set up, CMOS RAM is now generally 128 bytes up to 256 bytes

's capacity. To maintain compatibility, BIOS vendors align their BIOS settings for the first 64-byte content of CMOS RAM with mc146818a CMOS

RAM format is consistent, and in the expansion of the section to add their own special settings, so the different manufacturers of BIOS chips are generally not interchangeable, even interchangeable, after the swap to

The CMOS information is reset to ensure that the system is functioning properly.