Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, May 23 2012 @ 10:23 AM EDT |
BIOS provides a semi-standardized API to the hardware.
Also see HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) in some operating systems.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, May 23 2012 @ 10:29 AM EDT |
A traditional PC BIOS has two interfaces. On one end, it interfaces to the
hardware. On the other end, it interfaces with the software on the PC. The point
is to have a standard software API implemented on top of non-standardized
hardware.
I don't know any details, but it's like a primitive operating system, where the
API includes functions like printing a character to the screen, or reading a
sector from the floppy disk.
And now I guess a playstation BIOS is a bit different from a PC BIOS, but the
principle would be the same: An API which software (i.e., games) is expected to
use to access the hardware.
/Niels Möller
[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, May 23 2012 @ 10:31 AM EDT |
Not necessarily. It's possible to implement the BIOS ABI in a hardware
independent way. Look at Dosbox.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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Authored by: Gringo_ on Wednesday, May 23 2012 @ 12:58 PM EDT |
My understanding from the quote below is that Connectix
created an emulation
layer running above the regular PC
BIOS. In other words, the Connectix code
never directly
touches the hardware (except maybe for a few
interrupts).
The purpose of the Virtual Game Station is to
emulate on a regular computer the functioning of the Sony
PlayStation console,
so that computer owners who buy the
Virtual Game Station software can play Sony
PlayStation
games
on their computers. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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