PowerPC Microprocessor Common Hardware Reference Platform

A System Architecture

1st Edition - November 29, 1995
Authors: Apple Computer, Inc., International Business Machines, Inc., Motorola Corp.
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 0 1 5 5 5 - 1

This book defines the architecture requirements and minimum system requirementsfor a computer system that is designed to become an open industry standard.These requirements pr… Read more

PowerPC Microprocessor Common Hardware Reference Platform

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This book defines the architecture requirements and minimum system requirementsfor a computer system that is designed to become an open industry standard.These requirements provide a description of the devices, interfaces, and dataformats required to design and build a PowerPC-based computer. This standard isdesigned to provide software compatibility for several operating environments.Systems built to these requirements can use industry-standard componentscurrently found in IBM-compatible and Apple® Macintosh® personal computers. Thesesystems are expected to run various future versions of operating systemsincluding Apple Mac OS™, IBM AIX™ and PowerPC™ Editions of IBM OS/2 Warp Connect™,Microsoft Windows NT™ Workstation, Novell Netware™, and SunSoft Solaris™.

This book is the primary source of information for anyone developing a hardwareplatform, an operating system, or hardware component to be part of thesestandard systems. It describes the hardware-to-operating-system interface thatis essential to anyone building hardware platforms and provides the minimumsystem configurations that platform designers must meet when building a standardplatform. Component manufacturers require this information to producecompatible chips and adapters to use on these platforms, and software developersrequire the information on mandatory functions and documented interfaces.

The architecture is intended to support a range of PowerPC microprocessor-based system implementations including portable, desktop, and server classsystems, and allows multiple operating-system implementations across a widerange of environments and functions. This enables new hardware and softwareenhancements that are necessary for the development of improved userinterfaces, higher performance, and broader operating environments.

PowerPC™ Microprocessor Common Hardware Reference Platform: A System Architectureby IBM Inc & Motorola
ForewordList of FiguresList of Tables
About this DocumentGoals of the SpecificationAudience for this DocumentOrganization of this DocumentSuggested ReadingConventions Used in this DocumentAcknowledgmentsComments on this Document
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Platform topology
Chapter 2 System Requirements
2.1 System Operation
2.1.1 Control Flow2.1.2 POST2.1.3 Boot Phase2.1.4 Transfer Phase2.1.5 Run-Time2.1.6 Termination
2.2 Firmware2.3 Bi-Endian Support2.4 64-Bit Addressing Support2.5 Minimum System Requirements
2.5.1 Table Description
2.6 Options and Extensions
Chapter 3 System Address Map
3.1 Address Areas3.2 Address Decoding and Translation
3.2.1 Peripheral I/O Address Translation3.2.2 Translation of 32-Bit DMA Addresses in 64-Bit Addressing Systems
3.3 PC Emulation Option
Chapter 4 Processor and Memory
4.1 Processor Architecture
4.1.1 Processor Architecture Compliance4.1.2 PowerPC Microprocessor Differences4.1.3 Processor Interface Variations4.1.4 PowerPC Architecture Features Deserving Comment
4.2 Memory Architecture
4.2.1 System Memory4.2.2 Storage Ordering Models4.2.3 Memory Controllers4.2.4 Cache Memory
Chapter 5 I/O Bridges
5.1 PCI Host Bridge (PHB) Architecture
5.1.1 PHB Implementation Options5.1.2 Data Buffering and Instruction Queuing5.1.3 Byte Ordering Conventions5.1.4 PCI Bus Protocols5.1.5 Programming Model
5.2 I/O Bus to I/O Bus Bridges
5.2.1 What Must Talk to What5.2.2 PCI to PCI Bridges5.2.3 PCI to ISA Bridges5.2.4 16-Bit PC Card (PCMCIA) and Cardbus PC Card Bridges
Chapter 6 Interrupt Controller
6.1 Interrupt Controller Architecture6.2 Distributed Implementation - A Proposal
Chapter 7 Run-Time Abstraction Services
7.1 RTAS Introduction7.2 RTAS Environment
7.2.1 Machine State7.2.2 Register Usage7.2.3 RTAS Critical Regions7.2.4 Resource Allocation and Use7.2.5 Instantiating RTAS7.2.6 RTAS Device Tree Properties7.2.7 Calling Mechanism and Conventions7.2.8 Return Codes
7.3 RTAS Call Function Definition
7.3.1 restart-rtas7.3.2 NVRAM Access Functions7.3.3 Time of Day7.3.4 Error and Event Reporting7.3.5 PCI Configuration Space7.3.6 Operator Interfaces and Platform Control7.3.7 Power Management7.3.8 Suspend and Hibernate7.3.9 Reboot7.3.10 Caches7.3.11 SMP Support
Chapter 8 Non-Volatile Memory
8.1 System Requirements8.2 Structure8.3 Signatures8.4 Architected Partitions
8.4.1 Open Firmware (0x50)8.4.2 Hardware (0x52)8.4.3 System (0x70)8.4.4 Configuration (0x71)8.4.5 Error Log (0x72)8.4.6 Multi-Boot (0x73)8.4.7 Free Space (0x7F)
8.5 NVRAM Space Management
Chapter 9 I/O Devices
9.1 PCI Devices
9.1.1 Resource Locking9.1.2 PCI Expansion ROMs9.1.3 Assignment of Interrupts to PCI Devices9.1.4 PCI Devices with Required Register Definitions9.1.5 PCI-PCI Bridge Devices9.1.6 Graphics Controller and Monitor Requirements for Clients
9.2 ISA Devices
Chapter 10 Error and Event Notification
10.1 Introduction10.2 RTAS Error and Event Classes
10.2.1 Internal Error Indications10.2.2 Environmental and Power Warnings10.2.3 Power Management Events
10.3 RTAS Error and Event Information Reporting
10.3.1 Introduction10.3.2 RTAS Error/Event Return Format
Chapter 11 Power Management
11.1 Power Management Concepts
11.1.1 Power Management Policy Versus Mechanism11.1.2 Device Power States11.1.3 System Power Management States11.1.4 System Power Transitory States11.1.5 Power Domains and Domain Control Points11.1.6 Power Sources11.1.7 Batteries11.1.8 Power Management Events11.1.9 Explicit Transfer of Power Management Policy11.1.10 EPA Energy Star Compliance
11.2 Power-Managed Platform Requirements
11.2.1 Definition of Power Management Related Parameters Utilized by RTAS11.2.2 Open Firmware Device Tree Properties11.2.3 General Hardware Requirements
11.3 Operating System Requirements
11.3.1 General Requirements
Chapter 12 The Symmetric Multiprocessor Option
12.1 SMP System Organization12.2 An SMP Boot Process
12.2.1 SMP-Safe Boot12.2.2 Finding the Processor Configuration12.2.3 SMP-Efficient Boot12.2.4 Use of a Service Processor
Appendix A Operating System InformationAppendix B Requirements SummaryAppendix C Bi-Endian Designs
C.1 Little-Endian Address and Data TranslationC.2 Conforming Bi-Endian Designs
C.2.1 Processor and I/O Mode ControlC.2.2 Approach#1-Bi-Endian Memory and Bi-Endian I/O DesignC.2.3 Approach #2-Bi-Endian I/O Design
C.3 Software Support for Bi-Endian OperationC.4 Bi-Model DevicesC.5 Future Directions in Bi-Endian Architecture
Appendix D Architecture Migration NotesGlossaryTrademark InformationBibliographySources for DocumentsObtaining Additional InformationIndex