ACPI Implementers’ Guide - ACPI BIOS Case Study October 6, 1997
Intel/Microsoft/Toshiba
Introduction to ACPI BIOS Case Study
This is the section titled ACPI BIOS Case Study of the October 6, 1997, version of the ACPI Implementers’
Guide. The ACPI Implementers’ Guide is a practical guide for engineers that are working to get an ACPI-
compatible system design up and running. This Guide is designed to work with the ACPI Specification,
Version 1.0, and the ACPI Specification, Version 1.0, Errata publications; you need those other two
publications nearby to effectively use this Guide.
Structure of the ACPI Implementers’ Guide
The Guide in its entirety contains the following sections. The stand-alone section you have downloaded is
shaded in below.
Section Title Description Suggested Use
ACPI Name Space ImpGuide Describes how various name
spaces are dealt with in an ACPI
system and primes the reader on
basic concepts involved in the
Mobile Concept machine.
If you are designing and building a
mobile platform, use this chapter to
further your understanding of basic
concepts and requirements as well
as learn the requirements for name
spaces in an ACPI system.
ACPI Event ImpGuide Describes how to implement events
in ACPI, including power
management event signals, and
runtime event signals using the
PIIX4 chipsets.
Use this chapter to learn about
various methods for implementing
runtime and wake events in ACPI.
ACPI Embedded Controller
ImpGuide
Describes the advantages of using
an Embedded Controller (EC) on
an ACPI platform and gives
several examples of EC use on a
mobile platform (based on the use
of an EC on the Trajan platform).
If you are planning to use an EC on
your ACPI platform, or are
implementing an EC, use this
chapter for design and
implementation ideas.
Installing and Using the AMLI
Debugger
Describes how to install and use
the AMLI debugger under both
Windows 98 and Windows NT.
If you are debugging AML code
and want to use the AMLI
debugger, refer to this chapter.
ACPI Mobile Concept Machine Describes a hypothetical mobile
platform design with a hardware
block diagram, models the
hardware with objects in ACPI
name space, and fills the objects
with ASL code. Focuses on
• Using an embedded controller.
• Managing removable devices
coming and going in a bay.
• Managing docking and
undocking events.
If you are designing and building a
mobile platform that has an ACPI-
compatible chipset, use this chapter
to get ideas for your design and to
get blocks of sample ASL code you
can modify instead of writing all
your ASL code from scratch.
ACPI BIOS Case Study This section goes one step beyond
the concept machine sections. This
section uses the ACPI-compatible
Trajan 430TX motherboard as a
case study and shows how to build
an ACPI BIOS for an actual ACPI-
compatible motherboard product.
Use this chapter both to double-
check the validity of your ASL
code and to package your ACPI
BIOS.
ACPI Desktop Concept Machine Describes a hypothetical desktop
platform design with a hardware
block diagram, models the
If you are designing and building a
Desktop that has an ACPI-
compatible chipset, use this chapter
