Resources

Digital System Books

Digital System Links

x86 Emulation

• QEMU – A fast and popular x86 platform and CPU
• • • • User manual

x86 Assembly Language

• PC Assembly Language,
  Paul A. Carter, November 2003.
  (MIT copy)
• • • Intel 80386 Programmer’s Reference Manual, 1987
      (HTML).
      (MIT copy – PDF)
      (MIT copy – HTML)Much shorter than the full current Intel Architecture manuals below,
      but describes all processor features used in 6.828.
    • IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer’s Manuals,
      Intel, 2007. Mit copies:

       

      • Volume I: Basic Architecture
      • Volume 2A: Instruction Set Reference, A-M
      • Volume 2B: Instruction Set Reference, N-Z
      • Volume 3A: System Programming Guide, Part 1
      • Volume 3B: System Programming Guide, Part 2
    • Multiprocessor references:
      • MP specification
      • IO APIC
    • 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.
    • Writing inline assembly language with GCC:
      • Brennan’s Guide to Inline Assembly,
        Brennan “Mr. Wacko” Underwood
      • Inline assembly for x86 in Linux,
        Bharata B. Rao, IBM
      • GCC-Inline-Assembly-HOWTO,
        Sandeep.S
    • 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, December 1998.
      • Bochs technical hardware specifications directory.
    • General BIOS and PC bootstrap

       

      • BIOS Services and Software Interrupts,
        Roger Morgan, 1997.
      • “El Torito” Bootable CD-ROM Format Specification,
        Phoenix/IBM, January 1995.
    • VGA display – kern/console.c
      • VESA BIOS Extension (VBE) 3.0,
        Video Electronics Standards Association,
        September 1998.
        (MIT copy)
      • VGADOC, Finn Thøgersen, 2000.
        (MIT copy – text)
        (MIT copy – ZIP)
      • Free VGA Project, J.D. Neal, 1998.
    • Keyboard and Mouse – kern/console.c
      • Adam
        Chapweske’s resources.
    • 8253/8254 Programmable Interval Timer (PIT)
      – inc/timerreg.h

       

      • 82C54 CHMOS Programmable Interval Timer,
        Intel, October 1994.
        (MIT 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, December 1998. 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.
        (MIT 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
      • AT Attachment with Packet Interface – 6 (working draft),
        ANSI, December 2001.
      • Programming Interface for Bus Master IDE Controller,
        Brad Hosler, Intel, May 1994.
      • The Guide to ATA/ATAPI documentation,
        Constantine Sapuntzakis, January 2002.
    • Sound cards (not supported in 6.828 kernel, but you’re welcome to do it as a challenge problem!)

       

      • 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.
    • E100 Network Interface Card
      • Intel 8255x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Controller Family Open Source Software Developer Manual
      • 82559ER Fast Ethernet PCI Controller Datasheet
      • The 82559 EEPROM