3.0 Option ROM Support

This section outlines the Plug and Play Option ROM requirements. This Option ROM support is directed specifically towards boot devices; however, the Static Resource Information Vector permits non-Plug and Play devices which have option ROMs to take advantage of the Plug and Play Option ROM expansion header to assist a Plug and Play environment whether or not it is a boot device. A boot device is defined as any device which must be initialized prior to loading the Operating System. Strictly speaking, the only required boot device is the Initial Program Load (IPL) device upon which the operating system is stored. However, the definition of boot devices is extended to include a primary Input Device and a primary Output device. In some situations these I/O devices may be required for communication with the user.

All new Plug and Play devices that support Option ROMs should support the Plug and Play Option ROM Header. In addition, all non-Plug and Play devices may be "upgraded" to support the Plug and Play Option ROM header as well. While these static ISA devices will still not have software configurable resources, the Plug and Play Option ROM Header will greatly assist a Plug and Play System BIOS in identification and selection of the primary boot devices.

It is important to note that the Option ROM support outlined here is defined specifically for computing platforms based on the Intel X86 family of microprocessors and may not apply to systems based on other types of microprocessors.