Validating Instructions in SvgaHwIoPortXxx

As already mentioned in VGA-Compatible Miniports HwFindAdapter, the IOPM set for directly accessible I/O ports usually includes all SVGA registers except the sequencer registers and the miscellaneous output register, which the VGA-compatible miniport continues to monitor with its SvgaHwIoPortXxx functions. The sequencer registers control internal chip timing on VGA-compatible video adapters. If a full-screen MS-DOS application touches other adapter registers during a synchronous reset, the machine can hang. Likewise, if the miscellaneous output register is set to select a nonexistent clock, the machine can hang.

VGA-compatible miniport drivers must ensure that full-screen MS-DOS applications do not issue instructions that cause the machine to hang. Each such miniport driver must supply SvgaHwIoPortXxx function that monitor application-issued instructions to the I/O ports for the adapter sequencer registers and miscellaneous output register. Each new VGA-compatible miniport driver for an adapter with special features also must monitor and continue to validate any I/O ports to which an application might send any instruction sequence that could hang the machine.

Whenever an application attempts to access the sequencer clock register, the SvgaHwIoPortXxx must change the IOPM in order to trap all instructions coming in during a synchronous reset. As soon as an application sends an instruction that affects the sequencer or attempts to write to the miscellaneous output register, the SvgaHwIoPortXxx should adjust the IOPM by calling VideoPortSetTrappedEmulatorPorts to disable direct access to all adapter registers.

The miniport-supplied SvgaHwIoPortXxx functions should buffer subsequent IN (or INSB/INSW/INSD) and/or OUT (or OUTSB/OUTSW/OUTSD) instructions in the EmulatorAccessEntriesContext area it set up in the VIDEO_PORT_CONFIG_INFO (see VGA-Compatible Miniports HwFindAdapter ) until the synchronous reset is done, or until the application either restores the miscellaneous output register or resets it to a "safe" clock.

Then, the miniport driver is responsible for checking that the buffered instructions cannot hang the machine. If not, the miniport should process the buffered instructions, usually by calling VideoPortSynchronizeExecution with a driver-supplied HwVidSynchronizeExecutionCallback function. Otherwise, the miniport driver should discard the buffered instructions.