1.1. Goals

The following are the architectural goals to support full Plug-and-Play of ISA systems:

  1. Focus on ease-of-use for the end-user
  2. Provide the ability to uniquely address individual cards even when two or more cards are configured to use the same system resources.
  3. Define a protocol that provides the ability to read a configuration template on each card which identifies current resource usage and options for each system resource requested on each card
  4. Define a mechanism to set or modify the current configuration of each card
  5. Provide a range of cost-benefit compliance points
  6. Maintain backward and forward compatibility as follows:
    • Plug and Play ISA cards will electrically and functionally inter-operate with standard ISA cards in any existing ISA based PC system; however, the system may not be fully auto-configurable.
    • With the addition of Plug and Play software (i.e. utilities, BIOS enhancements or operating system enhancements, and user interrogation), the above system can be made increasingly auto-configurable.
    • A system with only Plug and Play ISA cards and appropriate software will be fully auto-configurable.