Phoenix ROM BIOS Ver 1.xx: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "thumb|The Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx POST screen Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx is the first version of PhoenixBIOS, developed by Phoenix Software (back then called Phoenix Software Associates) and released in 1984. It is the first mass licensed fully IBM PC compatible BIOS, as other BIOSes at the time were either not fully compatible, or contained copyrighted IBM code, prohibiting their mass licensing. This version does not include a b...")
 
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[[File:Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx POST.png|thumb|The Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx POST screen]]
[[File:Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx POST.png|thumb|The POST screen from the Kaypro Model 16 computer]]
Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx is the first version of [[PhoenixBIOS]], developed by [[Phoenix Software]] (back then called Phoenix Software Associates) and released in 1984. It is the first mass licensed fully IBM PC compatible BIOS, as other BIOSes at the time were either not fully compatible, or contained copyrighted IBM code, prohibiting their mass licensing.
Phoenix ROM BIOS Ver 1.xx is the first version of [[PhoenixBIOS]] developed by [[Phoenix Technologies]] (then Phoenix Software Associates) and released in 1984. It is the first fully [[wikipedia:IBM_Personal_Computer|IBM PC]] compatible BIOS that was licensed to OEMs for use on their clones of that system, as at that time individual [[wikipedia:Original_equipment_manufacturer|OEM]] solutions were either not fully compatible or contained copyrighted IBM code, which prohibited their mass licensing for use on other systems and usually resulted in legal action by IBM against them.


This version does not include a built-in setup utility as that became a feature a few years later in around 1987 for most computers. For system configuration, a configuration diskette must've been inserted.
== Setup Utility ==
This version does not include a built-in CMOS setup utility. Therefore, a floppy disk containing the setup program must be used to configure the system. This setup program would be usually supplied by Phoenix or the OEMs themselves. Alternatively, generic setup programs such as [https://minuszerodegrees.net/5170/setup/5170_gsetup.htm GSETUP] (which was written for the original IBM PC) will usually work on this version.
 
== Known systems ==
The below is a list of systems that are known to use this version of PhoenixBIOS
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!POST screen
!Release date
!Manufacturer
!Model name
!PhoenixBIOS Version
!Note(s)
|-
|[[File:Tandy-1000-BIOS.png|thumb]]
|1984
|Tandy
|1000 (original)
|01.00.00
|Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.00
|-
|[[File:Phoenix ROM BIOS 1.xx POST.png|thumb]]
|1984
|Kaypro
|Model 16
|1.07
|
|-
|[[File:PhoenixBIOS 286 Ver 1.50.png|thumb]]
|1985-1987
|Nokia(?)
|''Unknown''
|1.50
|From an unknown 286 system with Nokia copyright seen here: https://retro.swarm.cz/20180901/aaaa-10/
|-
|[[File:Tandy 1000 SX memory test.png|thumb]][[File:Tandy 1000 SX BIOS.png|thumb]]
|1986
|Tandy
|1000 SX
|01.02.00
|Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.02
|-
|[[File:Tandy 1000 TL BIOS.png|thumb]]
|1988
|Tandy
|1000 TL
|01.04.01
|Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.04
|}

Latest revision as of 17:56, 23 August 2024

The POST screen from the Kaypro Model 16 computer

Phoenix ROM BIOS Ver 1.xx is the first version of PhoenixBIOS developed by Phoenix Technologies (then Phoenix Software Associates) and released in 1984. It is the first fully IBM PC compatible BIOS that was licensed to OEMs for use on their clones of that system, as at that time individual OEM solutions were either not fully compatible or contained copyrighted IBM code, which prohibited their mass licensing for use on other systems and usually resulted in legal action by IBM against them.

Setup Utility

This version does not include a built-in CMOS setup utility. Therefore, a floppy disk containing the setup program must be used to configure the system. This setup program would be usually supplied by Phoenix or the OEMs themselves. Alternatively, generic setup programs such as GSETUP (which was written for the original IBM PC) will usually work on this version.

Known systems

The below is a list of systems that are known to use this version of PhoenixBIOS

POST screen Release date Manufacturer Model name PhoenixBIOS Version Note(s)
1984 Tandy 1000 (original) 01.00.00 Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.00
1984 Kaypro Model 16 1.07
1985-1987 Nokia(?) Unknown 1.50 From an unknown 286 system with Nokia copyright seen here: https://retro.swarm.cz/20180901/aaaa-10/
1986 Tandy 1000 SX 01.02.00 Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.02
1988 Tandy 1000 TL 01.04.01 Most likely a code fork based on PhoenixBIOS Ver 1.04