Starting with the original IBM PC, BIOS served as a basic library of input/output functions, as well as hardware configuration and Operating System (OS) boot loader firmware. The role of BIOS changed greatly over time, and along the way it also picked up functions such as power control, thermal management and hot swapping via the ACPI standard. Today, the role of BIOS has evolved to become OS-independent boot loader and video initialization firmware based on the UEFI framework.

But while BIOS is rooted in three decades of PC market evolution, non-x86 embedded systems have long relied on simpler, faster, less complex, royalty-free boot loaders. BIOS does offer increased functionality, which may be useful in certain embedded applications. But many embedded applications simply need the boot loader to configure the hardware and load the OS, so the significant up-front and per-unit costs of BIOS present hurdles to widespread adoption of Intel Architecture (“IA”, or x86) as a mainstream deeply embedded architecture.

New royalty-free IA boot loaders from ADI Engineering, based on Intel Boot Loader Development Kits (BLDK), can help many embedded systems developers eliminate the substantial expense and time-to market challenges that BIOS has long imposed on IA. ADI’s new royalty-free IA boot loaders based on Intel Boot Loader Development Kit technologies empower  to gain significant advantages in costs, boot times, simplified product development cycles, and greater control over their boot loader firmware. For many embedded applications, BLDK is a viable replacement for BIOS, and it contributes to IA’s new-found competitiveness with ARM, Power Architecture, MIPs and other embedded processor architectures.

ADI Engineering’s Royalty-Free IA Boot Loader Solutions

Cinnamon Bay EX Single Board Computer Featuring BLDK Boot Loader and Low-Cost Single Chip E6xx Operation

Based on the new Intel Atom Processor E6xx series, Cinnamon Bay EX is a next-generation member of ADI’s Cinnamon Bay SBC product line. Cinnamon Bay EX comes in both commercial and industrial temperature grades, including single-chip thin E6xx configurations with ADI’s royalty-free BLDK boot loader, offering substantially lower costs than conventional E6xx SBCs based on BIOS and the two-chip E6xx + IOH architecture.

BLDK Firmware Development Services

ADI has established a “BLDK Center of Excellence” and offers BLDK boot loader development, testing, and integration services for customers using this exciting new technology. Whether part of a larger product development project, or a standalone boot loader development engagement, ADI stands ready to apply its extensive BLDK expertise to your project.

Expanding the capabilities of BLDK as delivered by Intel, now ADI’s BLDK boot loaders can now boot Windows, WinCE, and other legacy non-UEFI compatible OS that uses a legacy PC boot process.  ADI’s BLDK offerings aren’t just for Linux anymore.

Contact us to discuss how we can help with your BLDK boot loader needs.

IA Boot Loader Technical Articles and Industry Views

Industry View: Comparing BIOS, UEFI and Boot Loader Solutions

American Megatrends, Inc. presents the primary differences between BIOS, UEFI and boot loader solutions, highlighting the capabilities, advantages and disadvantages of each, along with considerations developers should take into account in deciding upon their boot firmware solution.