On Sun, Jan 22, 2017 at 5:16 PM, Jon Elson <elson at pico-systems.com> wrote:
On 01/22/2017 10:07 AM, Ali wrote:
Al,
I thought the problem with switching these chips was that part of the ROM
code was embedded in them? I.e. it isn't just an issue of battery? Am I
wrong? If I am then why not use one of the replacement chips that are
available?
These don't have a lot of memory on them. many early PCs stored some config
info there, but generally the BIOS can reconstruct it if it isn't there. I
suppose there is a possibility that random data in the CMOS memory could
cause the BIOS to try to use unavailable features and hang. I don't think
anybody put actual executable code in there.
On most PCs the RTC chip is mapped as I/O ports, not memory, so you couldn't
execute code from its RAM anyway. I suppose on (say) a 68000 based machine
you could (there is no separate I/O port address space on that processor) but
I have never seen it done.
-tony