Assembly Language for Intel-Based

Computers

Chapter 15: BIOS-Level

Programming

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 Chapter Overview

• Introduction
• VIDEO Programming with INT 10h
• Drawing Graphics Using INT 10h
• Memory-Mapped Graphics

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 2
 PC-BIOS
• The BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) provides low-
level hardware drivers for the operating system.
• accessible to 16-bit applications
• written in assembly language, of course
• source code published by IBM in early 1980's
• Advantages over MS-DOS:
• permits graphics and color programming
• faster I/O speeds
• read mouse, serial port, parallel port
• low-level disk access

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 3
 BIOS Data Area
• Fixed-location data area at address 00400h
• this area is also used by MS-DOS
• this area is accessible under Windows 98 & Windows
Me, but not under Windows NT, 2000, or XP.
• Contents:
• Serial and parallel port addresses
• Hardware list, memory size
• Keyboard status flags, keyboard buffer pointers,
keyboard buffer data
• Video hardware configuration
• Timer data

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 4
 What's Next

• Introduction
• Keyboard Input with INT 16h
• VIDEO Programming with INT 10h
• Drawing Graphics Using INT 10h
• Memory-Mapped Graphics
• Mouse Programming

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 5
 VIDEO Programming with INT 10h

• Basic Background
• Controlling the Color
• INT 10h Video Functions

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 6
 Video Modes
• Graphics video modes
• draw pixel by pixel
• multiple colors
• Text video modes
• character output, using hardware or software-based
font table
• mode 3 (color text) is the default
• default range of 80 columns by 25 rows.
• color attribute byte contains foreground and
background colors

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 7
 Video Text Mode
• Fonts.
• Video Text Pages
• Attributes

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 8
 Controlling the Color
• Mix primary colors: red, yellow, blue
• called subtractive mixing
• add the intensity bit for 4th channel
• Examples:
• red + green + blue = light gray (0111)
• intensity + green + blue = white (1111)
• green + blue = cyan (0011)
• red + blue = magenta (0101)
• Attribute byte:
• 4 MSB bits = background
• 4 LSB bits = foreground

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 9
 Controlling the Color

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 10
 INT 10h Video Functions
• AH register contains the function number
• 00h: Set video mode
• text modes listed in Table 15-5
• graphics modes listed in Table 15-6
• 01h: Set cursor lines
• 02h: Set cursor position
• 03h: Get cursor position and size
• 06h: Scroll window up
• 07h: Scroll window down
• 08h: Read character and attribute

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 11
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

• 09h: Write character and attribute

• 0Ah: Write character
• 10h (AL = 03h): Toggle blinking/intensity bit
• 0Fh: Get video mode

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 12
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 13
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 14
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 15
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 16
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 17
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 18
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 19
 Displaying a Color String

Write one character and attribute:

mov si,OFFSET string
. . .
mov ah,9 ; write character/attribute
mov al,[si] ; character to display
mov bh,0 ; video page 0
mov bl,color ; attribute
or bl,10000000b ; set blink/intensity bit
mov cx,1 ; display it one time
int 10h

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 20
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 21
 INT 10h Video Functions (cont)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 22
 Gotoxy Procedure
;--------------------------------------------------
Gotoxy PROC
;
; Sets the cursor position on video page 0.
; Receives: DH,DL = row, column
; Returns: nothing
;---------------------------------------------------
pusha
mov ah,2
mov bh,0
int 10h
popa
ret
Gotoxy ENDP

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 23
 Clrscr Procedure
Clrscr PROC
pusha
mov ax,0600h ; scroll window up
mov cx,0 ; upper left corner (0,0)
mov dx,184Fh ; lower right corner (24,79)
mov bh,7 ; normal attribute
int 10h ; call BIOS
mov ah,2 ; locate cursor at 0,0
mov bh,0 ; video page 0
mov dx,0 ; row 0, column 0
int 10h
popa
ret
Clrscr ENDP

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 24
 What's Next

• Introduction
• VIDEO Programming with INT 10h
• Drawing Graphics Using INT 10h
• Memory-Mapped Graphics

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 25
 INT 10h Pixel-Related Functions

• Slow performance
• Easy to program
• 0Ch: Write graphics pixel
• 0Dh: Read graphics pixel

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 26
 INT 10h Pixel-Related Functions

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 27
 INT 10h Pixel-Related Functions

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 28
 INT 10h Pixel-Related Functions

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 29
 DrawLine Program

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 30
 DrawLine Program

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 31
 Memory-Mapped Graphics

• Binary values are written to video RAM

• video adapter must use standard address
• Very fast performance
• no BIOS or DOS routines to get in the way

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 32
 Memory-Mapped Graphics
Address
FFFFF
ROM BIOS
F0000
Reserved
C0000
Video Text & Graphics
B8000
VRAM
Video Graphics

A0000
Transient Command Processor

Transient Program Area

(available for application programs)

Resident Command Processor

640K RAM
DOS Kernel, Device Drivers

Software BIOS

BIOS & DOS Data

00400
Interrupt Vector Table
00000

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 33
 Mode 13h: 320 X 200, 256 Colors

• Mode 13h graphics (320 X 200, 256 colors)

• Fairly easy to program
• read and write video adapter via IN and OUT
instructions
• pixel-mapping scheme (1 byte per pixel)

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 34
 Example: Draw 10 Pixels on the Screen

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 35
 Example: Draw 10 Pixels on the Screen

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 36
 Example: Draw 10 Pixels on the Screen

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 37
 Using video Text Ram

.model small

.code
m:
mov ax,@data
mov ds,ax
mov ah,0
mov al,3
int 10h

mov bx,0b800h
mov es,bx
mov byte ptr es:[0], 'A'
mov byte ptr es:[1], 00001100b
mov byte ptr es:[2], 'v'
mov byte ptr es:[3], 00000100b

mov ah,4ch
int 21h

end m
Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 38
 Using video Text Ram

.model small
.386
.stack 10
.code
push ob800h
pop es
mov cx , 2000
mov bx , 0
Lop:
mov word ptr es: [bx] , 0f20h
add bx , 2
loop lop
mov ah , 4ch
int 21h
end

Irvine, Kip R. Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 5/e, 2007. Web site Examples 39