pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

EFI – Extensible Firmware Interface – explained

The BIOS has evolved very little since the birth of the PC in 1981, remaining a chunk of hand-crafted assembly language code most users know only for the series of arcane configuration and test messages fleetingly displayed when they turn on their PC.

Intel first signalled that all that was about to change in early 2000, with the release of the first version of its Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specification, a proposed standard for the architecture, interface and services of a brand new type of PC firmware, designed to provide a well-specified set of services that are consistent across all platforms.

EFI services are divided into two distinct groups, those that are available only before the operating system is loaded, known as Boot Services, and those that are also available after EFI has assumed its minimum footprint configuration, known as Runtime Services. Boot Services provide the breadth of functionality offered by EFI for platform configuration, initialisation, diagnostics, OS kernel image loading and other functions. Run-time Services represent a minimum set of services primarily used to query and update non-volatile EFI settings.

Services within EFI are officially specified in the EFI Specification as core services and protocol interfaces. Various protocol interfaces have been defined for access to a variety of boot devices, many of which are provided in the EFI reference implementation. Other protocol interfaces provide services for application level functions, such as memory allocation and obtaining access to a specified protocol interface.

EFI modules are generally defined as applications or drivers. Drivers conform to a model defined in the EFI specification, and are used to implement a particular protocol interface. In many cases the implementation of one protocol interface may use or enhance the functionality of an existing protocol interface, thereby providing a mechanism for an object oriented design practice called containment and aggregation.

In essence, EFI is effectively a tiny operating system in its own right, complete with its own basic networking, graphics, keyboard and storage handling software. This will allow it to have a radically different user interface to what we’ve been accustomed to, with support for high resolution displays and a proper GUI. The differences are far more than cosmetic though.

Since EFI is able to manage its own storage space – normally envisioned as a partition on a hard disk – hardware manufacturers will be able to add many more diagnostic and control options, and include support for different kinds of computer systems and configurations, without being constrained by the cost of expensive onboard flash memory. Moreover, the fact that EFI is developed in a high-level programming language will also spur innovation, allowing additional features to be created using standard programming tools. Such additions can include much more detailed and useful diagnostics, self-configuration programs and ways to sort out problems even if the operating system has died. Since it has its own networking capability, EFI will also be able to support remote diagnostics.

The EFI specification is primarily intended for the next generation of IA-32 and Itanium architecture-based computers, and is an outgrowth of the Intel Boot Initiative (IBI) program that began in 1998.

  • Evolution of the motherboard
  • BIOS – What motherboard BIOS does for a PC
  • CMOS – complementary metal oxide silicon – RAM chips on motherboards
  • EFI – Extensible Firmware Interface – explained
  • Motherboard form factors
  • Baby AT (BAT) Motherboard Form Factor
  • LPX – Low Profile eXtension motherboard form factor
  • ATX form factor
  • NLX – New Low profile eXtended – form factor for motherboards
  • Micro ATX motherboard form factor
  • FlexATX motherboard form factor
  • BTX – Balanced Technology eXtended – Motherboard Form Factor
  • Riser architectures for motherboards
  • CPU interfaces – motherboard slots and sockets for AMD and Intel processors

Filed Under: Motherboards Tagged With: BIOS, boottime, EFI, runtime

Latest Articles

4 Experts Share Insights on the Intersection of Tech Support & Business Growth

There is certainly no shortage of technology that businesses can leverage to grow and be more successful than competitors. The innovative tech streamlining a number of daily, monthly, and even quarterly business processes continues to enter the market in every industry. “Whether you're part of a … [Read More...]

TeraHertz Technology

In 1971, Intel's first processor - the 4004 - had 2,300 transistors. Thirty years later, the Pentium 4 had about 42 million. During that time chip makers' basic strategy for making processors faster has been to shrink transistors to enable … [Read More...]

IA-64 Architecture

It was in June 1994 that Hewlett-Packard announced their joint research-and development project aimed at providing advanced technologies for end-of- the-millennium workstation, server and enterprise-computing products and October 1997 that … [Read More...]

AI-Driven Software Improves Trading Strategies for Investors

Artificial intelligence technology is changing the state of modern finance. A growing number of investors are utilizing AI to improve the … [Read More...]

What You Need to Know When Choosing the Best VPN for an iPhones

Today millions of people have smartphones; most use them to access the Internet. Research shows that more than 50% of Internet users access it with … [Read More...]

Must-Have Software and Apps Every Remote Worker Should Have on Their PC in 2023?

In the last few years, the future of work has changed permanently. In a survey conducted near the end of 2020, 72% of people were fully remote, with … [Read More...]

Cloud Technology Changes the Calculus of Risk Management in a Global Economy

Cloud technology has changed the state of the global economy in previously unimaginable ways. Ninety-four percent of enterprises utilize some form of … [Read More...]

Risk Management Considerations in an Artificial Intelligence Environment

Risk management is about identifying, assessing, evaluating, and prioritizing risk. Although risk management has been practiced in some ways since … [Read More...]

New Software and GPS Tools Help Parents Monitor their Children

More parents are using technology to keep their children safe. One survey from Pew Research in 2016 showed that 30% of parents use technology to block … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

Which UK cities have the best network coverage?

The UK’s network connectivity is above average when compared to other countries, sitting at around 77% 4G availability nationwide, for example, and … [Read More...]

Windows Interactive Safety

Windows Interactive Safety Greetings! Unfortunately, if you've made your way to this page, you've probably been infected with Windows Interactive … [Read More...]

Google Drive Offers New Level of Protection

Protecting your data is an important topic these days. It seems every day when you turn the TV on you are hearing about some new data breach. And, … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors