IBM PC BIOS interface standard

E719544

firmware interface specification software‑hardware interface standard

The IBM PC BIOS interface standard is a foundational specification that defines the low-level firmware services and software interface between a computer’s hardware and operating system in IBM-compatible personal computers.

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All labels observed (5)

Label	Occurrences
IBM PC BIOS	2
IBM PC BIOS interface standard canonical	1
IBM-compatible BIOS	1
PC BIOS	1
PC/AT BIOS extensions	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T8210259 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: IBM PC BIOS interface standard
Context triple: [ROM BIOS, associatedWith, IBM PC BIOS interface standard]

A. IBM PC XT BIOS
IBM PC XT BIOS is the low-level firmware that initializes and controls the hardware of the IBM PC XT, providing essential system services for its operating systems and software.
B. IBM PC
The IBM PC is the original 1981 personal computer model from IBM that became a de facto industry standard and helped popularize home and business computing worldwide.
C. IBM PC AT
The IBM PC AT is a second-generation IBM personal computer introduced in 1984 that featured the Intel 80286 processor and set many hardware and expansion standards for business PCs.
D. IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible refers to a class of personal computers that are hardware- and software-compatible with the original IBM Personal Computer standard, enabling them to run the same operating systems and applications.
E. IBM PC XT
The IBM PC XT is an early 1980s personal computer from IBM that expanded on the original IBM PC with a built-in hard drive and more expansion capabilities, becoming a widely used business desktop system.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: IBM PC BIOS interface standard
Target entity description: The IBM PC BIOS interface standard is a foundational specification that defines the low-level firmware services and software interface between a computer’s hardware and operating system in IBM-compatible personal computers.

A. IBM PC XT BIOS
IBM PC XT BIOS is the low-level firmware that initializes and controls the hardware of the IBM PC XT, providing essential system services for its operating systems and software.
B. IBM PC
The IBM PC is the original 1981 personal computer model from IBM that became a de facto industry standard and helped popularize home and business computing worldwide.
C. IBM PC AT
The IBM PC AT is a second-generation IBM personal computer introduced in 1984 that featured the Intel 80286 processor and set many hardware and expansion standards for business PCs.
D. IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible refers to a class of personal computers that are hardware- and software-compatible with the original IBM Personal Computer standard, enabling them to run the same operating systems and applications.
E. IBM PC XT
The IBM PC XT is an early 1980s personal computer from IBM that expanded on the original IBM PC with a built-in hard drive and more expansion capabilities, becoming a widely used business desktop system.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	firmware interface specification ⓘ software‑hardware interface standard ⓘ
alsoKnownAs	IBM PC BIOS ⓘ linked to: IBM PC BIOS interface standard IBM-compatible BIOS ⓘ linked to: IBM PC BIOS interface standard PC BIOS ⓘ linked to: IBM PC BIOS interface standard
assumes	16‑bit real mode at boot ⓘ
basedOn	x86 real mode execution environment ⓘ
category	IBM PC architecture ⓘ computer firmware standards ⓘ
compatibleWith	IBM PC compatible systems ⓘ IBM PC/AT ⓘ linked to: IBM PC AT IBM PC/XT ⓘ linked to: IBM PC XT
definedFor	IBM PC compatible computers ⓘ linked to: IBM PC compatible
defines	low-level firmware services ⓘ software interface between hardware and operating system ⓘ
goal	provide a stable low‑level interface across compatible hardware ⓘ
influenced	MS‑DOS system programming model ⓘ PC‑compatible hardware design ⓘ later BIOS implementations by clone manufacturers ⓘ
introducedBy	International Business Machines Corporation ⓘ linked to: IBM
introducedInYear	1981 ⓘ
originatedWith	IBM Personal Computer model 5150 ⓘ linked to: IBM PC
predecessorOf	ACPI‑based firmware interfaces ⓘ PC/AT BIOS extensions ⓘ linked to: IBM PC BIOS interface standard UEFI firmware interface ⓘ linked to: UEFI
provides	bootstrapping services ⓘ hardware abstraction services ⓘ interrupt-driven service routines ⓘ runtime services for DOS and DOS‑like systems ⓘ
specifies	POST (power‑on self‑test) behavior ⓘ bootstrap loader behavior ⓘ disk services via INT 13h ⓘ keyboard services via INT 16h ⓘ printer services via INT 17h ⓘ register conventions for calling BIOS services ⓘ serial port services via INT 14h ⓘ standard interrupt numbers for system services ⓘ system configuration services via INT 15h ⓘ time and date services via INT 1Ah ⓘ video services via INT 10h ⓘ
storesCodeIn	ROM or flash memory on motherboard ⓘ
targetArchitecture	Intel 8088 ⓘ x86 family ⓘ linked to: x86
usedBy	DOS operating systems ⓘ early versions of Microsoft Windows ⓘ many boot loaders ⓘ
uses	interrupt vector table at low memory ⓘ software interrupts as service entry points ⓘ

How these facts were elicited