BIOS License Included With Every ZFx86 Chip Saves Time and Cost! Every ZFx86 System-on-a-Chip includes a fully paid run time license for the ZF FailSafe BIOS based on the Phoenix 4.x PC BIOS. Our FailSafe BIOS takes the industry leading Phoenix BIOS and extends it for the ultimate in embedded BIOS features. There is no requirement for you to negotiate or secure a separate license agreement with Phoenix Technologies, Ltd. Our agreement with Phoenix allows us to distribute the ZF FailSafe BIOS to our customers for use on every ZFx86 chip purchased. The BIOS included with every ZF chip allows our customers, contract manufacturers, and distributors, to incorporate the ZF FailSafe BIOS within any products that use the ZFx86 System-on-a-Chip. You may resell the CPU itself or any subassembly or end product that includes a ZFx86 CPU and pass on the fully paid Phoenix/ZF BIOS. No further licensing requirement with Phoenix or any third party is required as long as the BIOS used is that supplied by ZF. A full-featured BIOS, the ZF FailSafe BIOS supports the entire array of system features present in the ZFx86 System-on-a-Chip. The BIOS itself is not a source code distribution, but rather an easily-used executable binary that runs on the ZFx86 within your product. ZF takes care of the cost overhead, paying Phoenix all royalty fees for every ZFx86 sold worldwide.

BIOS Features
Built on the world standard Phoenix BIOS for 32-bit x86 desktop architecture, the ZF FailSafe BIOS supports features designed by ZF expressly for embedded applications. These ZF-unique features include:

• Default Configuration Settings selectable by OEM product designers. This means that no battery backed CMOS is required to retain your customized settings, resulting in increased reliability at a lower BOM cost.

• ZEB BIOS Editor. This free development utility provides a way to custom configure the ZF FailSafe BIOS without recompiling or difficult scripting. A simple user interface allows you to change BIOS settings even after your design is finished. Manufacturing engineers find ZEB especially useful.

• Eight user defined Chip Selects. This enables I/O and Flash Memory devices such as Disk-On-Chips to be connected without additional glue logic, again increasing reliability and reducing BOM cost.

• Enhanced error checking that not only increases field reliability, but helps pin-point, "bring up" design problems resulting in faster time to market.
  Built in ZFlash Boot-OS-from-Flash capability.

• Headless (No Video/Keyboard ) console support with Redirect terminal (includes POST code outputs).

Video Extension BIOS
The ZF FailSafe BIOS supports a load feature for custom PCI video BIOS binaries. Using our ZEB utility's main menu you may combine the ZFx86 BIOS with your own PCI video BIOS. The BIOS shadows the PCI video BIOS and treats it as if it were a standard PCI Extension ROM and initializes the matching embedded PCI Video chip.
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