SELECCION DE OPCION PROGRAMABLE

La presente invención se refiere a a un sistema de procesamiento de datos del tipo en el cual los datos operativos son recuperados y/o crados a la energización inicial del sistema para cada una de una pluralidad de tarjetas conectadas al sistema por medio de sockets de I/0 y en el cual los datos operativos son entonces transferidos a cada tarjeta respectiva conectada al sistema, la mejora que comprende un método caracterizado por las etap0as de; proporcionar una memoria no volátil para almacenar los datos operativos cuando la energía del sistema está abajo, a la energización subsecuente, determinar que los datos operativos en la memoria no volátil todavía son válidos para todas las tarjetas conectadas al sistema y transferir los datos operativos válidos desde la memoria no volátil hasta las tarjetas respectivas. A data processing system includes a central processing unit (CPU), a main memory unit, and input/output (I/O) sockets, each adapted to receive a selected one of a plurality of different and/or similar option cards. Each card contains (or is connected to) and controls a respective peripheral device, and each card is pre-wired with an ID value corresponding to its card type. Programmable option registers on each card store parameters such as address information, priority levels, and other system resource parameters. A setup routine, during initial power-on, retrieves and stores the appropriate parameters in the I/O cards and also in socket locations in main memory, one location being assigned to each input/output socket. Each socket location is adapted to hold the parameters associated with the card inserted in its respective socket and the card ID value. That portion of main memory containing the socket locations is adapted to maintain the parameter and ID information by means of battery power when system power fails or is disconnected, i.e., a non-volatile memory portion. Subsequent power-on routines are simplified by merely transferring parameters from the memory to the card registers if the status of all the sockets has not changed since the last power-down.