A Software Architecture For Docking Stations Paul Stanley Portable PC Architect Portable Advanced Architecture Compaq

1. A Software Architecture For Docking Stations Paul StanleyPortable PC ArchitectPortable Advanced ArchitectureCompaq Computer Corporation

2. Software Docking Architecture Compaq-Sponsored Proposal to the Mobile Advisory Council Work In Progress Not A Proposed Solution Intended To Stimulate Discussion and Thought Process Detailed Solutions Are Not Yet Available Not A MAC Consensus View Not A Compaq Product Roadmap!

3. Software Docking Architecture Not A Hardware Implementation Hardware is Abstracted via WDM & ACPI Does Not Enable Inserting OEM A�s Notebook into OEM B�s Docking Station Product Support Nightmare

4. Software Docking Architecture What The Problem Is One OS To Support Every OEM Design Docking Stations vs Port Replicators PCI-to-PCI Positive vs Subtractive Bridges (Or No Bridges At All) PCI-to-ISA Bridges Everywhere Side-Banded & Pass-Thru Signals Expansion Slots OEM Proprietary Devices

5. Software Docking Architecture What The Problem Is All sorts of hardware coming and going Surprise Removal Of Devices Surprise Removal Of The Dock �Good� vs �Bad� Hot-Connect Busses PC Card, PCI, USB, 1394, ...

6. Software Docking Architecture What The Solution Could Be One Possible Operating System Perspective -- There Are Others Docking Station appears as a single device PCI-to-PCI positive decode bridge, no side-banded or pass-through signals, no ISA bridge in the dock Write A Single Universal Driver

7. Software Docking Architecture What The Solution Could Be One Possible Platform OEM Perspective -- There Are Others Driver Might Use WDM Layered Architecture ACPI-Based Where Appropriate OEM-Specific Features Confined To a Low-Level Mini-Driver Power Control, Audio/Graphics, etc.

8. Software Docking Architecture

9. Software Docking Architecture Docks must use side-banded or pass-thru signals to support: Docking Events: detection, power sequencing, etc. (I2C Bus) Legacy Ports/Devices: Serial/Parallel, PS/2, FDD, IDE HDD, etc. Cost Reduction for otherwise duplicated subsystems: audio, video, etc. What About Legacy Removal and Docking?

10. Legacy Device Migration What Is �Legacy�? SuperIO & Legacy Ports: Serial, Parallel PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse Legacy FDD Legacy IDE HDD (ISA IRQ 14/15) Analog Audio Etc... ISA Slots And Devices Are �No More� As Of PC 99

11. Legacy Device Migration Where Can They Go? Some Possibilities -- There Are Others USB �SuperIO� In The Dock IDE-Based FDD �Native Mode IDE� HDD

12. Legacy Device Migration What Problems May Arise? USB Bandwidth Limitations 12 Mbit/Sec Is A Theoretical Maximum USB 2.0 Promises More Thruput USB Driver Software For New Classes PnP Support For Legacy Peripherals? For Example, a Parallel-Port Printer May Not Be Recognized By Its Driver Install Cost?

13. One Possible Evolution Create a New USB Device Class for a Docking Device Abstract OEM-Proprietary Hardware Design Latch & Unlatch Power Sequencing Push Buttons LED�s & Other Indicators

14. One Possible Evolution

15. Next Steps What�s going to happen to driver software? What�s going to happen to legacy peripherals?

16. What is the MAC? Open consortium of Mobile Industry participants Platform OEMs, Peripheral Manufacturers, Silicon & Software providers� Not a Standards body Establish Mobile Industry Consensus on open technical issues Present recommendations to existing standards bodies Mission: Foster growth of mobile industry Facilitate timely agreement among platform vendors, peripheral and silicon manufacturers and software providers on issues that will benefit from industry standardization or other common solution Preserve opportunities for differentiation in areas that do not necessitate standards Coordinate mobile requirements among existing industry standards Provide highly filtered and qualified mobile recommendations to standards bodies Participants: 3Com Acer Adaptec AirPower AMD AMI Compaq Cyrix Dell FCI/Berg Fujitsu Gateway Hitachi HP IBM Insyde Software JEIDA Mitsubishi Mobiliti National Semi NeoMagic NEC OADG Phillips Phoenix/Award S3 Sharp Sony TDK TI Toshiba Watergate Xircom WG�s: ACPI & Power Management Communications Diagnostics Docking Stations Hardware Design Guide (PC xx) input Marketing Operating Systems Pre-Boot Security SubSystem Interconnect Priorities: ACPI & Power Management Mobile Friendly Applications Common Docking Architecture Legacy Device Migration Mission: Foster growth of mobile industry Facilitate timely agreement among platform vendors, peripheral and silicon manufacturers and software providers on issues that will benefit from industry standardization or other common solution Preserve opportunities for differentiation in areas that do not necessitate standards Coordinate mobile requirements among existing industry standards Provide highly filtered and qualified mobile recommendations to standards bodies Participants: 3Com Acer Adaptec AirPower AMD AMI Compaq Cyrix Dell FCI/Berg Fujitsu Gateway Hitachi HP IBM Insyde Software JEIDA Mitsubishi Mobiliti National Semi NeoMagic NEC OADG Phillips Phoenix/Award S3 Sharp Sony TDK TI Toshiba Watergate Xircom WG�s: ACPI & Power Management Communications Diagnostics Docking Stations Hardware Design Guide (PC xx) input Marketing Operating Systems Pre-Boot Security SubSystem Interconnect Priorities: ACPI & Power Management Mobile Friendly Applications Common Docking Architecture Legacy Device Migration

17. Call To Action Common Docking Architecture is incomplete Join the MAC! Help solve this problem MAC Administrative Offices MAC Admin: Rich Baek, Karen Reff (503) 297-2206 Phone (503) 297-1090 Fax MAC Web Site: www.mobileadvisory.org