HAL
Hi,
I am correct in saying that the Hardware Abstraction Layer or HAL as it is known was soley an NT thing. It's purpose was to allow the operating system to be separted from the Hardware side to allow different processors to be used.
I am correct in saying that the Hardware Abstraction Layer or HAL as it is known was soley an NT thing. It's purpose was to allow the operating system to be separted from the Hardware side to allow different processors to be used.
Comments
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Ricka182
Member Posts: 3,359
Yes. A hardware abstraction layer is a layer between the physical hardware of a computer and the software that runs on that computer. The function is to hide differences in hardware and therefore provide a consistent platform to run applications on.
The best example of an HAL can be found in the AS/400 architecture. The implementation of the LIC or Licensed Internal Code, was so successful that software written on the predecessor, the S/38, runs without modifications on an AS/400. The underlying hardware has changed dramatically; at least 3 different types of processors have been in use.
BSD, Linux and the Windows NT based operating systems, also have a HAL. These operating systems have different subsystems for particular functions e.g. sound and vision.
Operating systems having a defined HAL are easily portable across different hardware; this is especially important for embedded system that run on dozens of different microcontrollers.i remain, he who remains to be....
