Computer system and method that eliminates the need for an operating system

Abstract

A hardware/firmware layer comprising a Device Manager, an Information Manager, a Memory Manager, and a Process Manager contained in one or more semiconductor chips is disclosed. The hardware/firmware layer eliminates the need for an operating system. Each of the Managers comprises a microcontroller associated with a firmware embedded in ROM or Flash memory that contains instruction sets that cause the microcontroller to provide a designated task of device management, information management, memory management and process management. In another aspect of the invention, devices connected to the computer system are “smart devices,” each device having a device microcontroller and embedded device drivers in a ROM or Flash memory. The hardware/firmware of the present invention does not need to search for available devices, provide diagnostic tests or obtain device drivers to communicate with the devices. Instead, the device microcontroller uses the embedded device driver to perform configuration and self diagnostic test as well as device operations. If the device is operational, the device microcontroller sends an identification signal to the hardware/firmware layer of the present to indicate availability of the device.

1 . A computer system that eliminates a need for an operating system comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a main memory;   a further unit that includes
 a first microcontroller and 
 a first memory containing a first set of instructions configured to cause the microcontroller to manage CPU operations; and 
 a plurality of trace links connecting the further unit to the CPU and the main memory to facilitate communication between the further unit, the CPU and the main memory.