ZeePedia

Video Services: BIOS Video Services, DOS Video Services

<< Multitasking: Concept, Elaborate, Multitasking Kernel as TSR
Secondary Storage: Storage Access Using BIOS, DOS, Device Drivers >>
img
12
Video Services
12.1. BIOS VIDEO SERVICES
The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) provides services for video,
keyboard, serial port, parallel port, time etc. The video services are exported
via INT 10. We will discuss some very simple services. Video services are
classified into two broad categories; graphics mode services and text mode
services. In graphics mode a location in video memory corresponds to a dot
on the screen. In text mode this relation is not straightforward. The video
memory holds the ASCII of the character to be shown and the actual shape is
read from a font definition stored elsewhere in memory. We first present a list
of common video services used in text mode.
INT 10 - VIDEO - SET VIDEO MODE
AH = 00h
AL = desired video mode
Some common video modes include 40x25 text mode (mode 0), 80x25 text
mode (mode 2), 80x50 text mode (mode 3), and 320x200 graphics mode
(mode D).
INT 10 - VIDEO - SET TEXT-MODE CURSOR SHAPE
AH = 01h
CH = cursor start and options
CL = bottom scan line containing cursor (bits 0-4)
INT 10 - VIDEO - SET CURSOR POSITION
AH = 02h
BH = page number
0-3 in modes 2&3
0-7 in modes 0&1
0 in graphics modes
DH = row (00h is top)
DL = column (00h is left)
INT 10 - VIDEO - SCROLL UP WINDOW
AH = 06h
AL = number of lines by which to scroll up (00h = clear entire window)
BH = attribute used to write blank lines at bottom of window
CH, CL = row, column of window's upper left corner
DH, DL = row, column of window's lower right corner
INT 10 - VIDEO - SCROLL DOWN WINDOW
AH = 07h
AL = number of lines by which to scroll down (00h=clear entire window)
BH = attribute used to write blank lines at top of window
CH, CL = row, column of window's upper left corner
DH, DL = row, column of window's lower right corner
INT 10 - VIDEO - WRITE CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTE AT CURSOR POSITION
AH = 09h
AL = character to display
BH = page number
img
Computer Architecture & Assembly Language Programming
Course Code: CS401
CS401@vu.edu.pk
BL = attribute (text mode) or color (graphics mode)
CX = number of times to write character
INT 10 - VIDEO - WRITE CHARACTER ONLY AT CURSOR POSITION
AH = 0Ah
AL = character to display
BH = page number
BL = attribute (text mode) or color (graphics mode)
CX = number of times to write character
INT 10 - VIDEO - WRITE STRING
AH = 13h
AL = write mode
bit 0: update cursor after writing
bit 1: string contains alternating characters and attributes
bits 2-7: reserved (0)
BH = page number
BL = attribute if string contains only characters
CX = number of characters in string
DH, DL = row, column at which to start writing
ES:BP -> string to write
Chargen Services
In our first example we will read the font definition in memory and change
it to include a set of all on pixels in the last line showing an effect of
underline on all character including space. An 8x16 font is stored in 16
bytes. A sample character and the corresponding 16 values stored in the font
information are shown for the character `A'. We
start with two services from the chargen subset
of video services that we are going to use.
INT 10 - VIDEO - GET FONT INFORMATION
AX = 1130h
BH = pointer specifier
Return:
ES:BP = specified pointer
CX = bytes/character of on-screen font
DL = highest character row on screen
INT 10 - TEXT-MODE CHARGEN
AX = 1110h
ES:BP -> user table
CX = count of patterns to store
DX = character offset into map 2 block
BL = block to load in map 2
BH = number of bytes per character pattern
We will use 6 as the pointer specifier which means the 8x16 font stored in
ROM.
Example 12.1
001
; put underlines on screen font
002
[org 0x0100]
003
jmp  start
004
005
font:
times 256*16 db 0
; space for font
006
007
start:
mov
ax, 0x1130
; service 11/30 ­ get font info
008
mov
bx, 0x0600
; ROM 8x16 font
009
int
0x10
; bios video services
010
011
mov
si, bp
; point si to rom font data
012
mov
di, font
; point di to space for font
142
img
Computer Architecture & Assembly Language Programming
Course Code: CS401
CS401@vu.edu.pk
013
mov
cx, 256*16
; font size
014
push
ds
015
push
es
016
pop
ds
;
ds:si to rom font data
017
pop
es
;
es:di to space for font
018
cld
;
auto increment mode
019
rep
movsb
;
copy font
020
021
push cs
022
pop  ds
; restore ds to data segment
023
024
mov
si, font-1
;
point si before first char
025
mov
cx, 0x100
;
total 256 characters
026
change:
add
si, 16
;
one character has 16 bytes
027
mov
byte [si], 0xFF
;
change last line to all ones
028
loop
change
;
repeat for each character
029
030
mov
bp, font
;
es:bp points to new font
031
mov
bx, 0x1000
;
bytes per char & block number
032
mov
cx, 0x100
;
number of characters to change
033
xor
dx, dx
;
first character to change
034
mov
ax, 0x1110
;
service 11/10 ­ load user font
035
int
0x10
;
bios video services
036
037
mov ax, 0x4c00
; terminate program
038
int 0x21
Our second example is similar to the last example however in this case we
are doing something funny on the screen. We are reversing the shapes of all
the characters on the screen.
Example 12.2
001
; reverse each character of screen font
002
[org 0x0100]
003
jmp  start
004
005
font:
times 256*16 db 0
; space for font
006
007
start:
mov
ax, 0x1130
; service 11/30 ­ get font info
008
mov
bx, 0x0600
; ROM 8x16 font
009
int
0x10
; bios video services
010
011
mov
si, bp
; point si to rom font data
012
mov
di, font
; point di to space for font
013
mov
cx, 256*16
; font size
014
push
ds
015
push
es
016
pop
ds
;
ds:si to rom font data
017
pop
es
;
es:di to space for font
018
cld
;
auto increment mode
019
rep
movsb
;
copy font
020
021
push cs
022
pop  ds
; restore ds to data segment
023
024
mov si, font
; point si to start of font
025
change:
mov al, [si]
; read one byte
026
mov cx, 8
027
inner:
shl al, 1
;
shift left with MSB in carry
028
rcr bl, 1
;
rotate right using carry
029
loop inner
;
repeat eight times
030
mov [si], bl
;
write back reversed byte
031
inc si
;
next byte of font
032
cmp si, font+256*16
;
is whole font reversed
033
jne change
;
no, reverse next byte
034
035
mov
bp, font
;
es:bp points to new font
036
mov
bx, 0x1000
;
bytes per char & block number
037
mov
cx, 0x100
;
number of characters to change
038
xor
dx, dx
;
first character to change
039
mov
ax, 0x1110
;
service 11/10 ­ load user font
040
int
0x10
;
bios video services
041
143
img
Computer Architecture & Assembly Language Programming
Course Code: CS401
CS401@vu.edu.pk
042
mov
ax, 0x4c00
; terminate program
043
int
0x21
Graphics Mode Services
We will take an example of using graphics mode video services as well. We
will draw a line across the screen using the following service.
INT 10 - VIDEO - WRITE GRAPHICS PIXEL
AH = 0Ch
BH = page number
AL = pixel color
CX = column
DX = row
Example 12.3
001
; draw line in graphics mode
002
[org 0x0100]
003
mov  ax, 0x000D
; set 320x200 graphics mode
004
int  0x10
; bios video services
005
006
mov
ax,
0x0C07
;
put pixel in white color
007
xor
bx,
bx
;
page number 0
008
mov
cx,
200
;
x position 200
009
mov
dx,
200
;
y position 200
010
011
l1:
int  0x10
; bios video services
012
dec  dx
; decrease y position
013
loop l1
; decrease x position and repeat
014
015
mov
ah, 0
; service 0 ­ get keystroke
016
int
0x16
; bios keyboard services
017
018
mov
ax, 0x0003
; 80x25 text mode
019
int
0x10
; bios video services
020
021
mov
ax, 0x4c00
; terminate program
022
int
0x21
12.2. DOS VIDEO SERVICES
Services of DOS are more cooked and at a higher level than BIOS. They
provide less control but make routine tasks much easier. Some important
DOS services are listed below.
INT 21 - READ CHARACTER FROM STANDARD INPUT, WITH ECHO
AH = 01h
Return: AL = character read
INT 21 - WRITE STRING TO STANDARD OUTPUT
AH = 09h
DS:DX -> $ terminated string
INT 21 - BUFFERED INPUT
AH = 0Ah
DS:DX -> dos input buffer
The DOS input buffer has a special format where the first byte stores the
maximum characters buffer can hold, the second byte holds the number of
characters actually read on return, and the following space is used for the
actual characters read. We start will an example of reading a string with
service 1 and displaying it with service 9.
144
img
Computer Architecture & Assembly Language Programming
Course Code: CS401
CS401@vu.edu.pk
Example 12.4
001
; character input using dos services
002
[org 0x0100]
003
jmp start
004
005
maxlength:
dw
80
; maximum length of input
006
message:
db
10, 13, 'hello $'
; greetings message
007
buffer:
times 81 db 0
; space for input string
008
009
start:
mov
cx, [maxlength]
; load maximum length in cx
010
mov
si, buffer
; point si to start of buffer
011
012
nextchar:
mov
ah, 1
; service 1 ­ read character
013
int
0x21
; dos services
014
015
cmp
al, 13
;
is enter pressed
016
je
exit
;
yes, leave input
017
mov
[si], al
;
no, save this character
018
inc
si
;
increment buffer pointer
019
loop
nextchar
;
repeat for next input char
020
021
exit:
mov
byte [si], '$'
; append $ to user input
022
023
mov
dx, message
; greetings message
024
mov
ah, 9
; service 9 ­ write string
025
int
0x21
; dos services
026
027
mov
dx, buffer
; user input buffer
028
mov
ah, 9
; service 9 ­ write string
029
int
0x21
; dos services
030
031
mov
ax, 0x4c00
; terminate program
032
int
0x21
Our next example uses the more cooked buffered input service of DOS and
using the same service 9 to print the string.
Example 12.5
001
; buffer input using dos services
002
[org 0x0100]
003
jmp  start
004
005
message:
db
10,13,'hello ', 10, 13, '$'
006
buffer:
db
80
; length of buffer
007
db
0
; number of character on return
008
times 80 db 0
; actual buffer space
009
010
start:
mov
dx, buffer
; input buffer
011
mov
ah, 0x0A
; service A ­ buffered input
012
int
0x21
; dos services
013
014
mov
bh, 0
015
mov
bl, [buffer+1]
; read actual size in bx
016
mov
byte [buffer+2+bx], '$' ; append $ to user input
017
018
mov
dx, message
; greetings message
019
mov
ah, 9
; service 9 ­ write string
020
int
0x21
; dos services
021
022
mov
dx, buffer+2
; user input buffer
023
mov
ah, 9
; service 9 ­ write string
024
int
0x21
; dos services
025
026
mov
ax, 0x4c00
; terminate program
027
int
0x21
More detail of DOS and BIOS interrupts is available in the Ralf Brown
Interrupt List.
145
Table of Contents:
  1. Introduction to Assembly Language Programming
  2. Addressing Modes: Data Declaration, Direct, Register Indirect , Offset Addressing
  3. Branching: Comparison and Conditions, Conditional ,Unconditional Jump
  4. Manipulations: Multiplication Algorithm, Shifting and Rotations, Bitwise Logical Operations
  5. Subroutines: Program Flow, Stack, Saving and Restoring Registers
  6. Display Memory: ASCII Codes, Display Memory Formation, Assembly Language
  7. String Instructions: String Processing, Clearing Screen, String Printing, Length
  8. Software Interrupts: Hooking an Interrupt, BIOS and DOS Interrupts
  9. Real Time Interrupts and Hardware Interfacing
  10. Debug Interrupts: Debugger using single step interrupt, breakpoint interrupt
  11. Multitasking: Concept, Elaborate, Multitasking Kernel as TSR
  12. Video Services: BIOS Video Services, DOS Video Services
  13. Secondary Storage: Storage Access Using BIOS, DOS, Device Drivers
  14. Serial Port Programming: Serial Communication
  15. Protected Mode Programming: VESA Linear Frame Buffer, Interrupt Handling
  16. Interfacing with High Level Languages: Calling Conventions, Calling C from Assembly
  17. Comparison: Motorolla 68K Processors, Sun SPARC Processor