BIOS Settings
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    BIOS Settings

    BIOS Settings General Settings Settings for High-Frequency Real-Time Control


    IO Builder serves as a multifunctional, universal software, meaning diverse applications may demand varied BIOS configurations. For general purposes, it's advisable to keep the BIOS settings unchanged. However, for more specialized scenarios, consider the following essential settings.

    Before you change any settings, make sure you know how to reset your BIOS settings to the original ones. This is important to avoid problems when starting your computer. If your computer does not start, go back to the original settings. Then, change only one setting at a time and restart your computer to check if it works. Keep doing this one by one with all the settings you need.


    General Settings

    ECC or In-Band ECC: It is advisable to enable ECC (Error-Correcting Code) or In-Band ECC functionalities when available, to enhance system robustness. These settings contribute to the system's stability by detecting and correcting any data corruption that might occur, ensuring that your operations are more secure and reliable. ECC is particularly crucial for systems that run critical applications or are operational 24/7, as it minimizes the likelihood of data corruption and system crashes. If your processor and motherboard support these features, activating them can provide an additional layer of protection against potential errors, contributing to the overall resilience of your computing environment.


    Settings for High-Frequency Real-Time Control

    The BIOS settings outlined below are essential for ensuring that the IO Builder operates effectively in scenarios that demand high-frequency, deterministic control with minimal jitter. It's important to note that the presence and nomenclature of these settings may vary across different systems. Therefore, some settings might not be available, or they may be listed under alternative names within your BIOS configuration menus. 

    • Disable Power Saving Features
      ​Power-saving mechanisms like Intel SpeedStep (EIST) on Intel processors and Cool'n'Quiet on AMD processors can introduce variable performance due to changes in CPU frequency. Disabling these ensures the CPU runs at a constant speed.

    • Disable Turbo Boost (Intel) / Turbo Core (AMD)
      These features dynamically increase the processor's clock speed under certain conditions but can introduce latency variability. Disabling them maintains a consistent CPU speed.

    • Disable Hyper-Threading (Intel) / Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT, AMD)​
      While these features increase parallelism, they can also introduce unpredictability in a real-time context. Disabling them can lead to more deterministic CPU performance.

    • Disable C-States
      C-States allow the CPU to enter low power states when idle. For real-time applications, it's beneficial to disable these to avoid latency when the CPU wakes up from these states.

    • Enable High Precision Event Timer (HPET)
      ​Ensuring HPET is enabled can improve the timing accuracy of the system, which is crucial for real-time applications.

    • Set Fixed or Manual CPU Voltage
      ​Automating CPU voltage can introduce variability. Setting a fixed voltage stabilizes CPU performance.

    • Adjust PCIe Settings

      • ​​Disable L1 Substates 
        This setting turns off PCIe L1 substates, a power management feature. The aim is to avoid using the high-speed logic inside the PCIe transceivers to wake devices, targeting near zero power consumption in an active state. ​Disabling this helps reduce latency introduced by power management transitions.

      • ​Disable PCIe Clock Gating
        Disabling PCIe clock gating turns off the gating of platform reference clocks in certain PCI Express Link Power Management States. Clock gating is used to reduce power consumption by turning off the clock signal to ​ ​parts of the device when they are not in use. However, for real-time applications, it's beneficial to disable this feature to minimize potential delays caused by the clock gating process.


    ​​Disabling these features ensures that PCIe devices remain in a ready state, eliminating potential performance hiccups.

    • Integrated Peripherals
      Review and disable any onboard devices not in use (e.g., onboard audio, unused network adapters, SATA ports, serial ports, parallel ports) to reduce IRQ interruptions and optimize system resources.

    • Configure Data Direct I/O (DDIO) and Cache Allocation
      ​On Intel platforms, DDIO allows I/O devices to allocate data directly into the CPU's cache, reducing latency. Similarly, cache allocation technologies ensure critical real-time processes have enough cache available, which is crucial for performance.

    • Use Intel TCC Mode for Real-Time Systems
      Intel's Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) mode optimizes the system for real-time operation by enabling time synchronization features and optimizing network and fabric virtual channels (VCs) to prioritize critical real-time traffic. This option is only ​available for CPUs that have this feature built-in: ðŸ”— Intel ARK - CPUs with Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) Feature

    • Secure Boot
      ​To ensure compatibility and successful operation of the EtherCAT driver, it may be necessary to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS settings.