Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to circuitry to implement a multiprocessor boot flow for a faster boot process are described. In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor comprising a processor core, a cache coupled to the hardware processor, storage for hardware initialization code, and a controller circuit to initialize a portion of the cache as memory for usage by the hardware initialization code before beginning execution of the hardware initialization code after a power on of the system.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to improving boot process for early display initialization and visualization. An embodiment of a system includes a plurality of processor cores; a cache coupled to the plurality of processor cores; and a controller circuit to: initialize a portion of the cache as static memory for hardware initialization code usage before beginning execution of the hardware initialization code after a power on of the hardware processor; and cause initialization of a display device to be performed using the portion of the cache, the initialization of the display device performed independently of initialization of dynamic memory of the hardware processor.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a phased boot process to dynamically initialize devices in a verified environment. An embodiment of a system includes a memory device to store platform initialization firmware to cause the processing system to: initialize, during a boot process, a portion of the one or more memory modules as system management random access memory (SMRAM) for system management mode (SMM) usage; generate an SMM component in the SMRAM, the SMM component comprising an SMM handler routine to handle dynamic intellectual property (IP) management operations corresponding to the plurality of hardware components; register the SMM handler routine with an SMM interrupt (SMI) for identification of SMM events from an operating system (OS); and generate an SMM dispatcher in the SMRAM, the SMM dispatcher to create an instance of the SMM handler routine in the SMRAM in response to receiving an SMI from the OS during runtime of the processing system.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that allocates a portion of operational power in a source device to an external sink device in response to a connection of the external sink device to the source device, detects a low power state with respect to the external sink device, and decreases the portion of operational power allocated to the external sink device in response to the low power state.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to improving boot process for early display initialization and visualization. An embodiment of a system includes a plurality of processor cores; a cache coupled to the plurality of processor cores; and a controller circuit to: initialize a portion of the cache as static memory for hardware initialization code usage before beginning execution of the hardware initialization code after a power on of the hardware processor; and cause initialization of a display device to be performed using the portion of the cache, the initialization of the display device performed independently of initialization of dynamic memory of the hardware processor.

Abstract: Various examples relate to a concept for determining and handling a mismatch between an expected and a current system configuration. An apparatus for a computer system comprises interface circuitry, machine-readable instructions and processing circuitry to execute the machine-readable instructions to obtain information on an expected system configuration of the computer system from a protected storage of the computer system, determine information on a current system configuration of the computer system, compare the expected system configuration with the current system configuration, and provide information on a mismatch via an output device of the computer system if there is a mismatch between the expected system configuration and the current system configuration.

Abstract: Buses such as USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 buses may allow for device combinations that actually cannot be accommodated on the bus. A monitoring component, e.g., software and/or hardware component, such as an Operating System (OS) policy manager, may monitor a bus for events identifying changes to devices on the bus. The monitoring component may influence mode changes to hardware/software, such as to the USB configuration, device driver settings, attached device settings, and/or settings for devices attaching to the bus. Influenced changes facilitate accommodating changes to the devices attached to the bus. For example, if a display is attached and it would exceed available bus bandwidth, cause an excess system load, or cause some other problem, rather than fail to enumerate the display, instead hardware and/or software associated with the bus may be influenced to result in a resolution reduction for the display to accommodate it attaching to the bus.

Abstract: Universal Serial Bus (USB) Power Delivery is augmented by allowing devices that attach to the USB to include and/or have access to an enhanced device policy manager (eDPM) so that device information such as status, state, or requirements, such as power requirements, may be at least be shared by the eDPMs between, for example, a host device on the bus, a secondary device providing power to devices on the bus, and a new device attaching to the bus. Sharing device information facilitates the host having contextual awareness for the attaching device and assists with determining whether the attaching device may be enumerated on the bus. If not, such as due to insufficient power available from the secondary device, the host and/or secondary device may seek to influence bus devices to change an operating mode to accommodate the attaching device.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus 4 (USB4) host system for tunneling USB2 data includes a USB controller and a first routing circuit communicatively coupled to the USB controller. The first routing circuit is to configure a downstream tunneled path between the USB controller and a second routing circuit. The first routing circuit is further to packetize outgoing USB2 data received from the USB controller into a first plurality of USB4 tunneled packets. The first routing circuit is further to encode the first plurality of USB4 tunneled packets for transmission to the second routing circuit via the downstream tunneled path, to initiate processing of the outgoing USB2 data by a USB2 device associated with the second routing circuit.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that initiates a boot of a computing system containing an embedded controller while the computing system is in a low power mode, conducts a verification that code to perform the boot is uncorrupted, and negotiates an increased power delivery with a source device connected to the computing system if the verification is successful.

Abstract: A method and device that implements communication over an interconnect to support improved power distribution over the interconnect. The device includes a controller to implement a device policy manager (DPM) to manage power allotment over the interconnect, and a battery feedback mechanism coupled to the controller, the battery feedback mechanism to detect a low or dead battery condition of a connected device over the interconnect and to indicate to the DPM to advertise a higher power charging level to the connected device.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with virtualizing a USB device controller of a SoC in a computing platform hosting multiple VMs, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a CRM includes instructions to implement a USB driver stack in a SOS of a SVM on the computing platform. The USB driver stack of the SOS includes a SOS device controller driver to communicate with one or more USB devices of the computing platform, via a USB device controller of the SoC; and a SOS function virtualization driver to communicate with one or more corresponding UVM function virtualization drivers of the UVMs to paravirtualize the SOS device controller driver to the UVMs. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A scheme to enhance USB-C port policy by dynamically entering optimal USB-C alternate mode with an informed feedback mechanism to OSPM which influences the USB-C port DPM. In some embodiments, when a USB4 device is connected to a port, the scheme parses the alternate modes and power characteristics from the class descriptor information of the enumerated device. In some embodiments, the parsed information is provided as a feedback to the OSPM that instructs the USB-C/PD DPM to enter or switch mode that shall meet the policy criteria of the OS configuration in a dynamic command control from the OS. In some embodiments, the USB-C DPM dynamically chooses to enter an optimal mode based on the power and thermal conditions information available in the embedded controller and indicate the OS about the changes. As such, the OS is aware of the USB operation mode.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to support post-manufacturing firmware extensions on computing platforms. An example non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to at least: based on a soft strap status indicator stored in a serial peripheral interface (SPI) memory, extract a silicon initialization code profile from the SPI memory and initialize the processor based on the silicon initialization code extension profile.

Abstract: A data processing system comprises a processing core to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS) as part of a boot process. The data processing system also comprises static random-access memory (SRAM) in communication with the processing core. The data processing system also comprises a pre-BIOS component in communication with the SRAM. The pre-BIOS component is configured to execute a pre-BIOS block of firmware before the processing core begins executing the BIOS. The pre-BIOS block, when executed by the pre-BIOS component, causes the pre-BIOS component to (a) initialize the pre-BIOS component, (b) measure an amount of time taken to initialize the pre-BIOS component, and (c) save the measured amount of time to the SRAM as a pre-BIOS boot-time record. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method and a device to participate in a managed Universal Serial Bus (USB) ecosystem. The method including establishing a connection with a plurality of devices in the ecosystem as a many-to-many relationship between extended USB device policy managers, and coordinating power and data exchange within the plurality of devices the ecosystem including at least one device that is not directly connected.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for managing an endpoint device and associated updates are disclosed. An example apparatus includes circuitry to at least: query the endpoint device circuitry via the interface circuitry to obtain operating data associated with the endpoint device circuitry; determine an operating state of the endpoint device circuitry based on the operating data; when the operating state is not suitable for an update, trigger a save of a context of the endpoint device circuitry; and, when the operating state is suitable for the update, trigger installation of the update at the endpoint device circuitry.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes interconnect circuitry to implement one or more layers of a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-based protocol. The interconnect circuitry can implement a first USB-based interface and a second USB-based interface. The apparatus further includes telemetry circuitry to generate telemetry data, cause the telemetry data to be transmitted via the first USB-based interface, detect a power state transition in the apparatus, cause the telemetry data to be buffered based on detecting the power state transition, and cause the buffered telemetry data to be transmitted via the second USB-interface based on a set interface request indicating the second USB-interface.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to increase boot performance are disclosed. An example apparatus including instructions stored in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to: during a boot process: identify a boot task that is to be performed during the boot process; execute the boot task using a first processor component; collect data corresponding to the execution of the boot task on the first processor component; categorize the boot task based on the collected data; and generate an entry for a boot table based on the categorization, the boot table used to schedule the boot task on at least one of the first processor component or a second processor component different than the first processor component based on the categorization.

Abstract: Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that includes a battery, a display, an embedded controller to determine a battery condition and set an indicator when then battery condition is at a low power state, and a basic input/output system (BIOS), where, before an operating system stage of a boot process, the BIOS sets a brightness of the display at a native brightness if the indicator is not set and sets the brightness of the display at a low power brightness to reduce the brightness of the display if the indicator is set. In an example, the embedded controller sets the indicator before the central processing unit is reset during the boot process.