Editing ARC (specification)

{{Short description|Computing standard based on MIPS architecture}}
{{Distinguish|Advanced RISC Machines|Argonaut RISC Core}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2013}}
'''Advanced RISC Computing''' ('''ARC''') is a [[Specification (technical standard)|specification]] promulgated by a defunct consortium of [[computer]] manufacturers (the [[Advanced Computing Environment]] project), setting forth a standard [[MIPS Technologies|MIPS]] [[RISC]]-based computer [[Computer hardware|hardware]] and [[firmware]] environment. The firmware on [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] machines that are compatible with ARC is known as '''AlphaBIOS''', non-ARC firmware on Alpha is known as [[SRM firmware|SRM]].{{Dubious|date=November 2022|reason=The DEC Multia had both AlphaBIOS and SRM it seems}}

== History ==
Although ACE went defunct, and no computer was ever manufactured which fully complied with the ARC standard, the ARC system has a widespread legacy in that all operating systems in the [[Windows NT]] family use ARC conventions for naming [[Booting|boot]] devices.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Andrews |first1=Jean |first2=James |last2=Chellis |title=A+ Guide to Software |date=13 August 2012 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=9781285414980 |page=21 |edition=6th}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Donald |first=Lisa |title=MCSA / MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Environment Management and Maintenance Study Guide: Exam 70-290 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=9780470327616 |pages=116–117 |edition=2nd |date=2008}}</ref> [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]]'s modified version of the ARC firmware is named [[ARCS (computing)|ARCS]]. All SGI computers which run [[IRIX]] 6.1 or later, such as the [[SGI Indy|Indy]] and [[SGI Octane|Octane]], boot from an ARCS console, which uses the same drive naming conventions as Windows. Most of the various RISC-based computers designed to run Windows NT have versions of the ARC boot console to boot NT. These include the following:
* MIPS R4000-based systems such as the [[MIPS Magnum]] workstation
* all [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]]-based machines with a [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] bus designed prior to the end of support for Windows NT Alpha in September 1999 (the Alpha ARC firmware is also known as [[AlphaBIOS]]; non-ARC Alphas use [[SRM console]] instead)
* most Windows NT-capable [[PowerPC]] computers (such as the IBM [[RS/6000]] 40P).

It was predicted that [[Intel]] [[IA-32]]-based computers would adopt the ARC console, although only SGI ever marketed such machines with ARC firmware (namely, the [[SGI Visual Workstation]] series, which launched in 1999).

== Comparison with UEFI ==
Compared to UEFI, the ARC firmware also included support for FAT, boot variables, C-calling interface. It did not include the same level of extensibility as UEFI and the same level of governance like with the [[UEFI Forum]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Tale of Two Standards |url=https://uefi.org/sites/default/files/resources/A_Tale_of_Two_Standards_0.pdf}}</ref>{{third-party inline|date=May 2024}}
== List of partially ARC compatible computers ==
Products complying (to some degree) with the ARC standard include these:

*Alpha
**[[DEC Multia]] and [[AlphaStation]]/[[AlphaServer]]
**[[DeskStation Raptor]]
*i386
**[[SGI Visual Workstation]]
*MIPS
**[[Acer PICA]]
**[[Carrera Computers, Inc]] Cobra R4000 and VIPER
**[[Digital Equipment Corporation|Digital]] [[DECstation#DECstation RISC workstations|DECstation 5000]]
**[[DeskStation Tyne]]
**[[Microsoft]] [[Jazz (computer)|Jazz]]
**[[MIPS Magnum]]
**[[Olivetti M700]]
**[[NEC RISCstation]]
**[[NeTpower]] [[Fastseries MP]]
**[[Silicon Graphics|SGI]] [[SGI Indigo2|Indigo²]], [[SGI Indy|Indy]], [[SGI Challenge|Challenge]], [[SGI Onyx|Onyx]], [[SGI Origin|Origin]] etc. Big-Endian [[ARCS (computing)|ARCS]]
**[[Siemens AG|Siemens-Nixdorf]] [[SNI RM200|RM200]], RM300, RM400
*PowerPC
**[[IBM]] Personal Computer [[IBM_PC_Series#PC_Series_800|Power Series 850/830]] [[PReP]]
**IBM [[RS/6000]] 40P, 43P, E20, F30
** [[Motorola]] PowerStack
** [[Tangent Computer|Tangent]] MediaStar

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051211100810/http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/ARC ARC] on www.linux-mips.org<!--"www" is critical; DO NOT omit-->
* [https://www.netbsd.org/docs/Hardware/Machines/ARC/riscspec.pdf Advanced RISC Computing Specification Version 1.2]
* {{Cite web|url=https://hackaday.com/2025/04/03/the-weird-way-a-dec-alpha-boots/|title=The Weird Way A DEC Alpha Boots|website=[[Hackaday]]}}

{{Firmware and booting}}

[[Category:Advanced RISC Computing| ]]
[[Category:Computer hardware standards]]