American Megatrends

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American Megatrends, Inc., doing business as AMI, is an international hardware and software company, specializing in PC hardware and firmware.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The company was founded in 1985 by Pat Sarma and Subramonian Shankar.<ref name="Tri">Template:Triangulation</ref> It is headquartered in Building 800 at 3095 Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, near the city of Duluth, and in the Atlanta metropolitan area.<ref>"International Offices". American Megatrends. Retrieved on February 24, 2021. "AMI Corporate Headquarters 3095 Satellite Boulevard Building 800, Suite 425, Duluth, Georgia 30096" – The street address has "Duluth, Georgia" in it but the location is outside of the city limits.</ref>

The company started as a manufacturer of complete motherboards, positioning itself in the high-end segment. Its first customer was PC's Limited,<ref name="Tri" /> later known as Dell.<ref name="SBNonline">Jacobs, Daniel G. "Business revolutionary". Smart Business. July 2004. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.</ref>

As hardware activity moved progressively to Taiwan-based ODMs,<ref name="Digitimes">Morris, Ricky. "Motherboard Industry Overview". Digitimes. Monday June 9, 2008 (last update Wednesday July 9, 2008). Retrieved on May 6, 2009.</ref> AMI continued to develop BIOS firmware for major motherboard manufacturers.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The company produced BIOS software for motherboards (1986), server motherboards (1992), storage controllers (1995) and remote management cards (1998).<ref name=":1" />

File:American Megatrends IMG 0410 (cropped) MG9060CQFP.jpg
AMI integrated circuit at a MegaRAID SCSI controller

In 1993, AMI produced MegaRAID, a storage controller card. AMI sold its RAID assets to LSI<ref name="Tri" /> in 2001,<ref name="LSI">Compare: American Megatrends Inc. to Sell Industry-Leading RAID Business to LSI Logic Template:Webarchive. Business Wire. May 29, 2001. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref> with only one employee from the RAID-division remaining with the AMI core team.Template:Citation needed

AMI continued to focus on OEM and ODM business and technology.<ref name=":0" /> Its product line includes or has previously included AMIBIOS<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (a BIOS), Aptio (a successor to AMIBIOS8 based on the UEFI standard), diagnostic software, AMI EC (embedded controller firmware), MG-Series SGPIO backplane controllers (for SATA, SAS and NVMe storage devices), driver/firmware development, and MegaRAC (BMC firmware).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Tri" />

Founding

File:American Megatrends logo.svg
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American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) was founded in 1985 by Subramonian Shankar and Pat Sarma with funds from a previous consulting venture, Access Methods Inc. (AMI).<ref name="Tri" /> Access Methods was a company run by Pat Sarma and his partner. After Access Methods successfully launched the AMIBIOS, there were legal issues among the owners of the company, resulting in Sarma buying out his partners. Access Methods still owned the rights to the AMIBIOS. Sarma had already started a company called Quintessential Consultants Inc. (QCI), and later set up an equal partnership with Shankar.<ref name=":10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

By this time the AMIBIOS had become established and there was a need to keep the initials AMI. The partners renamed QCI as American Megatrends, with the same initials as Access Methods; the renamed company then purchased AMIBIOS from Access Methods. Shankar became the president and Sarma the executive vice-president of this company.<ref name=":10" /> This partnership continued until 2001, when LSI Logic purchased the RAID Division of American Megatrends; American Megatrends then purchased all shares of the company owned by Sarma, making Shankar the majority owner.<ref name="Tri" />

Products

AMIDiag

AMIDiag is a family of PC diagnostic utilities sold to OEMs only.<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The AMIDiag suite was introduced in 1991 and made available for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows and UEFI platforms.<ref name=":6" /> It includes both the Windows and DOS PC diagnostics programs. Later versions of AMIDiag support UEFI, which allows diagnostics to be performed directly on the hardware components, without having to use operating system drivers or facilities.<ref name=":6" />

Aptio

AMI's UEFI firmware solutions. Aptio V is AMI's current main UEFI firmware product. Aptio Community Edition is an open source UEFI firmware product. Aptio 4 is a now-discontinued previous version that has been succeeded by Aptio V.

MegaRAC

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} MegaRAC is a product line of BMC firmware packages and formerly service processors providing out-of-band, or lights-out remote management of computer systems. These BMCs running MegaRAC firmware packages or service processors operate independently of the operating system status or location, to manage and troubleshoot computers.

Former products

AMIBIOS

File:AMI 486DX EISA BIOS 20051109.jpg
A chip containing AMI ROM BIOS firmware on a Gigabyte GA-486TA Baby AT motherboard from 1992
Table of diagnostic beep codes compiled by AMI BIOS during power-on self test<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Number of beeps Meaning
1 Power-on self test successful
2 Parity error in the first 64 KB of RAM
3 Memory failure in the first 64 KB of RAM
4 Same as 3, but also including a non-functional timer 1
5 CPU error
6 Error in the A20 line on the 8042 keyboard controller chip
7 Generation of a CPU virtual mode exception signifying an error
8 Read/write error when accessing system video RAM
9 Mismatch between the calculated checksum of the ROM firmware and the expected value hardcoded into the firmware.
10 Read/write error for the CMOS NVRAM shutdown register
11 A fault in the L2 cache

AMIBIOS is the IBM PC-compatible BIOS that was formerly developed and sold by American Megatrends since 1986.<ref name=":2" /> In 1994, the company claimed that 75% of PC clones used AMIBIOS.<ref name="schmidt199407">Template:Cite news</ref> It is used on motherboards made by AMI and by other companies.<ref name=":0" />

File:AMIBIOS in PCChips M925LR Pentium 4.jpg
A chip containing an old version AMIBIOS image, pulled from an ECS motherboard

American Megatrends had a strict OEM business model for AMIBIOS: it sold source code to motherboard manufacturers or customized AMIBIOS for each OEM individually, whichever business model they require. AMI does not sell to end users, and itself produces no end-user documentation or technical support for its BIOS firmware, leaving that to licensees.<ref name=":2" /> However, the company published two books on its BIOS in 1993 and 1994, written by its engineers.<ref name="AMI93">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Mueller>Template:Cite book</ref>

During powerup, the BIOS firmware displays an ID string in the lower-left-hand corner of the screen.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This ID string comprises various pieces of information about the firmware, including when it was compiled, what configuration options were selected, the OEM license code, and the targeted chipset and motherboard.<ref name=":3" /> There are 3 ID string formats, the first for older AMIBIOS, and the second and third for the newer AMI Hi-Flex ("high flexibility") BIOS.<ref name="Mueller" /> These latter are displayed when the Insert key is pressed during power-on self-test.<ref name=Mueller />

The original AMI BIOS did not encrypt the machine startup password, which it stored in non-volatile RAM.<ref name=":3" /> Therefore, any utility capable of reading a PC's NVRAM was able to read and to alter the password.<ref name="Mueller" /> The AMI WinBIOS encrypts the stored password, using a simple substitution cipher.<ref name=Croucher>Template:Cite book</ref>

By pressing the Delete key during power-on self-test when a prompt is displayed, the BIOS setup utility program is invoked.<ref name="Mueller" /> Some earlier AMIBIOS versions also included a cut-down version of the AMIDIAG utility that AMI also sold separately, but most later AMI BIOSes do not include this program as the BIOS DMI already incorporates detailed diagnostics.<ref name=Mueller />

AMIBIOS was formerly sold through distributors, not directly available from the manufacturer or from eSupport.<ref name=":5" />

AMI supplies both DOS and Windows firmware upgrade utilities for its own motherboards. eSupport only supplies a Windows upgrade utility.<ref name=Mueller /><ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

StorTrends/ManageTrends

The StorTrends family of network-based backup and storage management software and hardware includes several NAS and iSCSI-based SAN servers with 4, 12, or 16 drive bays.<ref name=":7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

AMI couples off-the-shelf hardware with the StorTrends iTX storage management firmware platform.<ref name="SBBWG" /> StorTrends offers synchronous, asynchronous and snap-assisted replication, thin provisioning, high-availability grouping and advanced caching.<ref name=":7" />

Reliability and performance is the key for any storage server. StorTrends iTX 2.8 is designed to support Storage Bridge Bay specification that provide Auto-Failover capability to ensure that any interruption is handled without affecting data.<ref name=":7" /> It supports High-availability cluster, redundancy, scalability, replication, disaster recovery and multiple site backups.<ref name="StorTrends">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SBBWG">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:AnchorDuOS-M

Template:Infobox software

DuOS-M was commercial software developed by American Megatrends for Intel x86-based computers<ref>"AMI DuOS. A closer look at a new DIY Dual-OS solution" Template:Webarchive Ultrabooknews.com. Retrieved July 2014.</ref> using the Microsoft Windows operating system to provide a "dual operating system" environment in which the user can simultaneously deploy the Android operating system in tandem with Microsoft Windows.<ref name=":8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Because DuOS-M has the capability to run both Windows and Android simultaneously, the user can switch<ref>"Bringing Android to Intel® Atom™ Embedded Systems with DuOS" Embedded.communities.intel.com/. Retrieved July 2014.</ref> between the two operating systems without having to dual boot or suspend operation of one operating system in order to utilize the other.<ref name=":8" />

DuOS-M supports key hardware peripherals<ref>"Bringing Android to Intel® Atom™ Embedded Systems with DuOS" Embedded.communities.intel.com. Retrieved July 2014.</ref> in Windows including cameras, audio, microphone and sensors such as ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyrometer, compass and orientation sensors.<ref name=":8" /> It also supports various screen sizes, resolutions, and screen orientation (portrait and landscape) along with 3D acceleration and HD video playback.<ref name=":8" />

The first version of DuOS-M was released in June 2014.<ref name=":8" /> The software is available for download for a free 30-day trial,<ref>"DuOS by American Megatrends. Run Android on Windows" AMIDUOS.com. Retrieved July 2014.</ref> and is available for purchase for a complete license.

On March 7, 2018, American Megatrends officially announced that it ceased development of DuOS-M.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> No further updates were being released at this time, including bug fixes and security patches.

Technical problems

On November 13, 1993, some PCs with AMIBIOS firmware began bootup playing the tune to "Happy Birthday". The PC would remain halted, and the song would continue playing until a key was pressed, after which bootup would resume.<ref name="b1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The problem was caused by a virus-free Trojan, which was later resolved with firmware updates.<ref name="b1" />

The AMI WinBIOS was a 1994 update to AMIBIOS, with a GUI setup screen that mimicked the appearance of Windows 3.1 and supported mouse navigation, unusual at the time. WinBIOS was viewed favorably by Anand Lal Shimpi at AnandTech,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but described by Thomas Pabst at Tom's Hardware as a "big disappointment", in part because of problems with distributing IRQ signals to every PCI and ISA expansion slot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

In July 2008 Linux developers discovered issues with ACPI tables on certain AMIBIOS BIOSes supplied by Foxconn, ASUS, and MSI.<ref name=":11" /> The problem was related to the ACPI _OSI method, which is used by ACPI to determine the OS version (in case an ACPI patch only applies to one specific OS). In some cases, the OSI method caused problems on Linux systems, skipping code that was only executed on Windows systems. Foxconn and AMI worked together to develop a solution, which was included in later revisions of AMIBIOS.<ref name=":11" /> The issue affected motherboards with Intel Socket 775. Actual system behavior differed based on BIOS version, system hardware and Linux distribution.<ref name=":11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In October 2021 an issue was discovered where some Baseboard Management Controllers were shipped with a license/royalty sticker that had the company name misspelled as "American Megatrands".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Worldwide offices

See also

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References

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Further reading

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