Is it possible to preconfigure BIOS for use without RTC battery.
Up Squared Pro 7000
BIOS says: UPN-ADLN01 R2.4 (UNADAM24) (08/28/2023)
Because I expect our devices to outlast the supplied RTC battery, I would like to preemptively disconnect the RTC/BIOS battery from the unit.
On some other embedded boards, we are given the option (and utilities) to preconfigure the BIOS settings such that there is no penalty when the RTC battery fails, or is removed. Essentially, we can specify the BIOS defaults from a working pre-configured board, save the settings as a new set of board defaults that are applied by default with or without a working BIOS/RTC battery installed.
Currently, I observe a significant increase in the time for the OS to start booting (Ubuntu) if I unplug the RTC battery, and I would like to avoid that.
Admittedly, I'm somewhat new to this hardware environment (though I'm comfortable with some other similar bits of equipment). So, it's possible/likely that I am missing something that would ease my concerns.
Please advise if I have any options to mitigate the impact of unplugging the RTC battery.
Answers
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Removing the RTC battery will definitely cause the boot time to become longer.
Because the motherboard needs to load the bios default settings.
This means that changes to the bios settings cannot be saved.It is still recommended not to remove the RTC battery or provide another power supply.
Best Regards,
Harry Chiu -
Harry,
Thanks for the reply.
Understanding that the BIOS will revert to factory defaults settings when the battery fails, is there not a procedure for an OEM (like us) to define the factory defaults for such a case?
We've been supplying a version of our product for over 25 years. This is at least the 4th CPU model that we've considered, and the only time I've encountered the requirement that for normal operation, a charged BIOS battery must be present. This is a component for embedded systems, after all.
These batteries will die in 5-10 years. It's better to nail this down now. We are still in the prototype stage, and are willing to change CPU unit models if necessary (x86, reasonable thermals, 2 NIC, HDMI, 2+USB, M.2, early in life cycle).
In summary:
...is there not a procedure for an OEM (like us) to define custom factory BIOS defaults in the case of a failed RTC battery?Chris
www.ner.com -
Hi @ChrisKnudsen ,
We can indeed assist you with your request. We offer customization services that include configuring a custom BIOS to ensure there are no penalties when the RTC/BIOS battery is removed. This includes setting BIOS defaults from a pre-configured board, which will be applied by default regardless of the presence of a working BIOS/RTC battery.
Our team will reach out to you by eMail and continue the discussion.
If there is any question, feel free to let us know.
Cheers,
Fredy
