With so many "goods" in computers, it can be difficult to know what is what. Although we can't explain all "products", in this article we will discuss the term "firmware" and its difference from software.
Let's make it right - IS firmware software. According to Wikipedia, firmware is “a type of computer program that provides low-level control for specific device hardware. "
Almost all devices today, whether computer, telephone, stereo, car or washing machine, come from the manufacturer with some form of firmware. For simpler devices, firmware is all they need to work. For more advanced devices, for example computers, you need more software, such as an operating system and software applications, to be able to use them.
Again, let's be clear:firmware IS a variety of software; it is programming code after all. The confusion is that the typical "software" we usually refer to are programs such as Microsoft Word, a web browser, etc., when really software is every piece of code you can find on a machine (a computer, phone, car or other smart device).
It is more accurate to call software, such as Microsoft Word, web browser, etc., "application software" because they are applications, after all. However, it is too long and inconvenient. This is how “application software” became simply “software”.
One of the main differences between firmware and application software is that firmware is stored in non-volatile memory (ROM, EPROM or flash memory) while application software can also run from volatile memory. and virtual.
The fact that firmware resides in memory of limited size means that a firmware program must be small in size. Firmware can be as small as a few kilobytes, but depending on the specifics of the device you're running it on, it can also be larger.
Another major difference between firmware and application software is the frequency of updates. In many devices, the firmware is not intended to be updated by the user, and very often the device manufacturer does not give users access to the firmware at all.
For example, on devices such as hard drives, optical drives, consumer electronics, etc., users generally do not have the option to play with the firmware. This is good because if a user could mess with the firmware of these devices, the result could be a non-working device.
In other cases, i.e. the BIOS of computers and the firmware of smartphones and music players, it can be updated by users. This is even recommended because by providing firmware updates, the manufacturer can fix bugs in previous firmware versions or provide new features.
However, even if a device allows firmware updates, you have to be very careful and you have to really, really, really know what you're doing because otherwise you might have to say goodbye to the device and it won't. is not what you want.
Basically, this is what you need to know about the firmware.
