Mary Frederick answered
Firmware is software embedded within a hardware device. Often, it is uploaded onto hardware by the user and it usually comes on a flash ROM or in a binary image file. All hardware has some firmware within it or it would not function. Firmware is a computer program with a read-only memory (ROM) integrated circuit. It comes with a hardware part number, or some other configuration identifier. This identifier represents software with an erasable programmable read-only memory chip (EPROM). Firmware is an electrically erasable progammable read-only memory chip (EEPROM) with a program, which can be modified by a special electrical external hardware.
Firmware was developed to be used for micro-programs and low-cost micro-processors. Firmware allows for hardware updating without purchasing additional hardware. It can improve both performance and reliability of hardware devices such optical media writers like DVD, CD, HD DVD and Blu-ray. Firmware can mean programmable content in a hardware device. Firmware is controlled by device drivers and is a component of a working system, as part of the operating system, of a hardware device.
Examples of Firmware are (BIOS) Basic Input/Output System which refers to the firmware code used by IBM so the hard drive, floppy disks and CD's can load and take control of a PC. Boot monitors, boot loaders and Boot ROM are all examples of firmware. (EFI) Extensible Firmware Interface is an interface software, which works between platform firmware and an operating system. Linksys WRT546 produced by Linux to be used by third parties. It has the capability of sharing internet connections with a computer network setup. There are many more Firmware products on the market and many manufacturers of firmware products.
Among the latest uses of firmware is firmware found in IPods. Firmware keeps the IPod updated by notifications from iTunes. Firmware is found in Apple, Mac, IBM, Dell and all other computer systems and other hardware devices.
For much more information go to Wikipedia.comm and enter the word Firmware and you will find many pages of articles about firmware and its uses.
Firmware was developed to be used for micro-programs and low-cost micro-processors. Firmware allows for hardware updating without purchasing additional hardware. It can improve both performance and reliability of hardware devices such optical media writers like DVD, CD, HD DVD and Blu-ray. Firmware can mean programmable content in a hardware device. Firmware is controlled by device drivers and is a component of a working system, as part of the operating system, of a hardware device.
Examples of Firmware are (BIOS) Basic Input/Output System which refers to the firmware code used by IBM so the hard drive, floppy disks and CD's can load and take control of a PC. Boot monitors, boot loaders and Boot ROM are all examples of firmware. (EFI) Extensible Firmware Interface is an interface software, which works between platform firmware and an operating system. Linksys WRT546 produced by Linux to be used by third parties. It has the capability of sharing internet connections with a computer network setup. There are many more Firmware products on the market and many manufacturers of firmware products.
Among the latest uses of firmware is firmware found in IPods. Firmware keeps the IPod updated by notifications from iTunes. Firmware is found in Apple, Mac, IBM, Dell and all other computer systems and other hardware devices.
For much more information go to Wikipedia.comm and enter the word Firmware and you will find many pages of articles about firmware and its uses.
