Firmware
Firmware is a specialized class of software that provides low-level control for a device's specific hardware. It is permanently or semi-permanently stored in non-volatile memory (like ROM, EEPROM, or Flash) within the hardware itself, bridging the gap between hardware and high-level software.…
Key facts
- First appeared
- 1967
- Category
- technology
- Problem solved
- Firmware solved the problem of inflexible and costly hardwired logic, which required physical modification for any functional change. It introduced programmability to hardware, allowing device behavior to be defined and updated through software, enhancing flexibility, reducing manufacturing costs, and enabling easier bug fixes and feature enhancements in the field without replacing hardware.
- Platforms
- ASICs and FPGAs (often with soft-core processors), Embedded Processors (ARM Cortex-A, MIPS), Specialized hardware (network cards, GPUs, SSDs), General Purpose Processors (x86, ARM on PCs/servers), Microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M, PIC, AVR)
Related technologies
Notable users
- AMD
- HP
- Consumer electronics companies
- Cisco
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Samsung
- Automotive manufacturers
- Intel
- Dell