electrically erasable programmable read-only memory

electrically erasable programmable read-only memory [i′lek·trə·klē i′rās·ə·bəl prō′gram·ə·bəl ′rēd ¦ōn·lē ′mem·rē]

(computer science)

An integrated-circuit memory chip that has an internal switch to permit a user to erase the contents of the chip and write new contents into it by means of electrical signals. Abbreviated EEPROM.

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(storage)

Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory - (EEPROM) A non-volatile storage device using a technique similar to the floating gates in EPROMs but with the capability to discharge the floating gate electrically. Usually bytes or words can be erased and reprogrammed individually during system operation. In contrast to RAM, writing takes much longer than reading and EEPROM is more expensive and less dense than RAM. It is appropriate for storing small amounts of data which is changed infrequently, e.g. the hardware configuration of an Acorn Archimedes.