firmware

firmware

A non-volatile memory chip that holds program instructions and related data without requiring power. Essentially "hard software," firmware is found on motherboards and in myriad electronic modules, both portable and stationary, wherever software is designed to be permanent and not routinely updated. Firmware is the way software is stored in handhelds and other devices that do not have hard disks. It is much more compact, rugged and economical than a disk drive.

Very Firm to Not So Firm
Still used, the first firmware chips were read-only memories (see ROM and PROM), which are truly "firm" and not changeable. Later, erasable PROM chips could be updated, but with difficulty (see EPROM). However, subsequent flash memory firmware is more easily updatable, even by the user (see flash memory). See firmware update, non-volatile memory, flash BIOS and FOTA.

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firmware [′fərm‚wer]

(computer science)

A computer program or instruction, such as a microprogram, used so often that it is stored in a read-only memory instead of being included in software; often used in computers that monitor production processes.

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Firmware - Software stored in read-only memory (ROM) or programmable ROM (PROM). Easier to change than hardware but harder than software stored on disk. Firmware is often responsible for the behaviour of a system when it is first switched on. A typical example would be a "monitor" program in a microcomputer which loads the full operating system from disk or from a network and then passes control to it.