System software and hardware should be familiar, but do you know what firmware is? Firmware is the interface between software and hardware that allows your device to function properly. If the software is in the form of software that cannot be touched, and the hardware is in the form of hardware that can be touched and its physical form can be seen. Next, what is firmware and what role does it play in the operation of the device?
In this article, you will find out exactly what firmware is and how it differs from software. Firmware is a type of software that is installed on hardware devices. These devices may perform functions independent of APIs, operating systems, or device drivers. Even though it almost resembles software, the term firmware cannot be associated with software. This device has its own function, namely to support hardware and software communication, including updating devices. Without firmware, the most important hardware will not work. For this reason, the firmware is stored on chip only memory (ROM) so that it is not accidentally erased, but remains as close to the hardware as possible. You can find software, of varying complexity, and simple hardware, such as keyboards and hard drives. Apart from that, you can also find them in complex hardware devices such as graphics cards and basic input/output (BIOS). Difference Between Firmware and Software
Firmware and software are often combined because of their similar nature. However, in terms of details, you can already see the difference between the two. Quickly
Software is a collection of programs, procedures, data and instructions that a device uses to perform certain tasks so that the user can interact with the computer.
Firmware
Firmware is a type of software that is installed on hardware devices. Provides control over specific hardware devices and provides important instructions about how that hardware communicates with various other hardware devices.
Firmware service
Firmware plays an important role as an intermediary between software and hardware. The three main functions of firmware are:
- As the core operating system, and regular response to user requests or requests;
- Create an interface, so that the system can work quickly;
- Finally, another function of the firmware is to control and manage the initialization and startup of the device.
Apart from having very useful functions, firmware also has drawbacks such as the absence of automatic updates. This may cause a failure in its normal function. Therefore, the released firmware has to be updated manually by the user. Sample firmware
Firmware is often placed in hard-to-reach places to prevent accidental deletion. Here are some examples of firmware that can be found on various electronic devices:
- And consumer products
- timing and controls for washing machines;
- Modern audio and video management system, and TV channel list;
- The EPROM chip is used in the Eventide H-3000 digital music processor. On the computer
- Built-in Input/Output System (BIOS) in IBM compatible personal computers;
Firmware compatible with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) used on Intel Itanium systems, Intel Apple computers, and other Intel desktop motherboards;
Open Firmware, used on SPARC computers from Sun Microsystems and Oracle Corporation, PowerPC computers from Apple, and computers from Genesis;
- ARCS, used in computers from Silicon Graphics;
- Kickstart, used in the Amiga line of computers (POST, hardware startup + Plug and Play device configuration, kernel, etc.);
- RTAS (Run-Time Abstraction Services), used on IBM computers;
- Common Firmware Environment (CFE).
On routers and firewalls
- LibreWRT, a 100% Linux-kernel based software router server;
- IPFire, an open source firewall/router distribution based on the Linux kernel;
- Fli4l, an open source firewall/router distribution based on the Linux kernel;
- OpenWrt, an open source firewall/router distribution based on the Linux kernel;
- M0n0wall, a firewall distribution integrated with FreeBSD. On NAS systems
- NAS4Free, an open source NAS operating system based on FreeBSD 9.1
- Openfiler, an open source NAS operating system based on the Linux kernel
Difference between software and firmware
Firmware is one of the unreleased software and hardware. Since there is no firmware, even the simplest device will not work. To better understand what firmware is, you can look at the difference between software and hardware.
The firmware itself has many important functions, such as being the core of the operating system, creating an interface, controlling and controlling the device’s boot system. You can find examples of firmware on electronic devices that you frequently use, such as computers, washing machines, televisions, etc.