Firmware

In computing, firmware (FW) is software that provides low-level control of computer hardware. For a relatively simple device, firmware may perform all control, monitoring and data manipulation functionality. For a more complex device, firmware may provide only relatively low-level control as well as hardware abstraction to higher-level software such as an operating system. Firmware is found in a wide range of computing devices, including personal computers, smartphones, home appliances, vehicles, computer peripherals and in many of the integrated circuits inside each of these larger systems. It can be found in e.g. the microcontroller of a keyboard or computer embedded controller. Firmware is stored in non-volatile memory – either read-only memory (ROM) or programmable memory such as EPROM, EEPROM, or flash. Changing a device's firmware stored in ROM requires physically replacing the memory chip or the device itself. Programmable firmware memory can be reprogrammed via a procedure sometimes called flashing. Common reasons for changing firmware include fixing bugs and adding features.