Firmware.
Firmware.
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221 comments
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"Firmware" is a terrible name, it's exactly software.
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I disagree. Firmware originally referred to things in ROM or EEPROM. Basically software that is firmly in place and doesn't change, providing an abstraction layer between the hardware and software.
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This treats the software as if it were a physical chip which can't be practically changed due to the physics of microchips. The imutability of the storage medium is just a choice of the manufacturer. Sometimes this is a good cost saving feature and sometimes this so they can include anti-features such as preventing repairing your device (e.g. OneWheel).
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I'm just telling you where the word comes from. It's like floppy disks, the 3.5mm ones weren't floppy but that's still what we called them because they once were. Firmware used to be something you couldn't easily change. It sits between the hardware and the software. What exactly would you call it if you think the term is bad?
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Device functionality software, which is low-level? Probably won't win any minds.
Besides, if we (and others reading) know what concepts each other is referring to then it really doesn't matter what word we use.
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Firmware is easier to say, at a company I worked at we also called FPGAs gateware which was both interesting and convenient
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It's closer to the hardware. Generally harder to update. It's less frequently updated. And it's less fault tolerant.
Idk, sure, it's technically software. But it's pretty clearly at least a distinct subsection that deserves it's own moniker.
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The only common thing between software and firmware is the coding part. Everything else is different. Fault tolerance, memory management, MCU optimization, etc.
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221 comments