What is firmware?

Question

What is firmware?

Answer 1

Firmware is software that runs a system that is held in chips inside the system.  It can usually be upgraded as necessary.

A good example of this would be the chips that hold the software that makes your microwave oven operate.  It runs the system, but you don't change it like you would a Word Processor.

Answer 2

Firmware is the core programming installed into ROMs that is part of the phsyical make-up of a unit. I suppose you could also consider it to be similar to your computer's BIOS.

The programs are installed into ROMs, because they are not supposed to change.

Good Luck!