What is a firmware?

sorry to say that i dont know hahaha

Firmware Firmware is usually defined as a type of program that runs within an electronic device. Firmware is not categorized either as hardware or software, but a mix of both. The reason firmware is considered a combination of both categories is that firmware employs an executable program (.exe) and includes an integrated piece of the electronic device. Firmware is stored on ROM chips (read only memory). Each time your computer or electronic device boots up, firmware is booted as well. Firmware can store their instructions permanently and do not require a power source. One of the most common types of firmware is the BIOS chip on your computer's motherboard. The BIOS chip holds extremely important data (instructions). For instance, when your computer is started, this activates the BIOS chip where important hardware is initialized and components are checked by the BIOS chip to ensure that devices are working properly. Once the BIOS chip has completed its duties, it sends a message to your computer's operating system which then starts up. While firmware is permanent, it has the advantage of being rewritten. It should be noted that older firmware did not have the ability to rewrite its instructions. In fact, in the past, when new instructions were required for a BIOS chip, the entire motherboard usually needed replacing since the BIOS chip could not be rewritten. Now, firmware can easily be rewritten enabling it to be upgraded with new features or to remove bugs and issues. Since firmware is found in practically all electronic devices, it has extended the life of these products, easily adding more functionality to them. How Does Firmware Upgrade For the most part, in order to upgrade firmware you will need to contact the device's manufacturer. Whether your device is having issues or you would like to add new functionality to it, your manufacturer should have the latest firmware update (if available). There are two simple methods of upgrading your firmware. The first is to download the new firmware directly into your device; the second is to request the new firmware from the manufacturer (either on CD ROM or other media). With both methods, upgrading your firmware is relatively quick and easy and your new functionality or the disappearance of bugs will be immediate once installed Computer devices that connect directly to the internet are by far the easiest firmware to upgrade. Just log onto the device's manufacturer's homepage and search for a new firmware update. If a new firmware update exists, you can follow the prompts to download it. Sometimes you can download it directly to your device, other times you will need to save it to your hard drive and then transfer it to your device with a special cable. In certain cases, firmware can not be downloaded from the internet, instead new instruction need to be inserted directly into the device, usually with the help of a memory card and card reader. One type of device that can include direct installation is the cable box or satellite receiver.

A firmware is a combination of softwares which make a hardware at a specific time. What i mean by this, is that you can upgrade a firmware to a more recent one then there will be either a different combination of softwares or more softwares added to better the ability of the device. That is the reason why most firmware you will see on it 1.5, 2, 2.5, 5, etc. and as this number increase the better and more recent it is.

A firmware is a combination of hardware and software. It is actually the software in the firware that controls the operation. And the hardware of the firmware is used to control the firmware. Example would be the remote control of the tv. There is a built in software that changes the channel according to the button pressed by the user. Here the Software of the firmware is the one that controls the channel. The hardware is the remote buttons and IR led. Hope you understood the meaning.

In electronics and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Some examples of devices containing firmware range from end-user products such as remote controls/calculators, through computer parts and devices like hard disks, keyboards, TFT screens or money cards, all the way to scientific instrumentation and industrial robotics. (Source: Wikipedia). That is all I know regarding firmware.