固件……(Firmware…)您可能在某个时候听说过它。这听起来像一个奇怪的德国名字，不是吗？但什么是固件？这个术语的含义是什么，您如何定义固件？固件有什么作用？固件如何工作？当然，它的目的不仅仅是让你感到困惑。正如您将在本教程中学习的那样，固件对于从智能手机到智能电视(TVs)到洗衣机和其他设备的各种硬件设备都至关重要。为了解决问题并帮助您更加了解此主题，我们在本文中解释了您需要了解的有关固件的所有基本信息。让我们开始吧：
什么是固件？固件(Firmware)定义简单
固件(Firmware)是一个小软件，它可以让硬件按照制造商的意图工作。它由软件开发人员编写的用于使硬件设备“运行”的程序组成。如果没有固件，我们日常使用的大多数电子设备都将无法工作。他们不会做任何事情。
例如，您知道一个简单的红绿灯上面有固件吗？是的，确实如此，并且固件告诉它定期更换灯。如果没有固件，红绿灯将只是一个“愚蠢”的桅杆，放在路边，除了看起来很无聊，什么都不做。对于交通信号灯、洗衣机、卡片机、监控摄像头和电视(TVs)等不太复杂的硬件设备，固件是什么？固件是它们上面的所有软件，也充当它们的操作系统并控制有关这些设备运行的一切。
红绿灯需要固件才能运行
为了让事情更清楚，让我们再举一个例子：没有固件的计算机主板将不知道如何检测计算机内部的硬盘驱动器或视频卡。如果您的硬盘驱动器中没有嵌入固件，它们将不知道旋转的速度或停止的时间。无线网卡不知道如何使用特定的射频连接到Wi-Fi。
许多 PC 组件（主板、显卡等）需要固件
我们通常倾向于将硬件设备视为仅仅是硬件的设备。我们假设它只是自己工作。但是，如果没有将这种特定软件直接写入现代硬件设备，几乎所有现代硬件设备都无法正常工作。
Android中的固件是什么？
什么是手机固件？您如何定义具有复杂硬件的设备（例如智能手机、平板电脑、智能手表甚至智能电视(TVs)）中的固件？在这种情况下，一个相当好的固件定义应该是这样的：固件是硬件和操作系统之间的中间人(the firmware is the middleman between the hardware and the operating system)。
在此类设备上，固件仅包含硬件能够与设备上安装的操作系统一起工作的必要说明。例如，在搭载Android的(Android)三星 Galaxy(Samsung Galaxy)智能手机上，智能手机的固件允许硬件与Android操作系统正确通信并执行用户请求的操作。
Android智能手机和平板电脑也有固件
不幸的是，许多人倾向于认为固件存在于Android智能手机、平板电脑、智能手表、智能电视(TVs)和其他类似的移动设备中存在问题。Android智能手机和移动设备已经征服了世界，许多用户想要更新他们设备上的“固件”、安装自定义ROM(ROMs)等等。问题在于，现在大多数人在指代智能手机和其他移动设备时都错误地使用了固件这个术语。
因此，我们想在提到智能手机和移动设备时解释固件的技术细节，以便您正确理解：
- 固件(Firmware)的含义，尤其是在谈到带有Android的设备时，在流行文化中被错误地扩展为包含这些设备上的所有软件。Android“固件”现在意味着固件加上它上面的Android操作系统。
- 您还会遇到术语自定义 ROM(Custom ROM)。在这种情况下， ROM(ROM)并不意味着固件存储在智能手机硬件中的只读存储器。自定义 ROM(Custom ROM)是指自定义操作系统映像，其中还包括Android智能手机或平板电脑运行所需的固件。因此，您在智能手机的ROM(ROM)中获得了两件事：固件，与我们之前共享的定义相同，以及固件之上的操作系统。
- 当您购买智能手机时，它带有“库存ROM ”或“库存固件”。这是指预装的固件和操作系统。“stock ROM ”由智能手机制造商（如果您购买的是未锁定的）或您订阅的移动运营商（如果您购买的是锁定的智能手机）提供。移动运营商使用您的智能手机制造商提供的“库存ROM ”，并根据他们的兴趣对其进行修改，从而产生仅在该移动运营商销售的智能手机上存在的新“库存ROM ”。
智能电视(TVs)、平板电脑和其他搭载Android的移动设备也是如此。
固件存储在哪里？
我们现在知道了固件的定义，对固件的含义有了更好的把握。它是直接写入我们硬件设备的软件，它们必须开机并开始工作。但它究竟是如何存储在设备上的呢？固件(Firmware)通常存储在特殊类型的存储器中，称为闪存ROM。ROM是 Read-Only Memory的首字母缩写，这种内存只能写入一次，通常由我们使用的硬件制造商编写。一个只读存储器(ROM)任何电子设备都需要内存，因为它必须永久保存数据，即使在设备关闭或断电时也是如此。您不能生产忘记其固件的硬件设备，因为一旦您拔出其能源，它就会停止运行。
但话又说回来，闪存ROM存储器是可重写的ROM存储器，因为虽然硬件制造商最初编写它，但您也可以在之后重写它。当然，您可以将新固件写入硬件设备。但是，您只能使用专门为该硬件设备设计的适当固件更新工具来完成此操作。
有哪些类型的固件？
固件的种类与硬件设备的种类一样多。计算机主板（称为BIOS 或 UEFI(BIOS or UEFI)）中有固件，硬盘、固态驱动器（SSD(SSDs)）、CD/DVD/Blu-Ray驱动器中有固件，网卡、路由器、接入点、范围扩展器中有固件，您的游戏鼠标和键盘中甚至还有固件。这些只是与计算机相关的一些示例。
甚至键盘也依赖固件来运行
您应该记住，固件存在于大多数有用的设备中，例如您的电视、洗衣机、银行的ATM(ATMs)，甚至在您的汽车中。您为设备命名；如果没有固件，它可能无法工作。
固件和驱动程序有什么区别？
虽然固件和驱动程序(drivers)都具有允许硬件执行其请求的作用，但一个重要的区别是固件存储在硬件设备本身上，而驱动程序安装在操作系统内部。此外，固件可以自行启动并执行其编程执行的操作，而驱动程序必须由操作系统运行。两者之间最显着的区别是固件告诉设备它们应该做什么，而驱动程序告诉操作系统如何与相同的设备通信。
可以升级固件吗？什么是固件更新？
许多制造商会定期更新其硬件设备上的固件。它们还提供必要的软件工具，将新固件写入这些设备。但是，每个制造商都可以选择是否为单个设备发布新固件。例如，大多数计算机部件制造商至少在设备推出后的几年内开发并向客户提供新固件和相应的固件更新程序。
计算机主板的固件(Firmware)更新（UEFI BIOS更新）
举个例子，当您的主板制造商想要包含新功能、支持新处理器或RAM或者解决您的硬件的特定问题时，它可以发布新的固件更新。
任何制造商都可以选择为其设备提供新固件：路由器可以接收固件更新以增强其稳定性，蓝光(Blu-Ray)光盘刻录机可以学习如何刻录新类型的光盘等等。
至于从哪里获取新固件，这取决于您的硬件设备制造商。通常，您可以在设备的支持网站上找到新固件（如果有）。查找下载页面，下载您的新固件，并注意遵循设备制造商的升级文档。
路由器固件升级
在您的设备上编写新固件是一项危险的工作，如果操作不当，可能会使您的设备无法使用。永远！像一块砖！这就是为什么有些人告诉你你的设备变砖了：你只是破坏了它的固件，它不能再按预期运行。
如果您在更新设备上的固件方面需要一些帮助，我们推荐以下指南：
您还有其他与“什么是固件”相关的问题吗？
现在您知道固件是什么、它做了什么以及在哪里找到它。我们的解释是否足够好？(Was)你了解这个概念吗，你现在能定义固件吗？你还在为安卓的“(Android “)固件”而困惑吗？如果您对下面的评论部分中的固件有任何其他疑问，请随时告诉我们。
What is firmware? What does firmware do? -
Firmware… you've probably heard about it at ѕome point. Іt sounds like a weird German name, doesn't it? But what is firmware? What is the meaning of this term, and how would you define firmware? What does firmware do? How does firmware work? Ѕurеlу, its purpose is not just to confuse you. As you will learn in this tutorial, the firmware is critical for hardware dеvices of all kinds, from smartphones to smart ΤVs to washіng maсhines and other devices. To clear things оut and hеlp you become more knowledgeable on this subject, we explain all the еssential things you need to know about firmware in this article. Let's get started:
What is firmware? Firmware definition in simple terms
Firmware is a small piece of software that makes hardware work as its manufacturer intended it to. It consists of programs written by software developers to make hardware devices "tick." Without firmware, most of the electronic devices we use daily wouldn't be able to work. They would not do anything.
For example, did you know that a simple traffic light has firmware on it? Yes, it does, and the firmware is what tells it to change the lights at regular intervals. Without firmware, the traffic light would be just a "stupid" mast, placed on the side of the road, doing nothing except looking bored. What is firmware in the case of less sophisticated hardware devices such as traffic lights, washing machines, card machines, surveillance cameras, and TVs? The firmware is all the software on them, also acting as their operating system and controlling everything about those devices’ functioning.
Traffic lights need firmware to run
To make things even clearer, let's take another example: a computer motherboard without firmware would not know how to detect the hard drive or the video card found inside your computer. If your hard drives didn't have firmware embedded in them, they wouldn't know how fast to spin or when to stop. A wireless network card wouldn't know how to use a particular radiofrequency for connecting to Wi-Fi.
Many PC components (motherboard, graphics card, etc.) need firmware
We often tend to think about a hardware device as a device that is just hardware. And we assume that it just works by itself. However, almost none of the modern hardware devices would work without this particular software written directly onto them.
What is firmware in Android?
What is firmware in mobile? How would you define firmware in devices with complex hardware such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, or even smart TVs? In this case, a fairly good firmware definition would be this: the firmware is the middleman between the hardware and the operating system.
On such devices, the firmware contains only the necessary instructions for the hardware to be able to work with the operating system installed on the device. For example, on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with Android, the smartphone’s firmware allows the hardware to communicate correctly with the Android operating system and do what is requested by the user.
Android smartphones and tablets also have firmware
Unfortunately, there’s a problem with what many people tend to believe the firmware is in Android smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, and other similar mobile devices. Android smartphones and mobile devices have conquered the world, and many users want to update the “firmware” on their devices, install custom ROMs, and so on. The problem is that most people now incorrectly use the term firmware when they refer to smartphones and other mobile devices.
Because of that, we want to explain the technicalities of firmware when referring to smartphones and mobile devices, so that you get things right:
- Firmware meaning, especially when speaking about devices with Android, has been incorrectly expanded in popular culture to encompass all the software on those devices. Android “firmware" now means the firmware plus the Android operating system on top of it.
- You also encounter the term Custom ROM. ROM doesn’t mean, in this case, the Read-Only Memory, where the firmware is stored in the smartphone’s hardware. Custom ROM means a custom operating system image that also includes the firmware necessary for the Android smartphone or tablet to work. So you get two things in the ROM of a smartphone: the firmware, which is the same as in the definition we shared earlier, and the operating system on top of the firmware.
- When you buy a smartphone, it comes with a “stock ROM” or “stock firmware.” This refers to the preinstalled firmware and operating system. The “stock ROM” is provided by the manufacturer of the smartphone (if you have bought it unlocked) or by the mobile operator where you have a subscription (if you purchased a locked smartphone). The mobile operator uses the “stock ROM” that is offered by your smartphone’s manufacturer and modifies it according to their interests, resulting in a new “stock ROM” that is found only on the smartphones that are sold by that mobile operator.
The same goes for smart TVs, tablets, and other mobile devices with Android.
Where is the firmware stored?
We now know the firmware definition and have a better grasp of the meaning of firmware. It’s software written directly into our hardware devices, mandatory for them to power on and start working. But how exactly is it stored on a device? Firmware is usually stored in special types of memory, called flash ROM. ROM is the acronym for Read-Only Memory, and this kind of memory should only be written once, usually by the manufacturer of the hardware that we are using. A ROM memory is needed for any electronic device because it must hold data permanently, even when the device is turned off or when there is a power outage. You can't produce a hardware device that forgets its firmware, as it would cease to function once you pull out its source of energy.
But then again, flash ROM memory is a rewritable ROM memory because, while the hardware manufacturer initially writes it, you can also rewrite it afterward. Of course, you can write new firmware onto a hardware device. However, you can only do it with a proper firmware updating tool specially designed to work for that hardware device.
What types of firmware are there?
There is as much variety in firmware as there is in hardware devices. There's firmware in computer motherboards (it's called BIOS or UEFI), there's firmware in hard disks, solid-state drives (SSDs), CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, there's firmware in network cards, routers, access points, range extenders, there's even firmware in your gaming mouse and keyboard. And these are just some examples related to computers.
Even keyboards rely on firmware to run
You should remember that firmware exists in most of the devices that do something useful, like your TV, washing machine, the ATMs of your bank, or even in your car. You name the device; it probably wouldn't work without its firmware.
What is the difference between firmware and drivers?
While both firmware and drivers have the role of allowing hardware to do what is requested of it, one important difference is that firmware is stored on the hardware device itself, while drivers are installed inside the operating system. Also, firmware can start on its own and do what it is programmed to do, while drivers must be run by the operating system. The most significant difference between the two is that the firmware tells the devices what they should do, while the driver tells the operating system how to communicate with the same devices.
Can you upgrade firmware? What is firmware update?
Many manufacturers release regular updates for the firmware found on their hardware devices. They also provide the necessary software tools to write the new firmware onto those devices. However, each manufacturer can choose whether it releases new firmware for an individual device or not. For instance, most computer parts manufacturers develop and provide customers with new firmware and the corresponding firmware updaters, for at least for a few years after the device was launched.
Firmware update for a computer motherboard (UEFI BIOS update)
To give you an example, your motherboard’s manufacturer can release new firmware updates when it wants to include new features, support new processors or RAM, or if it solves specific problems with your hardware.
Any manufacturer can choose to deliver new firmware for its devices: a router can receive a firmware update that enhances its stability, a Blu-Ray disc writer can learn how to burn new types of discs, and so on.
As far as where to get new firmware from, that depends on your hardware device manufacturer. Usually, you can find new firmware (if available) on your device's support website. Look for a download page, download your new firmware, and be careful to follow the device manufacturer’s upgrade documentation.
Firmware upgrade for a router
Writing new firmware on your device is a dangerous job and, if done incorrectly, can render your device useless. Forever! Like a brick! That's why some people tell you that you bricked your device: you just ruined its firmware, and it can no longer function as it was intended to.
If you need some help with updating the firmware on your devices, we recommend the following guides:
Do you have any other questions related to “what is firmware”?
And now you know what firmware is, what it does, and where it's found. Was our explanation good enough? Do you understand this concept, and can you define firmware now? Are you still confused by Android “firmware"? Don't hesitate to let us know if you have any other questions regarding what firmware is in the comments section below.
