Firmware vs. Software: What’s The Difference?
If you work with computers, cell phones, or relatively any modern technological device, chances are you read or heard the words “firmware” and “software.” Sometimes, these words mean different things, and sometimes people use the two terms interchangeably.
Is there a difference between firmware vs. software? Below we outline the differences between the two and use some real-world examples to help you understand the relationship between the two.
What Is Software?
Software tells a computer how to function. It is a set of instructions or data, usually in the form of applications, scripts, and programs used to operate a computer, tablet, cell phone, or other smart devices. In other words, software is designed so users can interact with it to execute specific tasks.
Examples of Software
- Whether you opened this blog on Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, your internet browser is an example of software.
- Whether you’re working on a PC or a Mac computer, both operating systems are software.
- Outlook and Gmail, the two most common email platforms, are both considered software.
- A good rule of thumb is if it’s installed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other smart devices, it’s software.
What Is Hardware?
Before we explain what firmware is and how it differs from software, it’s essential that we discuss what hardware is. For something like a computer to function correctly, the software and hardware must work together; hardware cannot perform without software, and software cannot perform without hardware.
Hardware differs from software because it is a physical device, such as a motherboard, that’s required to store and run the software. Software is a collection of code.
Another key difference between software and hardware is that hardware only understands machine-level language. On the other hand, software can take input in human-readable languages, which it then translates into machine-level language.
What Is Firmware?
Firmware can best be defined as a type of lower-level software that exists on hardware and dictates how the hardware interacts with higher-level software, such as an operating system. All hardware requires firmware to operate. What differentiates firmware from software even further is that firmware doesn’t have a user interface that can be accessed from an operating system.
To complicate things: firmware is sometimes referred to as embedded software.
Examples of Firmware
Many of the electronic devices we use daily are controlled by firmware. These include:
- Heart defibrillator
- Lighting systems in office buildings
- The radio in your car
- Your car’s anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Your car’s engine controls
- Microwaves
- Dishwashers
- Card readers in hotel door locks
- TV cable boxes
- Elevator controllers
An easy way to think of firmware is it’s the important part of a device that enables it to function and power up.
Have you ever heard someone refer to an electronic device as a brick or a doorstop? This is likely the result of firmware issues. The device cannot start up without properly functioning firmware, rendering it useless.
Firmware vs. Operating System: Are They The Same Thing?
Because firmware is often referred to as the thing that makes devices “tick,” it can be easy to confuse it with an operating system. However, the two are not the same thing.
To explain how firmware works, let’s look at a traffic light. Firmware is what tells the lights to change at regular intervals. Without it, the traffic light would be a random decoration on the side of the road.
For tech-savvy people, firmware is on the computer’s motherboard, enabling it to detect the hard drive and/or video card in your computer. Firmware enables your computer to detect the specific radiofrequency to connect to your WiFi.
As a final example, let’s look at a smartphone. In this case, firmware acts as the middleman between the hardware and the operating system. If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, it runs on an Android operating system (OS). Your smartphone’s firmware allows the hardware to communicate correctly with the Android OS and do what you request your phone to do, such as send a text or open an app.
Firmware Vs. Software: The Bottom Line
Over time, people started to use the terms firmware and software interchangeably. However, as we’ve outlined above, they’re not quite the same thing.
While firmware is a type of software, it’s low-level software that lives on hardware, such as a computer’s motherboard. On the other hand, software is more high-level and uses firmware to communicate with hardware.
If you’re having issues with an electronic device, such as a mobile computer, barcode scanner, POS system, barcode printer, or even your workplace network due to malfunctioning software or firmware, TSI can help. Since 1995, we’ve delivered customer-oriented repairs geared toward improving your ROI by extending the life of your devices, including discontinued models.
Firmware Vs. Software: FAQ
Q: What Is Firmware?
A: Firmware is a type of low-level software that lives on hardware and has instructions that tell the hardware how to interact with the operating system.
Q: What Are Some Examples Of Firmware?
A: The most well-known examples of firmware are hard drives, USB sticks, or other portable storage devices that contain firmware so they can function with your computer.
Other examples of firmware include:
- The firmware that helps home appliances to control their operation and settings
- The firmware in cars that enables systems and sensors to function
- The BIOs on a computer’s motherboard
Q: What Is Software?
A: To put it simply, software tells a computer how to function. It is any program or a group of programs that run on a computer.
Q: What Are Some Examples Of Software?
A: Generally speaking, people are more familiar with different software than they are with firmware. Some examples of software include:
- The operating system of your computer
- The web browser you use
- Microsoft Word or Pages
- Photoshop