Skip to main content
Firmware

What is Firmware?

Firmware is the low-level software programmed into a device's non-volatile memory that controls its hardware directly — the code that makes an embedded system function, sitting between the hardware and any higher-level software.

Unlike an app, firmware is tightly coupled to the specific hardware it runs on. It ranges from a few kilobytes of bare-metal code to complex stacks running under an RTOS.

Related terms

Working with Firmware on a project?

See how Rapid Circuitry can help.

Firmware Development
Back to the glossary