I’ve heard drivers described as “the translation layer between software and hardware”
If that’s the case, then wtf does firmware do?
In: Technology
Drivers are the translation layer between software – more specifically, Windows or whatever your operating system is – and the hardware. Firmware is the software that runs on the hardware itself, managing it since it is its own separate circuit board with its own chips on it.
Firmware is software designed to run on, and manage, a specific hardware device. It’s software, but it’s the kind of software that wouldn’t work on any other model of hardware because it’s designed to manage this exact circuit board.
Your motherboard’s firmware is usually called the BIOS, or UEFI these days.
Devices like a digital desk telephone, a network router or access point, or any “smart” device, usually have firmware.
Cell phone’s firmware will include the basic apps that come with the phone… the home screen, Google’s apps, the Settings tool, and so on and so forth, but it includes software to manage the hardware that is on this specific phone. If you loaded it onto any other phone it probably will not run, or if it did it might not have cellular access, the touch screen might not work at all, or other things are broken.
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