ITPEC IP October 2023 Question 91

Firmware — software built into a device to perform the basic control of its hardware.

Firmware is stored in ROM or flash memory inside the device, such as a game console, a washing machine or a router, and runs when the device starts. It controls the hardware directly, and because it is tied so closely to the device it sits between hardware and ordinary software, hence the name. It can often be updated to fix faults or add functions.

Answer (c)

Why not others:

• •(a) Groupware — software for group work, such as e-mail, schedule sharing and conferencing; it supports people, not hardware
• •(b) Shareware — software that may be tried free and is paid for if kept in use; the name describes distribution, not a function
• •(d) Middleware — software between the OS and applications that supplies common functions, such as a DBMS

Key rule: Firmware is named by where it lives, inside the device and next to the hardware it controls; middleware sits between the OS and applications.

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