How To Edit Camera Firmware

Firmware is a type of software that runs on a hardware device, performing low-level tasks. For case, everything from a tv set remote control to a computer hard drive to an aeriform drone runs its own firmware. And microcode is basically firmware for your CPU.

What Is Firmware?

Software refers to the programs, application, and other computer code that runs on a device. Hardware refers to the actual physical devices. So, if y'all have a Windows PC, the Windows operating system and all the applications you use are software, and the PC itself and its components like the hard disk, CPU, motherboard, mouse, and display are hardware.

"Firmware," like its name suggests, is something in between software and hardware. Firmware is actually just a type of software, but it is commonly programmed into retentivity congenital in to that hardware and runs at a much lower level. In the case of a PC, your motherboard, CPU, graphics processor, hard drive, mouse, and other devices all have their ain firmware.

RELATED: What Is UEFI, and How Is It Different from BIOS?

For instance, when you lot boot upward your PC, the firmware on your motherboard—either UEFI or BIOS—starts and initializes your devices, before handing startup off to your hard drive, and and so your operating system. Your solid state drive has firmware that automatically manages where data should be stored on the concrete wink retentiveness cells for optimum performance. The video BIOS is a type of firmware that translates video-related instructions before they're sent to your computer'due south graphics processor. Even your USB mouse has firmware that handles interpreting the physical mouse input, communicating with your calculator, and powering any lights that may be on your mouse.

Firmware Can Be a Simple Device's Entire Operating System

For some unproblematic devices, the "firmware" can refer to the device's entire operating system. For example, if you take a digital camera, the photographic camera "firmware" refers to all the software that runs on that digital camera. This includes everything from the low-level photography capturing functions to the camera's graphical operating system. Even aeriform drones have firmware, which is the software that runs onboard the drone itself.

So, to update a device's entire operating system—like on a digital camera, router, printer, music actor, or a GPS navigation device—y'all'll often take to perform a "firmware update," or download and install a new "firmware" file from the manufacturer.

An operating organization seems like it should but be software, so this may seem a fiddling inconsistent. but that's because firmware isn't a precise term. While software and hardware are fairly clear, firmware is merely a type of low-level software.

What is Microcode?

Microcode has get more of import with the Spectre vulnerability. Intel CPUs need new "microcode" from Intel to properly defend against Spectre attacks.

RELATED: Windows Spectre Patches Are Hither, But You Might Want to Wait

Remember of microcode like a firmware for your computer's CPU. Microcode translates the instructions the CPU receives into the physical, circuit-level operations that happen inside the CPU. In other words, an updated microcode tin can ship different instructions to the circuits within the CPU. This tin can prevent certain Spectre attacks past changing the style the CPU functions. Microcode updates can also gear up bugs and other errors, without requiring consummate replacement of CPU hardware.

Microcode updates are generally delivered forth with UEFI firmware or BIOS updates. When your computer boots upwards, the computer'southward UEFI firmware or BIOS loads the microcode onto the CPU. However, it's as well possible for operating systems like Windows or Linux to load new microcode at kicking fourth dimension.

For example, if you want to get the latest Intel microcode for your CPU to protect confronting Spectre and your PC manufacturer won't release UEFI updates for your system, Microsoft has an optional Windows update you can install.

Should You Update a Device's Firmware?

Whether you should update a device's firmware depends on the device and what the manufacturer recommends.

In many cases, you lot will never need to update a hardware device's firmware. For example, your television remote control is running firmware, and there's almost certainly no way to update it. At that place's no reason you lot'd want to update it, anyway. Your remote command is fine, and you lot don't need to worry about it.

For many other hardware devices, updating the firmware may sometimes be helpful to fix bugs and evangelize small improvements. For instance, your solid-land drive'southward manufacturer may offer a newer version of the firmware that improves reliability or operation. Your graphics card manufacturer may offer a new video BIOS that fixes a bug. Or your router manufacturer may offering a firmware update that includes new authoritative features.

Many device manufacturers recommend you merely install a firmware update if yous have a trouble that needs to be fixed (or you require a specific new characteristic), or if the manufacturer specifically instructs you to install it.

For other devices, firmware updates are well-nigh always a great thought. Yous probably want the latest and greatest firmware update for your digital camera, for example, to ameliorate operation and get new features. And Microsoft recommends yous proceed your Xbox One controller's firmware updated to ensure it works properly with the games you play.

Yous should follow the manufacturer'due south recommendation for each device. Many manufacturers recommend you only update their device's firmware if you aren't experiencing a problem. If the power dies or an mistake occurs while updating firmware, in that location often isn't a way to cleanly recover. In other words, a botched firmware update may "brick" a device, rendering information technology unusable. This depends on the device.

How to Update Your Hardware's Firmware

If you lot do need to update a device's firmware, these full general instructions should assistance you out. The exact procedure for updating a device's firmware depends on the device itself, and the device manufacturer should provide instructions on their website.

First, head to the manufacturer'south website and find the support or download page for the specific production y'all're using. For example, if you have a Samsung solid country drive, head to Samsung'south website and find the support page for your specific model of SSD. If y'all want to update your motherboard's firmware or BIOS, head to your PC manufacturer'due south website and await for your exact mode of PC—or, if you built your own computer, head to the motherboard manufacturer's website and look for the model of motherboard you accept.

RELATED: How to Check Your BIOS Version and Update it

Wait for any sort of "firmware" update download on the back up site. If you lot can't discover one, there's probably no updated firmware available for your device. Download the latest version you see, and be sure to read any release notes that appear on the website.

Once you've downloaded the new firmware, open the download and expect for a README file. If yous can't find 1, await for separate firmware installation instructions on the download folio. The manufacturer'south instructions volition lay out exactly what yous need to practise.

For some firmware updates, yous may simply need to run an .exe file from within Windows and information technology will take care of everything for you. For others, you may need to create a bootable DOS drive with the firmware file on information technology, kick into the DOS environment, and run a command to update your firmware from there. Or, if yous want to update a carve up device, you may need to put the firmware file on a USB drive or SD card and bring information technology to the other device.

If the firmware file you downloaded is simply an .exe file and you tin't observe any instructions, you probably merely need to double-click information technology and run it from within Windows.

These are full general instructions, and y'all may need to perform different steps for different devices. For example, to update your Xbox One controller's firmware, you take to use an Xbox I or the Xbox Accessories app on Windows 10. Some programs may automatically prompt yous to install firmware updates for associated hardware devices, if they're really necessary.

RELATED: How to Update Your Xbox Ane Controller'southward Firmware Without an Xbox One

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Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/346627/what-is-firmware-or-microcode-and-how-can-i-update-my-hardware/

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