Computer Network: Types of Firmware and Software

Agenda

• Types of Firmware

• Types of Software 

Firmware:

• It is a kind of software that is associated with your hardware and do a basic task.

• We can that it is embedded with hardware or layered on hardware.

Types of Firmware

1. Low level
2. High level
3. subsystem firmware 

Low-level firmware :

• It is an intrinsic part of the device's hardware.

• It can't be rewritten and updated.

• Device contains low-level firmware have a one-time programmable memory.

• It is often installed in read-only chips.

High-level firmware:-

• It does allow updates and is generally more complex than low-level firmware.

• In the computer it resides on flash memory chips (EEPROM).

What is EEPROM?

• EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only) -It is also called flash memory.

• EEPROM is a type of non-volatile ROM that enables individual bytes of data to be erased and reprogrammed. That is why EEPROM chips are known as byte erasable chips. EEPROM is usually used to store small amounts of data in computing and other electronic devices.

Subsystem firmware:-

• A device or unit that is a semi-independent part of a larger system. 

• It has embedded microcode-like high-level firmware and so often resembles the system.

Software

• It is a set of instructions, data, or programs used to operate computers and execute specific tasks.

Types of Software

1. System software 

1. Utility software 

1. application software

System software 

• It is the bottom layer.

• It sits between the application layer and hardware.

• OS Like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are examples of system software.

• OS is always loaded in RAM when the device startup and has access to the hard drive.

Utility software 

• It always runs in the background .

• It is part of the system   software.

• It does the basic task to keep the computer running.

Examples :

• Software security- In simple term, it includes antivirus which scans and remove viruses It removes the antivirus. 

• Optimisation programs - In simple terms, include tools for system clean-up, disk defragmentation, and file compression.

Application software:-

• A computer software package performs a specific function directly for an end user or, in some cases, for another application.

• We can remove and add applications to our computer using the operating system(OS).

Examples:

• Word processor 

• Spreadsheets

• Web Browsers

• Graphic Software

All the above examples of application software, and can do many specific tasks.

Let's take one more example to understand the Application software:

A word processor continuously directs the OS  to load and save files from and to the hard drive.  

Let's suppose, we start to work on a file then at that time it is being saved temporarily in the RAM, and if in between your system crashes or shuts down you will lose your file because RAM is volatile and that's why to avoid this issue when you Save the file by clicking "Save" or "Save as " then it saved into the hard drive and you can't lose it until you delete it from the side.

Computer Network : Difference between Hardware, Software and Firmware

 Agenda

1. Difference between Hardware, Software, and Firmware 

What is Hardware 

• It is a physical component of the system/it's the physical part of the computer

• It can be touched by us.

Examples- 

• Keyboard, mouse, cabinet, monitor, printer 

What is Firmware 

• It is a kind of software that is associated with your hardware.

• It is installed at the time of manufacturing of hardware such as keyboards, hard drives, BIOS, graphic cards, and printers.

• It performs the basic functions of any hardware.

• You can update.

Firmware is the foundation of the software stack that computer hardware uses for basic operations and to run applications.

Types of Firmware:

1. Low-level firmware 
2. High-level firmware 
3. Subsystem firmware 

Examples in detail

• If the user is pressing any of the keys on the keyboard, then the system will know what to display or what to perform right!!

• On your keyboard there is a start button/power button, now when you press the start button/power button then how system identified that it's time to reboot /restart/shutdown?

• In your washing machine, When you go to wash the clothes then you set a time 5minute by the timer button (that is hardware) now think, how at the preset time timer started to notify you by alarming, how the system identified that after 5 min I have to give the alarm.

well, these all basic functions happened because of firmware that is associated with your hardware.

What is Software 

• A collection of instructions that tells the computer how to perform a particular task.

• It is generally stored in user-accessible memory. 

• Software is changed constantly.

• Software can be very big while the firmware is very small.

It can be of three types :

1. System software
2. Utility software 
3. Application software  

Computer Network : Transmission Modes

Agenda

1. What is Computer Networking
2. Types of Transmission Modes in Computer Networks

Computer Networking

• It is an interconnected computing device that can exchange data and share resources with each other. 

• These networked devices use a system of rules, called communications protocols, to transmit information over physical or wireless technologies.

Types of Transmission Modes in Computer networks 

There are three types of Transmission modes in computer networks:

Simplex Mode:

• This is unidirectional.

• Sender can only send the data and re can only receive the data.

• Direction of message transmission: sender to receiver.

Examples -

• Mouse/keyboard/joystick to the computer
• Fire alarm system
• Loudspeaker

Half Duplex Mode:

• Both communication points communicate to each other or we can say the sender can send the message to receiver and vice versa but not at the same time.

• This means that while one device is sending, the other device can only receive, and vice versa.

Examples -

• A walkie-talkie
• A two-way radio that has a push-to-talk button
• Browsing the internet (requests, responses)
• Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Full Duplex Mode:

• It is approx the same as Half duplex mode.

• The only difference is that-Sender can send the message and the receiver  can receive the message and vice versa at the same time

Examples -

• Video calls/video conferencing
• Audio calls
• Live chats