read-only memory

Thân thiện

A computer's read-only memory stores its startup instructions.

Definition

Noun 1. A type of computer memory that permanently stores data or instructions: The stored information can be retrieved (read) by a computer but cannot be modified, erased, or rewritten under normal operating conditions. It is non-volatile, meaning it retains its contents even when the power is turned off.

Usage

Read-only memory is used to store essential, permanent data that a computer needs to function, such as the firmware that boots up the system. - It is often contrasted with random-access memory (RAM), which is volatile and used for temporary data storage. - The term is frequently abbreviated as ROM.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The computer's basic input/output system (BIOS) is stored on a read-only memory chip.
  • Early video game cartridges used read-only memory to store the game software.
  • Unlike RAM, the data in read-only memory is not lost when you shut down your device.

Advanced Usage

• "Mask ROM": A type of ROM where the data is physically encoded during the chip's manufacturing and is absolutely immutable.
• "Programmable ROM (PROM)": A blank ROM chip that can be written to once by a user with a special device, after which it becomes read-only.
• "Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM)": A PROM that can be erased (usually by exposure to ultraviolet light) and reprogrammed multiple times.
• "Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM)": A type of ROM that can be erased and rewritten electrically, without needing to be removed from the circuit. Modern flash memory is a form of EEPROM.

Variants and Related Words

• ROM (n): The standard abbreviation for .
  • The firmware update was flashed to the device's ROM.
• Firmware (n): Software that is permanently stored on a ROM chip, providing low-level control for a device's hardware.
  • The router's firmware needed an update.

Synonyms

• Non-volatile memory: A broader category of memory that retains data without power, which includes ROM.
• Fixed storage: Emphasizes the permanent, unchangeable nature of the data storage.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Hard-wired": Sometimes used informally to describe instructions or data that are permanently set, like in ROM.
  • The startup sequence is hard-wired into the chip.
• "Flash memory": A modern, versatile type of non-volatile memory that can be electrically erased and rewritten. While it is technically a type of EEPROM and not strictly , it is often used in roles traditionally filled by ROM (e.g., storing device firmware).

Học thuật

Noun

1. (computer science) memory whose contents can be accessed and read but cannot be changed

Từ đồng nghĩa

• ROM
• read-only storage
• fixed storage