TTL computing (link to) Re: Fuse PROM - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

16 Apr 2002

Fred wrote (about a demo PROM with visible links):

...
 How about using circuit breakers?
Then you would have a manually erasable PROM, without further expenditure
each time that you program it. 
Then Richard wrote (about the distinction between hard-, firm-, and soft-ware):

...
 It happens that some folks differentiate
between hardware and firmware based on whether you can touch it or not.  You
can't touch firmware, at least not in a practical sense, just as you can't
touch software. 
Hmmm. If the circuit breakers are the type that pop out a button when they
break, I *could* touch software, after it was programmed into the
circuit-breaker PROM.

Actually, if things were set up *just* right, I could arrange to be hit
over the head by software (as it was being written to PROM).

Do we need a new name for this device?
FEPROM (officially Finger Erasable Programmable etc., but we all know it's
really Fred's Erasable etc.)?
							- Mark