From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG  Sat Jun 23 17:38:58 2007
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F03BE16A469
	for <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>; Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:38:58 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from dking@ketralnis.com)
Received: from ketralnis.com (melchoir.ketralnis.com [68.183.67.83])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BBEC513C43E
	for <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>; Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:38:58 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from dking@ketralnis.com)
Received: from [10.0.0.231] ([10.0.0.231]) (authenticated bits=0)
	by ketralnis.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id l5NHNw9P097953
	(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NO);
	Sat, 23 Jun 2007 10:23:59 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from dking@ketralnis.com)
In-Reply-To: <200706211233.l5LCXuYv082845@lurza.secnetix.de>
References: <200706211233.l5LCXuYv082845@lurza.secnetix.de>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.3)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Message-Id: <B93C45F6-0D62-4EE6-946E-9E8DF277A37D@ketralnis.com>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
From: David King <dking@ketralnis.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 10:23:57 -0700
To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.3)
Cc: mjalvarez@fastmail.fm
Subject: Re: Where software meets hardware..
X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Non technical items related to the community
	<freebsd-chat.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-chat>,
	<mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-chat>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-chat>,
	<mailto:freebsd-chat-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:38:59 -0000

> The BIOS is also simply a piece of software, stored
> in a chip on the mainboard.

In memory, a program's bits are represented by the voltages of  
transistors in particular places on a DRAM chip. On a CD, by the  
width of pits in the surface of the CD. In chips like BIOS and other  
types of firmware that don't need power to maintain their state but  
that can be re-written, how are the bits physically represented, and  
how are they read out to memory?