Hi, Bob Walkden wrote: > > Hi, > > Monday, October 13, 2003, 1:43:59 PM, you wrote: > > > The only thing I can't figure out (not having seen a *istD) is how can one > > upload new software to it? Or any DSLR for that matter? > > Same way as you'd upload software to your washing machine. Devices > like this use [erasable] programmable read-only memory chips, called > PROMs or EPROMs. The operating system is stored on them by a process > called 'PROM-blowing'. When you switch the device's power on the > operating system starts to, well, operate. It's called firmware > because it's considered half-way between software and hardware. Some > firmware operating systems will also have some sort of loader which > would let you load additional programs from an external device, such > as a USB port, and then run them. > > As far as I know most suppliers of firmware for consumer devices don't > let the consumer do any upgrades, certainly not in the way that's been > discussed here. However, some do and I expect it will happen more and > more, with suitable constraints to stop people wiping the entire > operating system. > > If you know what PROM the device contains, and you know the details of > the hardware interfaces, there's no reason (in theory) why you > couldn't write your own little operating system to replace the one the > vendor provides, then the entire device is yours to make behave as you > see fit.
Assuming it has the hardware to do so........ mike
