【单词】常见单词含义的辨异（emulator/simulator、hardware/firmware）

1. emulator 与 simulator

• The Simulator tries to duplicate the behavior of the device.（仿真的是行为）； The Emulator tries to duplicate the inner workings of the device.（仿真的是内部工作原理；）
• An emulator can replace the original for ‘real’ use.（用以“实在”的用途）； A simulator is a model for analysis.（仅用来分析）
  
  • A Virtual PC emulates a PC.
  • If a flight-simulator could transport you from A to B then it would be a flight-emulator.

2. software、hardware 与 firmware

首先需要注意的是，firmware 是一种特殊的软件。

• firmware（翻译为固件）：is a special class of software that is not intended to change once shipped（一旦装载完毕，不再改变）. An update requires either a swap of chips or a special process to reload the flash memory containing the software. This kind of software powers things like your TV, your microwave, and your home router, as well as the BIOS (the boot code) of your PC.