EPROM Full Form

EPROM stands for Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. It is a kind of ROM (Read Only Memory) that is considered the modified version of the initially used PROM. To understand EPROM, one should know ROM. ROM, which stands for Read-Only Memory, is that memory of devices used to store permanent information. 

Any software that won’t be rectified or updated frequently is a part of Read-Only Memory. One of the major reasons behind the invention of EPROM was the limitation of its older version known as PROM. PROM, which is the acronym of Programmable Read-Only Memory, could store data for a long period without power connection, but once this data is stored, it is not possible to update, erase or change the same. Therefore, if a person stores wrong information, the whole PROM would become useless because the change was irreversible.

Working of EPROM 

EPROM, which is Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, is a kind of ROM used for storing data permanently. Intel developed it in 1971. The most prominent inventor of EPROM is known to be Dov Frohman.

EPROM works by using ultraviolet rays. First, a window is designed in the EPROM chip, letting the ultraviolet rays pass through it. This process takes 15 to 20 minutes. In most cases, it is said that a room with normal light lacks the capacity of erasing data due to fewer ultraviolet rays present, but if it is exposed to harsh sunlight, data can be erased. Once the data is erased, it can be used for programming again. This process is called burning and requires a PROM programmer.

EPROM can store data for more than 10 to 20 years and has a non-volatile memory. However, it was cautioned that reprogramming and erasing should be avoided excessively because the chip has a layer of silicon dioxide that can get damaged in the process. EPROM was not the best version but just a modified one, and it had its drawbacks. It is expensive when compared to its old and new versions. It is not electrically reversible and consumes a lot of electricity. It lacks the facility of erasing data byte by byte and needs to be taken out of the computer physically if one wants to erase data.

All these limitations led to the development of EEPROM, which uses electric signals to erase data and takes less time and electricity. But before the arrival of EEPROM, EPROM was the best ROM that technology had to offer.

Significance of EPROM

There have been many reasons behind technical advancement globally, but the most prominent is the need to grow and have better technology. Evolution is a never-ending process. This is as true for technology as anything else in this world. As discussed in the article before, EPROM, which is Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, is an evolved form of PROM. 

This evolution was the need for rectification which was not possible with PROM. As technology progressed, even EPROM got a better version known as EEPROM, the acronym for Electronically Erasable Read-Only Memory. The data in EPROM was with the help of ultraviolet rays. Whereas EEPROM can be erased using a pulse of high voltage. It can be seen that after the arrival of EEPROM, the task of rectification had become very easy compared to the phase of PROM when it was not even an option. EEPROM is also an outdated version of ROM because the electronic world has developed a technology called flash memory.

Flash Memory- Flash memory is the most updated version of EPROM, which is used to rectify data with the help of ultraviolet rays and could retain data even without a power supply. Flash memory came into existence in 1984 through an engineer Masuoka Fujio, a native of Japan who worked for Toshiba Corporation. Although he was working on finding a replacement for dynamic random access memory, he invented the evolved version of the EPROM. Also, flash memory is called so because it erases data at once in a flash.

Conclusion

After going through this article, one cannot just learn the significance and full form of EPROM but also realize the technological world’s pace of evolution. Electronics is an ever-changing zone, and even the most advanced version of everything becomes outdated sooner or later. Hence, it is important to know the technical jargon and stay updated in the ever-evolving fast-paced electronic world.