ROMcsökkenés

ROMcsökkenés is the process or result of reducing the amount of read-only memory (ROM) required to store firmware in an embedded system. It is both a design goal and a common outcome when devices move to smaller memory footprints, enabling more features within fixed hardware. The term appears in Hungarian technical literature on firmware development and memory optimization.

Causes and methods include:

- Code and data optimization: removing unused code (dead code elimination), stripping debug information, and optimizing algorithms and data representations to use fewer bytes.

- Compiler and linker techniques: higher optimization levels, link-time optimization, and reuse of shared libraries or modular firmware design to minimize the ROM footprint.

- Data compression and decompression: storing a compressed firmware image in flash and decompressing at runtime, possibly with selective decompression to reduce ROM usage.

- Firmware modularization: moving rarely used features to separate modules loaded on demand or from external storage, keeping the core ROM small.

- Hardware changes: replacing a larger ROM with a smaller one or shifting to ROM-emulation strategies based on flash memory.

Impacts:

- Pros include lower cost, smaller board area, and more space for additional features.

- Cons can involve performance trade-offs due to decompression or module loading, as well as increased build, test, and maintenance complexity.

Measurement and risks:

- ROM usage is typically measured in kilobytes or bytes. Changes must be evaluated for effects on boot time, runtime latency, reliability, and functionality.

Examples:

- In IoT devices and consumer electronics, ROMcsökkenés is a common objective to fit firmware within fixed flash sizes while preserving essential functionality.