​What is the difference between the software and firmware of radio?

For hams, software and firmware are often used by us. Do you know the difference between them? Why does amateur radio need both software and firmware?

Sames

Both software and firmware are the datas stored in the hardware of radios.

Differences

Firmware refers to a collection of software embedded in the walkie-talkie hardware, similar to erasable or electrically erasable memory, that enables the walkie-talkie to operate normally. Once the firmware is modified, it is rarely changed, and the loss of the firmware or the wrong update will usually cause the machine to completely lose its functions, depending on the situation. Firmware files are often much smaller than software.

Software is used to describe the programs or data that users most frequently view, change or interact with in other ways, such as channel information, sound, backlight and other basic settings. The software is designed to be updated frequently, and can usually be deleted or edited in the system without major consequences-except for possible loss of important data. Compared with firmware, software files are usually large and take up a lot of hardware memory.