Abstract: An apparatus for firmware management. A non-volatile memory device stores encoded data comprising an instruction and an error correction code. A processing unit acquires the encoded data, and corrects the encoded data based on the error correction code when an error in the encoded data is detected. The processing unit subsequently acquires the instruction from the corrected data, and then executes the instruction.

Abstract: A method of preventing firmware from being pirated. The firmware contains executable code for an electronic device. The method includes ciphering executable firmware code into ciphered firmware code, storing the ciphered firmware code in a nonvolatile memory of the electronic device, and storing a decipher key in a decrypting circuit of the electronic device. The method also includes deciphering the ciphered firmware code with the decrypting circuit of the electronic device to decode the executable firmware code, storing the executable firmware code in a volatile memory of the electronic device, and executing the executable firmware code stored in the volatile memory for operating the electronic device.