Hardwired

adjectiveStandard termElectronics

Describing a circuit or function that is permanently fixed by physical connections rather than being software-programmable.

A hardwired system executes its operations through fixed logic gates and routing rather than by fetching instructions from memory. Because the logic path is set in silicon or copper, hardwired circuits operate extremely fast and with predictable latency. However, any change to the algorithm requires redesigning the physical hardware.

Heard on the job

The encryption algorithm is hardwired into the silicon, making it much faster than running a software routine on the main CPU.