In computer, EPROM stands for:

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. An EPROM is a non-volatile ROM chip (it keeps its contents with the power off) that, unlike an ordinary PROM, can be wiped clean and re-programmed. It is erased by shining ultraviolet light through the transparent quartz window on top of the package — that window is the visual give-away of an EPROM — and is then re-written with a special programming voltage. The first one, Intel's 1702 (1971), was designed by Dov Frohman at Intel.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) The tempting near-miss. The first 'E' in EPROM is Erasable, not Electrically. 'Electrically' belongs to the next member of the family — EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), which is erased by applying a voltage instead of ultraviolet light.  (b) Not a standard term. Every ROM variant is programmed electronically, so the word distinguishes nothing; the name has to convey what is special about the chip, which is that it can be erased and reused.  (c) There is no such device. The recognised ROM family is MROM (mask-programmed at the factory), PROM (one-time programmable), EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory — 'Extended PROM' is not among them.

Concept: Computer memory splits first by volatility. RAM is volatile — switch the power off and its contents vanish. ROM is non-volatile — it holds data without power, which is why the boot firmware/BIOS lives there. Within ROM there is a ladder of increasing re-writability: MROM is fixed at manufacture, PROM can be written once by the user, EPROM can be erased with UV light and re-written many times, EEPROM is erased electrically byte-by-byte, and flash memory (the basis of pen drives and SSDs) erases electrically in blocks.

State PCS 2026 Q31 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2026 Q31 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer