When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn What Does Write-Only Memory Mean?
Write-only memory describes memory locations that cannot be read, but can only be written to. In some senses, this term is a logical fallacy in IT, but it does have some relevance to certain systems involved in the interaction between microprocessors and some kinds of hardware.
Techopedia Explains Write-Only Memory
In the most basic sense, write-only memory is the opposite of read-only memory, or memory that cannot be modified after writing. Logically, read-only memory make sense. Although a user or device can’t modify that memory, it can still provide helpful input, because it can be read. The idea of write-only memory, or memory that can’t be read, seems useless. However, experts point out that in some cases, methodologies for creating CPU interactions with hardware can lead to memory locations that could be called write-only memory from the viewpoint of the processor itself. So, while the processor can’t read the memory that it has written, other parts of the hardware setup may be able to do so.
