device-specific programming

noun
UK /dɪˈvaɪs spəˈsɪfɪk ˈprəʊɡræmɪŋ/
US /dɪˈvaɪs spəˈsɪfɪk ˈproʊɡræmɪŋ/

Writing computer instructions that only work on one special kind of gadget.

The game needed device-specific programming so it could run on that particular tablet.

SYNONYMS

platform-specific codinghardware-targeted programmingdevice-dependent codingmachine-specific programming

RELATED WORDS

firmwaredriverembedded systemhardware abstractioncross-platform

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Software development tuned to the exact features and limits of one piece of hardware.

The engineers used device-specific programming to squeeze every bit of speed out of the sensor.

3. Code that relies on unique parts of a single device model and may fail on others.

Because of device-specific programming, the app crashed on every phone except the one it was built for.

4. The practice of writing low-level instructions for a particular chip or circuit board.

Device-specific programming let the robot control its motors directly.