The terms reference a specific type of file (identified by the “.bin” extension) related to system firmware, and the process of acquiring a differential update. Such updates contain only the changes between two versions, which reduces file size and bandwidth requirements during distribution.
Employing differential updates is advantageous because it minimizes the amount of data that needs to be transferred. This is particularly important when dealing with large firmware images, as it speeds up the update process and conserves network resources. Historically, full firmware images were commonly distributed; however, the efficiency gains provided by these differential updates have made them increasingly prevalent.