# Use Spark or Particle Variables ? Which firmware?

**URL:** <https://community.particle.io/t/use-spark-or-particle-variables-which-firmware/19978>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [February 12, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/use-spark-or-particle-variables-which-firmware/19978 "2016-02-12T01:30:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![randykarr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e4f/32.png) [@randykarr](https://community.particle.io/u/randykarr)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/use-spark-or-particle-variables-which-firmware/19978/1 "2016-02-12T01:30:58Z")

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I am using a Core, it flashes from Particle Build with Firmware 3.4,

When writing code should I call Spark Variables or Particle Variables ? Does it matter ?  
Does it matter which firmware I use ?

Should I use the firmware 4.9 that shows default ? The dashboard says I am using 3.4

thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Moors7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/moors7/32/588_2.png) [@Moors7](https://community.particle.io/u/Moors7)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/use-spark-or-particle-variables-which-firmware/19978/2 "2016-02-12T01:58:19Z")

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If you’ve got no specific reason to stay on a lower firmware version (and it seems that you don’t), I’d recommend upgrading to the latest, since that’ll have the most new features/bug fixes.  
For naming things, go for the ‘Particle’ ones, since that’s what will be supported in the future, while ‘Spark’ will/should be deprecated.