Flash memory
hideFlash memory is a non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products. It is a specific type of EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) that is erased and programmed in large blocks; in early flash the entire chip had to be erased at once. Flash memory costs far less than byte-programmable EEPROM and therefore has become the dominant technology wherever a significant amount of non-volatile, solid state storage is needed. Example applications include PDAs (personal digital assistants), laptop computers, digital audio players, digital cameras and mobile phones. It has also gained popularity in the game console market, where it is often used instead of EEPROMs or battery-powered SRAM for game save data.
Since flash memory is non-volatile, no power is needed to maintain the information stored in the chip. In addition, flash memory offers fast read access times (although not as fast as volatile DRAM memory used for main memory in PCs) and better kinetic shock resistance than hard disks. These characteristics explain the popularity of flash memory in portable devices. Another feature of flash memory is that when packaged in a "memory card," it is enormously durable, being able to withstand intense pressure, extremes of temperature, and even immersion in water.
Although technically a type of EEPROM, the term "EEPROM" is generally used to refer specifically to non-flash EEPROM which is erasable in small blocks, typically bytes. Because erase cycles are slow, the large block sizes used in flash memory erasing give it a significant speed advantage over old-style EEPROM when writing large amounts of data.
For more information about Flash memory, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with flash memory
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German semi-conductor maker Infineon on Thursday upgraded its turnover and profits forecast over the next 12 months because of higher demand from the auto industry and cost cuts.
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Until Oct. 24, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover had gone more than six months without an episode of amnesia-like symptoms like those that appeared on four occasions earlier this year.
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Oct 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The ability to store and retrieve data is an important component of today's computers, as well as other modern electronic devices such as cell phones, video game consoles, and camcorders. ...
SanDisk Ships Flash Memory Cards With 64 Gigabit X4 NAND Technology
Oct 16, 2009 |
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SanDisk announced it has begun production shipments of flash memory cards based on the company's advanced X4 flash memory technology. This innovative new technology holds four bits of data in each memory cell, ...
Researchers simplify fabrication of nano storage, chip-design tools
Sep 09, 2009 |
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Advances by the Rice University lab of James Tour have brought graphite's potential as a mass data storage medium a step closer to reality and created the potential for reprogrammable gate arrays that could ...
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(AP) -- Once again, it's time to peer into Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs' cup and try to read the tea leaves.
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Sep 02, 2009 |
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Leveraging lightning-fast technology already familiar to many from the micro storage world of digital cameras, thumb drives and laptop computers, the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, ...
Japan's Toshiba still in red
Jul 29, 2009 |
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Japanese high-tech giant Toshiba said Wednesday it had lost more than 600 million dollars in the fiscal first quarter as the economic downturn hit sales of televisions and other electronics.
Beyond flash -- memories are made of this
Jul 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The race is on for a successor to the popular 'flash' memory used in portable devices. European researchers think they have found a candidate in novel materials combined with a simple, easily ...
Intel Delivers Industry's First 34-Nanometer NAND Flash Solid-State Drives
Jul 21, 2009 |
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Intel is moving to a more advanced, 34- nanometer manufacturing process for its NAND flash-based Solid State Drive (SSD) products, which are an alternative to a computer's hard drive. The move to 34nm will ...
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Jul 01, 2009 |
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Thirty years ago Sony launched the Walkman, a gadget which revolutionised the way people around the world listened to music but has since been overtaken by an icon of the digital age -- the iPod.
Report: Newest iPhone model costs $179 to make
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Jun 24, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Research firm iSuppli says Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone costs just a few dollars more to make than the previous model.
16 Gb SanDisk Netbook SDHC: More Storage for Your Netbook
Jun 02, 2009 |
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SanDisk today announced the SanDisk Netbook SDHC removable flash memory card, offering consumers an easy way to significantly increase their netbooks' storage capacity. Consumers simply insert the SanDisk ...
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If you want to buy a high-definition camcorder, no problem -- you have a range of options.
Japan's top chipmaker Toshiba posts record loss
May 08, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Japan's top chipmaker Toshiba Corp. tumbled to a record annual loss amid sinking global demand that has forced it to cut thousands of jobs.
