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.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with flash memory
Organic flash memory developed
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a non-volatile memory that has the same basic structure as a flash memory but is made from cheap, flexible, organic materials.
Toshiba Launches Highest Density Embedded NAND Flash Memory Modules
Dec 15, 2009 |
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Toshiba Corporation today announced the launch of a 64 gigabyte (GB) embedded NAND flash memory module, the highest capacity yet achieved in the industry.
What Comes After Hard Drives?
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. ...
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 ...
Amnesia-Like Behavior Returns on Spirit
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 31, 2009 |
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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.
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
Semiconductor giant Infineon upgrades outlook
Nov 19, 2009 |
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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.
HD camcorders shoot great video but it's not easy to watch
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
May 27, 2009 |
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If you want to buy a high-definition camcorder, no problem -- you have a range of options.
Happy 30th birthday, Walkman
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
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.
Toshiba Develops World's Highest-Bandwidth, Highest Density Non-volatile RAM
Feb 09, 2009 |
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Toshiba Corporation today announced the prototype of a new FeRAM -- Ferroelectric Random Access Memory -- that redefines industry benchmarks for density and operating speed. The new chip realizes storage of ...
Spirit Resumes Driving While Analysis of Problem Behaviors Continues
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove on Thursday for the first time since April 8, acting on commands from engineers who are still investigating bouts of amnesia and other unusual behavior ...
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.
Sandisk Launches Next-Generation Solid-State Drives for Netbooks
Jan 06, 2009 |
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SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its next-generation of flash memory-based solid-state drives (SSD) to support the evolving needs of designers, manufacturers and users in the exploding netbook market - SanDisk ...
