Flash memory is a type of long-lasting memory for computers in which the contents can be reprogrammed or electrically erased. Compared to Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, operations on it can be performed in blocks that are located in different places. Flash memory costs much less than EEPROM, which is why it has become the dominant technology. Particularly in situations where stable and long-term data storage is required. Its use is allowed in a wide variety of cases: in digital audio players, photo and video cameras, mobile phones and smartphones, where there are special Android applications for the memory card. In addition, it is also used in USB flash drives, traditionally used to save information and transfer it between computers. It has gained some fame in the world of gamers, where it is often used to store game progress data.
general description
Flash memory is a type that is capable of storing information on its board for a long time without using power. In addition, we can note the highest data access speed, as well as better resistance to kinetic shock in comparison with hard drives. It is thanks to these characteristics that it has become so popular for devices powered by batteries and rechargeable batteries. Another undeniable advantage is that when flash memory is compressed into a solid card, it is almost impossible to destroy it by any standard physical means, so it can withstand boiling water and high pressure.
Low-level data access
The way to access data residing in flash memory is very different from that of conventional types. Low-level access is provided through the driver. Conventional RAM immediately responds to calls to read and write information, returning the results of such operations, but the design of flash memory is such that it takes time to think about it.
Design and principle of operation
At the moment, flash memory is widespread, which is created on single-transistor elements with a “floating” gate. This makes it possible to provide greater data storage density compared to dynamic RAM, which requires a pair of transistors and a capacitor element. At the moment, the market is replete with various technologies for constructing basic elements for this type of media, which are developed by leading manufacturers. They are distinguished by the number of layers, methods of recording and erasing information, as well as the organization of the structure, which is usually indicated in the name.
Currently, there are a couple of types of chips that are most common: NOR and NAND. In both, the storage transistors are connected to the bit buses - in parallel and in series, respectively. The first type has fairly large cell sizes and allows for fast random access, allowing programs to be executed directly from memory. The second is characterized by smaller cell sizes, as well as fast sequential access, which is much more convenient when it is necessary to build block-type devices where large amounts of information will be stored.
In most portable devices, the SSD uses the NOR memory type. However, devices with a USB interface are becoming increasingly popular. They use NAND memory. Gradually it displaces the first one.
The main problem is fragility
The first samples of mass-produced flash drives did not please users with high speeds. However, now the speed of writing and reading information is at such a level that you can watch a full-length movie or run an operating system on your computer. A number of manufacturers have already demonstrated machines where the hard drive is replaced by flash memory. But this technology has a very significant drawback, which becomes an obstacle to replacing existing magnetic disks with this medium. Due to the design of flash memory, it allows erasing and writing of information in a limited number of cycles, which is achievable even for small and portable devices, not to mention how often this is done on computers. If you use this type of media as a solid state drive on a PC, then a critical situation will come very quickly.
This is due to the fact that such a drive is built on the property of field-effect transistors to store in a “floating” gate the absence or presence of which in the transistor is considered as a logical one or zero in binary. Writing and erasing data in NAND memory is carried out using tunneled electrons using the Fowler-Nordheim method with the participation of a dielectric. This does not require what allows you to make cells of minimal sizes. But it is this process that leads to cells, since the electric current in this case forces electrons to penetrate the gate, overcoming the dielectric barrier. However, the guaranteed shelf life of such memory is ten years. Wear of the microcircuit occurs not due to reading information, but due to operations to erase and write it, since reading does not require changing the structure of the cells, but only passes an electric current.
Naturally, memory manufacturers are actively working towards increasing the service life of solid-state drives of this type: they are striving to ensure uniformity of writing/erasing processes across the cells of the array, so that some do not wear out more than others. To distribute the load evenly, software paths are predominantly used. For example, to eliminate this phenomenon, “wear leveling” technology is used. In this case, data that is often subject to changes is moved to the address space of flash memory, so recording is carried out at different physical addresses. Each controller is equipped with its own alignment algorithm, so it is very difficult to compare the effectiveness of various models, since implementation details are not disclosed. Since the volume of flash drives is becoming larger every year, it is necessary to use more and more efficient operating algorithms to guarantee the stable functioning of the devices.
Troubleshooting
One of the very effective ways to combat this phenomenon has been to reserve a certain amount of memory, which ensures load uniformity and error correction through special logical redirection algorithms for replacing physical blocks that arise during intensive work with a flash drive. And to prevent the loss of information, cells that fail are blocked or replaced with backup ones. This software distribution of blocks makes it possible to ensure load uniformity, increasing the number of cycles by 3-5 times, but this is not enough.
And other types of similar drives are characterized by the fact that a table with a file system is entered into their service area. It prevents failures in reading information at the logical level, for example, in the event of an incorrect shutdown or a sudden interruption in the supply of electrical energy. And since the system does not provide caching when using removable devices, frequent rewriting has the most detrimental effect on the file allocation table and directory table of contents. And even special programs for memory cards are not able to help in this situation. For example, during a one-time request, the user overwrote a thousand files. And, it would seem, I only used the blocks where they were located for recording once. But service areas were rewritten with each update of any file, that is, the allocation tables went through this procedure a thousand times. For this reason, the blocks occupied by this data will fail first. Wear leveling technology also works with such blocks, but its effectiveness is very limited. And it doesn’t matter what kind of computer you use, the flash drive will fail exactly when the creator intended it to.
It is worth noting that the increase in the capacity of the microcircuits of such devices has only led to the fact that the total number of write cycles has decreased, since the cells are becoming smaller, so less and less voltage is required to dissipate the oxide partitions that isolate the “floating gate”. And here the situation is such that with the increase in the capacity of the devices used, the problem of their reliability began to worsen more and more, and the class of the memory card now depends on many factors. The reliability of such a solution is determined by its technical features, as well as the current market situation. Due to fierce competition, manufacturers are forced to reduce production costs by any means. Including due to simplified design, the use of components from a cheaper set, weakening control over production and other methods. For example, a Samsung memory card will cost more than its lesser-known analogues, but its reliability raises much fewer questions. But even here it is difficult to talk about a complete absence of problems, and it is difficult to expect anything more from devices from completely unknown manufacturers.
Development prospects
While there are obvious advantages, there are a number of disadvantages that characterize the SD memory card, which prevent further expansion of its scope. That is why there is a constant search for alternative solutions in this area. Of course, first of all, they are trying to improve existing types of flash memory, which will not lead to any fundamental changes in the existing production process. Therefore, there is no doubt about only one thing: companies engaged in the manufacture of these types of drives will try to use their full potential before switching to another type, continuing to improve traditional technology. For example, the Sony memory card is currently available in a wide range of sizes, so it is assumed that it will continue to be actively sold out.
However, today, on the threshold of industrial implementation, there is a whole range of technologies for alternative data storage, some of which can be implemented immediately upon the onset of a favorable market situation.
Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM)
The technology of the ferroelectric principle of information storage (Ferroelectric RAM, FRAM) is proposed to increase the potential of non-volatile memory. It is generally accepted that the mechanism of operation of existing technologies, which consists in rewriting data during the reading process with all modifications of the basic components, leads to a certain restraint in the speed potential of devices. And FRAM is a memory characterized by simplicity, high reliability and speed in operation. These properties are now characteristic of DRAM - non-volatile random access memory that currently exists. But here we will also add the possibility of long-term data storage, which is characterized by Among the advantages of such technology, we can highlight resistance to various types of penetrating radiation, which may be in demand in special devices that are used to work in conditions of increased radioactivity or in space exploration. The information storage mechanism here is implemented through the use of the ferroelectric effect. It implies that the material is able to maintain polarization in the absence of an external electric field. Each FRAM memory cell is formed by sandwiching an ultra-thin film of ferroelectric material in the form of crystals between a pair of flat metal electrodes, forming a capacitor. The data in this case is stored inside the crystal structure. And this prevents the effect of charge leakage, which causes the loss of information. Data in FRAM memory is retained even when the power supply is turned off.
Magnetic RAM (MRAM)
Another type of memory that is considered very promising today is MRAM. It is characterized by fairly high speed performance and energy independence. in this case, a thin magnetic film placed on a silicon substrate is used. MRAM is static memory. It does not need periodic rewriting, and information will not be lost when the power is turned off. At the moment, most experts agree that this type of memory can be called a next-generation technology, since the existing prototype demonstrates fairly high speed performance. Another advantage of this solution is the low cost of the chips. Flash memory is manufactured using a specialized CMOS process. And MRAM chips can be produced using a standard manufacturing process. Moreover, the materials can be those used in conventional magnetic media. It is much cheaper to produce large quantities of such microcircuits than all the others. An important property of MRAM memory is its instantaneous turn-on capability. And this is especially valuable for mobile devices. Indeed, in this type, the value of the cell is determined by the magnetic charge, and not by the electrical charge, as in traditional flash memory.
Ovonic Unified Memory (OUM)
Another type of memory that many companies are actively working on is a solid-state drive based on amorphous semiconductors. It is based on phase change technology, which is similar to the principle of recording on conventional discs. Here the phase state of a substance in an electric field changes from crystalline to amorphous. And this change persists even in the absence of tension. Such devices differ from traditional optical disks in that heating occurs due to the action of electric current and not a laser. Reading in this case is carried out due to the difference in the reflectivity of the substance in different states, which is perceived by the disk drive sensor. Theoretically, such a solution has a high data storage density and maximum reliability, as well as increased performance. The maximum number of rewrite cycles is high here, for which a computer is used; a flash drive in this case lags behind by several orders of magnitude.
Chalcogenide RAM (CRAM) and Phase Change Memory (PRAM)
This technology is also based on the principle that in one phase the substance used in the carrier acts as a non-conducting amorphous material, and in the second it serves as a crystalline conductor. The transition of a memory cell from one state to another is carried out due to electric fields and heating. Such chips are characterized by resistance to ionizing radiation.
Information-Multilayered Imprinted CArd (Info-MICA)
The operation of devices built on the basis of this technology is carried out according to the principle of thin-film holography. Information is recorded as follows: first, a two-dimensional image is formed and transferred to a hologram using CGH technology. Data is read by fixing the laser beam on the edge of one of the recorded layers, which serve as optical waveguides. The light propagates along an axis that is parallel to the plane of the layer, forming an output image corresponding to the information recorded earlier. The initial data can be obtained at any time thanks to the reverse coding algorithm.
This type of memory compares favorably with semiconductor memory due to the fact that it provides high recording density, low power consumption, as well as low cost of storage media, environmental safety and protection from unauthorized use. But such a memory card does not allow rewriting of information, so it can only serve as long-term storage, a replacement for paper media, or an alternative to optical disks for distributing multimedia content.
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A USB flash drive, also known as a flash drive or flash drive, is a portable data storage device based on flash memory. When a user plugs a device into a USB port, the computer's operating system recognizes it as a removable drive and assigns a name to it.
Unlike most removable drives, USB drives do not require a reboot after connection, do not require an external power source, and are also platform independent. Some manufacturers offer additional features such as password protection, downloadable drivers that allow the device to be compatible with older systems.
Data can be stored on a flash drive for a long time even without connecting it to a computer. This makes a USB drive a convenient tool for transferring data between computers or for use as backup data storage.
To use a flash drive, you just need to insert it into a free USB port on your computer.
In most cases, you will receive a notification that the flash drive is connected, after which its contents will appear on the monitor screen, similar to how other drives on the computer are displayed when viewing files.
What directly happens when the flash drive is connected completely depends on the version of Windows or other operating system, as well as the settings of the computer itself.
Available flash drive sizes
Most flash drives have capacities from 8 to 64 GB. There are also drives with smaller and even larger capacities, but they are harder to find.
One of the first flash drives was only 8 MB in size. The largest known USB 3.0 flash drive has a capacity of 1 TB (1024 GB).
USB Specifications
There are three main USB specifications by which flash drives can be connected to a computer: 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. Each new specification provides higher data transfer speeds than the previous version. There have also been several updates released in addition to these three versions.
USB 1.0
Specification USB 1.0 was released in January 1996 and was available in two versions:
- USB 1.0 low-speed: provides a data transfer rate of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps).
- USB 1.0 high-speed: data transfer speed is 12 megabits per second (Mbps).
It is worth noting that the most widely used version is USB 1.1, which was released in September 1998 and fixed various technical problems with version 1.0.
USB 2.0
Specification USB 2.0, also known as Hi-Speed USB, was released in April 2000. It was developed by the Promoter Group, an organization managed by Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, NEC and Philips. USB 2.0 has a maximum data transfer speed of 480 Mbps. This increased performance over the previous specification by up to 40 times. It is also worth noting that USB 2.0 is backward compatible, so all flash drives using USB technology can be connected to ports of different specifications.
USB 3.0
USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, was introduced in November 2008. The first 3.0-compatible flash drives became available in January 2010. The SuperSpeed USB specification was also developed by Promoter Group to increase data transfer speeds and reduce power consumption. With SuperSpeed USB technology, data transfer speeds are 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB, up to 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps). USB 3.0 has lower power requirements during activity and idle time, and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0.
Version USB 3.1, known as SuperSpeed+ or SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, was released in July 2013. It made it possible to increase data transfer speeds to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps), as well as improve data encoding to increase throughput.
Some more useful information about flash drives
Information on flash drives can be written and rewritten almost an unlimited number of times, just like on hard drives.
Flash drives have completely replaced floppy drives, which were previously used to transfer and store information, and given how large they have become, they are even almost replacing CDs, DVDs and BD-disks.
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Hello to all readers of the blog site, today I would like to tell you what a flash drive is, which has probably already penetrated into every home where there is a computer. A flash drive (also known as a flash drive, USB keychain, USB Drive, flash drive, flash card) is a relatively small device for reliably storing and transferring any digital information, created based on Flash chip technology (NAND). Flash memory was invented by Japanese Fuji Masuoka in 1984 (during his work at Toshiba). The name "flash" was coined by Fuji's colleague, developer Shoji Ariizumi. The name of the device comes from the English word Flash - flash, flash. The undoubted leaders in mass production of flash memory are Toshiba (about 20% of the market) and Samsung (more than 30% of the market).
Advantages of devices with flash memory:
- Relatively light weight, portable, quiet operation.
- Versatility (modern computers, DVD players, TVs have USB connectors).
- They are much more resistant to various mechanical influences (shock, vibration) compared to hard drives, since they are much lighter.
- They maintain their performance over a very wide temperature range.
- They have low energy consumption.
- Protected from dust and scratches, which have always been a big problem for optical media, as well as floppy disks.
Disadvantages of devices with flash memory:
- The number of write-erase cycles before failure is quite limited. The devices are capable of reliably storing digital data completely autonomously for an average of 5 years. The most advanced samples - up to 8-10 years.
- Read and write speeds are limited by USB bandwidth. There are also a number of other disadvantages to the USB connector.
- Unlike CDs, these devices are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (especially in winter) as well as radiation.
Basically, flash drives are divided into: USB Flash Drive (USB key fobs) and Flash Card (flash cards). A flash card or memory card is a fairly compact electronic storage device used for storing digital information. Almost all modern memory cards are based on flash memory, although, in principle, other technologies can be used.
Today, memory cards are very widely used in all kinds of electronic devices, including mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, desktop computers (via a card reader), game consoles, MP3 players, etc. Memory cards are rewritable, compact, non-volatile (can reliably store digital data without energy consumption).
There are cards with unprotected, so-called “full-access memory”, for which there are no restrictions on writing and reading data, as well as cards with protected memory, which use a special permission mechanism for writing, reading and deleting information. Secure memory cards typically contain an immutable identification data area.
Flash memory, made on microcircuits, has a fairly compact (miniature) appearance. For this reason, it is often used in handheld computers. It works slower than random access memory chips, which is why it is not used as the main memory of a computer.
Flash memory cards built into special cases with USB connectors are widely used by almost all computer owners. The reason for this lies in the fact that these devices are compact and have decent capacity. USB flash drives come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They are made in the form of keychains, pens, children's toys and much more.
A wide variety of USB keys are widely used for connecting to popular USB ports of a computer, DVD player, car radio, digital camera, etc. Using a removable disk (USB Flash Disk), you can easily and quickly transfer data from one computer to another. The transfer speed of these devices is usually faster and the housing is much stronger than that of flash cards.
USB flash drives (flash drives, flash drives, flash drives) are popular and reliable storage devices that use flash memory as a storage medium and are connected to a computer or other device that reads information via a USB interface.
USB flash drives are removable and rewritable. Their dimensions are about 3-5 cm, weight - less than 50-60 g. They gained enormous popularity and distribution after 2000 due to their compactness, ease of rewriting files, large memory capacity, and reliable housing. The main purpose of USB drives is storage, backup, data transfer and exchange, loading operating systems (LiveUSB), etc.
Typically, this device has a characteristic elongated shape and has a removable cap covering the connector. The flash drive can be carried with a cord or chain around your neck, in your pocket, on your belt, or in your bag. Modern flash drives have a variety of shapes and sizes, and methods of protecting the connector. They can have both a “non-standard” appearance (a toy, an army knife, a watch) and additional capabilities (in particular, fingerprint verification).
We explained what a flash drive is above, but it is important to know that in order to extend the life of members of the flash memory family (USB flash drives, memory cards, removable hard drives), a number of certain rules must be followed:
- Although the USB interface allows hot removal, always use a feature such as “Safely Remove Hardware”. To do this, you need to use the corresponding icon located in the notification area (on the right side) by clicking with the left mouse button. Then you need to select “Safely Remove Hardware for USB” from the context menu. Before the procedure, you need to close the files from the flash drive.
- You must treat your flash drive with care. Do not expose it to shock, strong electromagnetic fields, high temperatures or moisture.
- Do not remove the flash drive from the computer while you are accessing it, as this may damage the device and loss of data. If a recording was in progress when your flash drive was disconnected from the PC, errors will appear in the file system of the flash drive. The flash drive must be fully formatted. To do this, you need to open My Computer, right-click on the flash drive icon, call up the context menu, and select “Format”. In the Format Removable Disk window, click Start, then OK. Don’t forget to first copy all data from the flash drive to your computer’s hard drive before formatting!
I recommend:
- Due to the emergence of viruses designed to destroy existing information on flash drives, if you need to copy information from your flash drive to someone else’s PC, be careful to enable write locking (if provided for by the design of the flash drive).
- It happens that flash drives are poorly recognized when they are connected to the USB ports on the front panel of the PC. Try connecting them to the ports on the rear panel.
If you are interested in the security of your data on flash drives, you can read the articles “” and “”.
Since a flash drive is perhaps the most popular and widely used storage medium, there is a danger of a large number of a wide variety of computer viruses spreading through flash memory. You need to secure your computer. To do this, you need to disable autorun (autoload). Use reliable antivirus programs, use flash drives with fingerprint detection capabilities, use flash drives with an effective write protection system.
An effective means of protection against all kinds of viruses will be the use of the NTFS file system with the creation of directories for writing files, protecting the root directory of your flash drive. All this, of course, cannot guarantee complete protection, since the user must carefully “filter” the data himself (you should not download information from suspicious flash drives, CDs, DVDs, websites, etc.).
Don’t rush to throw away your flash drive if it is not visible to the system, is readable with errors, is buggy, and you can’t write anything to it. There are a number of fairly effective programs for recovering flash drives. Programs such as JetFlash Recovery Tool, D-Soft Flash Doctor, EzRecover, F-Recovery for CompactFlash and others can help you. They will help you recover text files, photos, music." In a few minutes you can get a fully functioning flash drive.
If you urgently need data, but the memory card or flash drive is broken, then don’t be discouraged in this case either. Reliable recovery of any data from flash memory media is quite possible even in cases of physical failure. It is possible to save information and copy data from a damaged flash drive, but if you physically break it, it is no longer possible. You also need to know that there are a number of points when restoring information that must be observed. The flash drive recovery method will depend on the type of fault (damage to the electronic part, physical damage, logical data violations).
The days of floppy disks are irrevocably a thing of the past. Compact, silent, durable and stylish flash drives are now actively replacing disks. They are convenient, versatile, and aesthetically pleasing (there are flash drives for advertising and gifts, decorated with rhinestones, with inscriptions and logos printed with a solid-state laser). Flash drives have become a part of the life of modern people.
Now let's see how flash drives are made:
A flash drive is a storage device that uses flash memory. Flash memory is non-volatile. It can be electrically erased and reprogrammed.
Thus, it is a type of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory called EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). This type of memory can be erased and refilled with data up to a million times. Flash drives are similar to regular hard drives and can replace them. Flash memory is used to store and transfer information easily and quickly.
About Flash Memory
Flash drives are often used in products that operate at low power and those that may have to operate in harsh environments. Flash memory is non-volatile and hence flash drives do not need to be backed up by a battery. Solid state flash memory. This means that there is nothing mechanical about it. Everything is purely electronic. Flash memory has a grid of columns and rows, each cell having two transistors at each intersection point in the grid. A thin oxide layer separates the transistors in each pair. One transistor in a pair is called a floating gate, and the other is known as a control gate. A floating gate can hold an electrical charge. This charge is contained in the electrical insulation of the oxide layer separating it from the control gate. Thus, any electrons placed on the floating gate remain there. This makes flash memory non-volatile. Flash memory works by adding and removing electrons from floating gates.
How does a flash drive work?
It must be inserted into a USB port on your computer. Today's operating systems can detect flash drives and install the necessary drivers themselves. Once the device is detected, it can be used to store data. The flash drive can be removed from the computer only after its work is completed. The system will prompt you when it is safe to remove it, after which it can be physically removed.
The flash drive is made up of a printed circuit board and is covered in a plastic or rubber casing that makes it durable. The USB connector that sticks out is covered with a removable cover. Most flash drives use a USB Type A connection, making them compatible with standard computer connectors. Therefore, they can be connected directly to a port on your computer.
Flash drives do not require any additional device drivers. When a flash drive is connected to a computer running a block logical unit operating system, it abstracts away the implementation details of complex flash memory devices and allows the operating system to use any file system or block addressing system on the system. In short, the Operating System treats it like a hard drive. When connected, the flash drive goes into emulation mode, which means that it emulates the operation of the hard drive in the future. This makes transferring data between a flash drive and a computer much easier.
Flash drives are used to manage operating systems in order to turn personal computers into a network of electrical appliances. In such cases, they contain the operating system and are used to boot the system. Flash drives have an advantage over other devices due to their low power consumption and low failure rate. Additionally, flash drives are small and portable in size. They enable fast data transfer with less hassle. Basically, they are plug-and-play devices. They do not require any special training on your part to be able to use them. They have a large memory store, with more memory capacity than floppy disks or CDs.
During the early years of their evolution, flash drives could not withstand too many erase cycles. This made early flash drives unsuitable for data that needed frequent updates. To fill this gap, manufacturers have developed an alignment method that physically distributes data across all memory cells. Modern flash drives can withstand up to a million cycles.
USB flash drives
USB flash drive is a fashionable word in computer technology today. This is a flash memory or NAND type memory storage device. The main components of a flash drive include a USB Type A connector, a storage controller, a NAND flash memory chip, and a crystal oscillator. The USB connector acts as an interface between the device and the computer. The storage controller consists of a tiny RISC processor. It also has some amount of memory on the chip (it can be ROM or RAM). The flash memory chip does the actual work of storing data. The crystal oscillator produces clock signals and controls the data output from the device. The LEDs that act as indicators provide write protection and switch some other components that may be part of the flash drives.
Using a flash drive
- Connect the flash drive to your computer.
- The computer will indicate to you that it has detected an external device.
- The operating system will treat it like any other hard drive. The device does not require any special drivers. No specific file system is required.
- Go to the "My Computer" menu and you will see the flash drive among other drives.
- You will be able to open it like any other hard drive.
Advantages of flash drives
- They are lightweight and portable.
- They are reliable. They are scratch resistant and unaffected by magnetic fields.
- Flash memory is non-volatile.
- They are plug-and-play devices, so they are easy to use.
- The computer treats them like any other hard drive, thereby making data transfer easy.
Disadvantages of flash drives
- They are small in size. So they can be easily lost.
- Frequent use causes wear and tear, especially at the point where they connect to the computer.
- There is a limit to the number of write and erase cycles they can withstand.
- Using a flash drive on various computers makes it susceptible to infections. A virus on a disk can destroy data or make it unreadable.
Modern flash drives come with security measures such as encryption or even biometrics. They are equipped with a protective casing which makes them reliable. Although the number of erase and write cycles may be limited. They have the added benefit of capacity, speed, portability and low power consumption. It's clear that the disadvantages of flash drives are negligible compared to the ease of use they offer. Flash drives are one of the most popular storage devices today. They can download programs, they can store important documents, projects and homework, and they can store music, movies and pictures.
How to find a good model and not regret the purchase.
Why buy USB flash drives now?
We've almost been convinced that external storage media are a thing of the past. The Internet changes everything, doesn't it? However, the speed and stability of the network connection do not yet make it possible to completely abandon physical drives. Laptops still use their own memory rather than storing everything in the cloud, as was predicted a few years ago. Accordingly, the demand for portable media is still good. 
When is it logical to use USB flash drives:
1. Transfer data between computers
Internet and wireless technologies are not yet available everywhere. Employees of a small company with an office on the outskirts, computer users in the provincial outback, employees of government agencies. All of them are potential owners of USB flash drives.
2. Installing/reinstalling the OS
More advanced users use drives to reinstall operating systems on computers. Now it is difficult to find those who install the system from a disk, just as it is difficult to find computers with the appropriate drive. Have you ever seen USB flash drives that don't require any effort?
3. Data backup
Not everyone wants or can use it for convenient backup. It is much cheaper to buy a flash drive of a suitable size and save backups on it.
4. Expanding the memory of devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets)
No one is disputing the capabilities yet, but memory expansion on the iPhone and iPad has caused a lot of controversy and discussion. The fact remains that by using a removable drive you can save on the amount of memory on your device.
5. Use with TVs, projectors, media players
The household appliances market lags behind the computer market. The use of wireless technologies in TVs and media players has not yet become widespread, and it is almost impossible to find such equipment without a USB connector. Don't forget about the price of the issue. For the difference in the cost of a TV with and without Wi-Fi, you can buy a couple of good flash drives.
6. External storage (paired with a compatible router)
Many routers are equipped with USB ports and have the ability to turn a connected drive into a network drive. This way you can create a common data storage for all family members or employees in the office.
7. Secure data storage
Not all users can risk storing their data online or leaving it on their work computer. A flash drive in this case is the only convenient solution for transferring everything you need. For those who are worried about theft or loss, manufacturers have released a number of models with security mechanisms.
What types of USB flash drives are there?
We decided on the need to purchase a device. It is unlikely that there will be many readers who will not be suitable for at least one of the listed scenarios for using a removable drive. Let's figure out what types of flash drives exist and how they differ. The USB standard has existed for more than 20 years, during which time it has gone through several stages of evolution, the most recent of which is happening today. Along with the standard, connected devices and flash drives changed.
- USB 1.0– data transfer speed from 1.5 Mbit/s. up to 12 Mbit/s;
- USB 1.1– has minor improvements compared to the previous standard and similar speed indicators;
- USB 2.0– data transmission at speeds from 25 to 480 Mbit/s;
- USB 3.0– information transmission speed up to 5 Gbit/s;
- USB 3.1/– transmission speed can reach 10 Gbit/s.
It is not possible to visually distinguish the first three types of connectors. They have the same shape and structure. Manufacturers of cheap peripherals from China and sellers of equipment in the metro still use this. It's very easy to buy a flash drive with a 20-year-old port. USB 3.0 has one significant difference from its predecessors. The inside of the port is blue (a number of manufacturers use red, but such devices are extremely rare). Five additional contacts on the inner row provide higher data transfer speeds. Otherwise, the new connector is similar to the previous ones. 
To achieve the declared data transfer speed, the flash drive and the port in the computer/tablet must be of the same standard. When connecting a version 3.0 drive to a 2.0 port, you can get a maximum speed of up to 480 Mbit/s (limited by the 2.0 standard). All listed standards from 1.0 to 3.0 are compatible with each other. However, when connecting, the restrictions of the younger one will apply. This applies to both data transfer speed and power consumption. A new large-capacity flash drive with the 3.0 standard may not work with an old TV whose port has USB 1.1. But this happens very rarely. The USB 3.1 or Type-C version stands apart in the USB series. As you remember, the 12-inch, introduced in 2015, has exactly this port. It is strange that the standard did not receive a new leading digit in its name, since it is not compatible with all previous ones. More precisely, it is possible only if there is a special one. 
Just six months ago, all analysts said that Apple was in a hurry with the release of equipment equipped with USB Type-C. However, at the last exhibition CES 2016 We saw a large number of new ones with such a connector. That is, the port not only has a future, it is an inevitable future. There are other types of drives that are equipped with a non-USB connector. We will be interested in those that. Most manufacturers equip such flash drives with two connection options at once, but there are also narrowly focused solutions.
How to choose a USB flash drive
# Connection standard. What USB do you have?
Before choosing, you should decide on all usage scenarios. It’s a good idea to decide whether you’re willing to shell out more money for a promising solution or whether you want to save money and replace the drive later. Naturally, take a standard drive 1.x there's no point. USB 2.0 has also lost its relevance, and the opportunity to get 1.x instead of 2.0 makes all devices unattractive for purchase. Today you only have to choose between USB 3.0 and USB Type-C. Even if your computer does not have a single blue-labeled port (USB 3.0), it is still worth paying attention to more promising drives. 
Choosing between 3.0 and Type-C easy to do. If you have at least one device with a new connector, or plan to purchase one, feel free to choose the USB 3.1 (Type-C) standard. With a high degree of probability, you will update your arsenal of gadgets in the near future and will pay attention specifically to the presence of a new connector, and the speed of operation, even if only on one device, will please you every day. If compatibility with other gadgets is important, you can consider these options:
It’s still difficult to find these, but by mid-2016 they will be sold in all electronics stores. For those who do not yet plan to update their device fleet, A regular 3.0 flash drive will suffice. The difference in price will be in your favor, you can use the media without adapters and the difference in data transfer speed is not that big. In the few years before you decide to purchase devices with USB Type-C, a flash drive will serve you well.
# Appearance. Big, small, fashionable
You should immediately give up flash drives in the form of minions, heroes from the Star Wars universe, food and other original products. Most often, such drives use outdated modules with low data transfer rates. The appearance of the device will delight you for the first week, but the copying speed will frustrate you for several years of use.
Of course, there are original USB flash drives with an interesting design and good “filling,” but they are extremely rare and are more expensive than analogues with a simple design. If a flash drive is purchased for a girl, sister or mother, you don’t have to dissuade them from using funny and amusing drives. It is their nerves that will be spent on long waits during copying, which will pay off with the original design of the device.
# Volume. Within a realistic framework
Flash memory is not the cheapest component. This can be seen in the prices of drives. However, there has always been a threshold at which an increase in volume does not lead to a gain in price. This threshold is slowly but surely moving towards an increase. Now the average price level looks like this:
- 16 GB – $8;
- 32 GB – $15;
- 64 GB – $30;
- 128 GB – $55;
- 256 GB – $130.
As you can see, 256 GB does not yet look like the best option to buy. Two 128 GB drives will be cheaper. And the range of flash drives for 256 GB or more is still very scarce. I also don’t recommend looking at 16 GB drives. They won’t fit a normal backup or good quality movies, and you won’t get any price benefits. Choose from capacities from 32 to 128 GB, based on your financial limitations and how you use the drive.
# Brand. Don't save too much
You shouldn’t save money and buy a no-name media or a little-known Chinese craft. There will not be a significant difference in price, but the quality may be much worse. Surely, everyone already has a couple of favorite brands that they trust. If not, pay attention to: Transcend ( 4.75 out of 5, rated: 4 )
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