Flash drives, or flash memory devices, are today used for both PCs and laptops, and for digital cameras, tablets and smartphones. Most of these media can be connected to a USB port, however, some varieties need to be inserted into a special drive or card reader.
What are flash drives? There are two common varieties of these drives. They use similar technology, but have differences in physical format and interface.
Secure Digital (SD Cards)
This is a non-volatile memory format developed by the SD Card Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by the joint efforts of SanDisk, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric) and Toshiba, and then became the industry standard. What sizes are flash drives of this type?
In January 2000, companies also created the non-profit organization SD Association (SDA) to promote and create standards for such flash drives. The miniSD format was introduced in March 2003 by SanDisk Corporation, which announced and demonstrated this innovation. It was taken as a small extension of the form factor for the SD card standard. Despite the fact that these new flash drives were designed specifically for mobile phones, they were initially sold complete with an adapter that provided compatibility with a standard SD card slot. Since 2008, the latter have been discontinued.
Miniature Secure Digital microSD memory cards were originally called T-Flash or TF, which is an abbreviation of TransFlash. They are functionally identical to miniSD and can work in any portable device. SanDisk developed this variant when joint forecasts with Motorola representatives concluded that current memory cards are too large for mobile phones. The flash drive was originally named T-Flash, but shortly before the launch of the product, the name was changed to TransFlash.
In 2005, SDA announced a small microSD form factor along with secure digital formatting (SDHC) with high bandwidth over (2 GB). These storage devices had a minimum read and write speed of 17.6 Mbit / s. The SanDisk leadership prompted SDA to administer the microSD standard. The final specification of these flash drives was registered on July 13, 2005. Initially, microSD cards were available with a capacity of 32, 64 and 128 MB.
Motorola E398 was the first mobile phone to which you can connect a TransFlash card (later microSD). A few years later, their competitors began to use these flash drives in all devices.
What are the flash drives for the phone today? Currently, smartphones use micro memory cards, the capacity of which most often is 32 or 64 GB. Smaller data storage devices are gradually out of circulation, while more capacious storage devices are currently not supported by all phone models.
What is the meaning of these media?
Memory cards are used in many electronic devices and have become a common means of storing several gigabytes of data in a small size. What are these types of flash drives today? Devices in which the user can often remove and replace flash drives (digital cameras, video cameras and game consoles), as a rule, use the mini format. Devices in which small size is paramount (e.g. mobile phones) tend to use microSD cards.
This type of flash drive has helped propel the smartphone market, providing both manufacturers and consumers more flexibility and freedom. Due to their compact size, microSD cards are used in many portable devices. The latest versions of major operating systems, including Windows Mobile and Android Marshmallow, allow applications to be launched from microSD cards, creating additional functionality for new models of devices.
However, SD-cards are not the most economical solution for devices that require only a small part of non-volatile memory (for example, preset stations in small radios). They are also not the best choice for applications that require higher capacities or storage speeds. These limitations can be further resolved using evolving memory technologies. To date, the world's largest card in microSD format has a capacity of 256 GB. Therefore, it is difficult to predict even in the near future what kind of flash drives are and what types will appear soon.
Many personal computers of all types, including tablets and smartphones, use SD cards either through built-in slots or through an active electronic adapter. The latter exist for PC cards, ExpressBus, USB, FireWire, and a parallel printer port. Active adapters also allow the use of SD cards in devices designed for other formats, such as CompactFlash.
USB sticks
A USB flash drive is a data storage device that includes a flash memory with a built-in USB interface. It is usually removable, rewritable, and much smaller than an optical disc. Most of them weigh less than 30 grams. Since entering the market in 2000, the same trend has been observed as with all other computer storage devices. This is reflected in the fact that the capacity of drives has increased, and their prices have fallen. How much are flash drives today? Most often today, drives with capacities from 8 to 256 GB are sold, 512 GB and 1 TB are less common. In the near future, the expansion of flash drives of up to 2 TB is forecasted with a constant improvement in their size and cost. Some of these devices allow up to 100,000 write and erase cycles, depending on the type of memory chip used, and can be used for 10 to 100 years under normal circumstances.
USB flash drives are often used for the same purposes that they used to use floppy disks or CDs, that is, to store, back up data and transfer computer files. However, they are smaller in size, work faster, have thousands of times more power and are more durable and reliable because they do not have moving parts. In addition, they are immune to electromagnetic interference (unlike floppy disks) and are not exposed to surface scratches (unlike compact disks). Until 2005, most desktop and laptop computers came with a floppy disk connector in addition to USB ports, but today this functionality is not available as outdated.
Device compatibility
USB sticks use a standard storage class, supported initially by modern OSs such as Windows, Linux, MacOS and other Unix-like systems, as well as many bootable BIOS ROMs. USB 2.0 drives can store more data and transfer it faster than much larger optical discs (such as CD-RW or DVD-RW), and can be read by many other systems, including XboxOne, PlayStation 4, DVD -players. In addition, such a flash drive can be read by modern smartphones and tablets, although the SD memory card is better suited for this purpose.
Flash drive structure
A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board carrying circuit elements and a USB connector, isolated and protected with a plastic, metal or rubberized case. Thanks to this, the media can be carried safely in a pocket or chain. The USB connector can be protected by a removable cap or pulled into the drive enclosure. In this case, it is not subject to damage in an unprotected state. What kind of flash drive are there by connection type? Most drives use a standard type A USB connection, which allows you to connect to a port on a personal computer, but there are also disks for other interfaces. All flash drives are powered by a computer via a USB connection. Some devices combine the functionality of a portable media player with a USB flash drive. They require a battery only when used to play music.
What flash drive formats are on sale?
It is worthwhile to dwell separately on the many types of flash drives that are available for sale today. Each removable drive is differentiated based on the service it provides. What classes of flash drives are in the modern market based on their functions?
Some of them can be classified according to the services they offer, but there is also a basic need for understanding the functionality of each of them. Therefore, the capacity of a flash drive is not the only factor that must be assessed when choosing a device.
Drive for standard drive
These devices are designed for those who are looking for maximum capacity at the lowest price. They are the best choice for storing and moving data. In their design and size, they offer a wide range of options. As a rule, they are equipped with a plastic case and the least expensive control circuits. This makes them slow in operation, and they are not characterized by high strength. However, few users care about speed and, therefore, have no problems using this type of drive. What volume are flash drives of this type? Their capacity can reach 256 GB.
Performance Drive
This type of removable drive is designed for users who need increased performance. These flash drives are usually more expensive and serve the professional sector. The data transfer speed in them is improved, thanks to the USB 3.0 connection. They also use more robust, impact-resistant materials and other accessories that help them withstand extreme weather conditions. Another distinguishing feature of these devices is the increase in the read and write cycles, sometimes up to 100,000. What kind of flash drives are there in terms of memory capacity with high performance? Their capacity can reach 2 TB. When it comes to storing important data and greater reliability, these higher-performance drives are preferred.
Protective media
The digital age has opened up opportunities for various hacks and unlimited access to sensitive data, which makes many users worry about the safety of information. For this reason, flash drives with a protection function have appeared. These devices have additional built-in equipment to limit access to the information stored on them. Many public and private companies are actively starting to use these flash drives for internal data transfer. When loading such media, a login is required to access its contents. Also, encryption of stored data is present, which prevents their theft or unlimited access to them.
WindowsToGo installation media
This type of flash drive is designed for those who like to port operating systems as a whole. WindowsToGo media is designed for portable use with Windows 8 EnterpriseEdition with advanced features. When this flash drive is launched, a command is sent to the system administrator to create a bootable system drive that allows the remote machine to resemble the appearance of a personal computer. WindowstoGo devices come with perfect specifications.
Music storage
They were created specifically for professionals in the music industry. These flash drives are designed for those who like to listen to music on the go. They come with preinstalled software applications that help you manage your audio files. If you want to get the plug-n-play option, you should choose such a drive. They offer a large storage space, better transmission speed, and most importantly, sufficient durability.
Creative flash drives
At its core, these are ordinary drives created according to the original design. What are the flash drives (GB) in this category? Their capacity and functional characteristics can be any. But often their volume does not exceed 256 GB, and in terms of data transfer speed and strength they correspond to drives with a standard drive. Today you can find on sale flash drives in the form of characters in films, cartoons and comics, as well as animals and various advertised goods. These drives attract people of different age groups, especially children. In most cases, they have the functionality of standard flash drives, they lack the specifications that are in secure and high-performance devices.
Business card drives
For those who want to store exclusively business and financial information, it is recommended to use business cards. What sizes are flash drives of this type? Usually their dimensions are small, and their capacity can be from 128 MB to 32 GB. Moreover, they are very simple in functionality and available operations. This type of drive is used by various companies around the world. With their help, usually transmit working samples along with their credentials.
Flash drive key
What are USB sticks with integrated functionality? This type of drive is flooding the market because it provides users with the ability to have their own key and drive at the same time. This type of drive has the functionality of a standard storage device, but it contains a built-in magnetic key. Some caution should be exercised when using them, as they are more susceptible to adverse environmental conditions.