{"id":477572,"date":"2022-07-24T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-24T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-flash-storage\/"},"modified":"2022-07-24T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-24T13:00:00","slug":"what-is-flash-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is Flash Storage?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4a06b975d86\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4a06b975d86\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/#%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_Flash_Storage%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;What Is Flash Storage?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/#The_Origins_of_Flash_Memory\" >The Origins of Flash Memory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/#How_Does_Flash_Memory_Work\" >How Does Flash Memory Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/#Types_of_Flash_Memory_Cards\" >Types of Flash Memory Cards<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-flash-storage\/#Flash_Memory_Lifespan\" >Flash Memory Lifespan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_Flash_Storage%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;What Is Flash Storage?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-793758\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/plugging-in-usb-drive-laptop.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Closeup of a woman's hand plugging a USB drive into a laptop.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/close-woman-hands-connecting-usb-flash-1667880667\">Pheelings media\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been shopping for an SSD or using memory cards for cameras, you\u2019ll probably encounter the term \u201cflash memory.\u201d But what is flash memory and how does it work? We\u2019ll explain.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Origins_of_Flash_Memory\"><\/span>The Origins of Flash Memory<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the early 1980s, a team of engineers at Toshiba <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerhistory.org\/revolution\/memory-storage\/8\/256\">led by Dr. Fujio Masuoka<\/a> invented a new type of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-volatile_memory\">non-volatile<\/a> semiconductor memory called flash memory.<\/p>\n<p>Flash memory represented a breakthrough because it allowed rapid re-writes and could store data without power. Being solid-state, it used no moving parts, so it was rugged and durable, and it needed less power to operate than conventional magnetic disk solutions. This lower power requirement\u2014and its compact size\u2014made flash memory ideal for portable devices.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Computer History Museum, Flash memory <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerhistory.org\/revolution\/memory-storage\/8\/256\">gained its name<\/a> due to its ability to erase data quickly\u2014in a \u201cflash.\u201d Previous erasable, non-volatile solid-state memory chips (such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EPROM\">EPROMS<\/a>) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.microchip.com\/forums\/m19434.aspx\">took minutes<\/a> (sometimes up to 20 minutes) to erase before rewriting could occur. It was this speed of writing, erasing, and rewriting that later made flash memory a practical replacement for floppy disks or Zip disks in the form of thumb drives and traditional hard disks in the form of SSDs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Even 25 Years Later, the Iomega Zip Is Unforgettable<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_Flash_Memory_Work\"><\/span>How Does Flash Memory Work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Flash memory is made up of floating-gate transistors, which store electrons on an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/computer.howstuffworks.com\/flash-memory.htm\">insulated gate<\/a>. The gate is electrically charged to hold the electrons, and this charge can be used to represent data. Flash memory can be erased and rewritten because the electrons can be removed from the floating gate, which resets the transistor to its original state. This is done by sending an electrical charge through the transistor, which releases the electrons from the gate.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-818899\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/circuit_illustration.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"An illustration of circuitry or circuit in blue\" width=\"650\" height=\"340\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/high-tech-electronic-circuit-board-vector-1191768775\">LIORIKI\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Flash memory comes in three basic formats: NOR, NAND (named for types of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Logic_gate\">logic gates<\/a>), and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EEPROM\">EEPROM<\/a>. Today, most flash memory is the NAND kind because it is the least expensive and typically uses less power than the other types.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_Flash_Memory_Cards\"><\/span>Types of Flash Memory Cards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-818895 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/htg_flashcards.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Various types of flash memory cards\" width=\"650\" height=\"430\" data-credittext=\"Benj Edwards\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Various types of flash memory cards. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Benj Edwards<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Electronics manufacturers use flash memory in a variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications, including smartphone storage, USB thumb drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs). SSDs are becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for traditional hard drives. SSDs are faster, more durable, and use less power than spinning-disk hard drives.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, regular computer owners most frequently used flash memory in the form of removable flash <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> cards, often inserted into digital cameras and PDAs. Here are a few forms of major flash media cards\u2014including when they were introduced and their maximum capacities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/CompactFlash\">CompactFlash<\/a>:<\/strong> Introduced in 1994 by SanDisk. Available in capacities up to 512GB, later extended with CF 5.0.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SmartMedia\">SmartMedia<\/a>:<\/strong> Introduced in 1995 by Toshiba. Maximum capacity was 128MB.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MultiMediaCard\">MultiMediaCard<\/a> (MMC):<\/strong> Introduced in 1997 by SanDisk and Siemens. Available in capacities up to 512GB.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memory_Stick\">Memory Stick<\/a>:<\/strong> Introduced in 1998 by Sony. Available in capacities up to 128MB.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SD_card\">Secure Digital<\/a> (SD):<\/strong> Introduced in 1999 by SanDisk. Supports up to 2 GB, extended formats support up to 128 TB theoretical.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/XD-Picture_Card\">xD-Picture Card<\/a>:<\/strong> Introduced in 2002 by Olympus and Fujifilm. Available in capacities up to 2GB.<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/XQD_card\"><strong>XQD Card<\/strong><\/a>: Introduced in 2011 by Sony. Available in up to 4TB data capacities.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/CFexpress\">CFexpress<\/a>:<\/strong> Introduced in 2017 by CompactFlash Association. Available in capacities up to 4TB.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Several of these media card types have been extended with new standards to support higher capacities over time, such as SDHC, SDXC, and MemoryStick Pro. Some flash media card formats have also shipped in multiple sizes, such as miniSD and microSD, which remain compatible with each other through the use of adapters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What SD Card Do I Need for My Camera?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Flash_Memory_Lifespan\"><\/span>Flash Memory Lifespan<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As wonderful as flash memory is, it doesn\u2019t have an unlimited lifespan. In fact, it can only be written to a certain number of times before it fails. However, in modern flash devices, the number of write cycles is fairly large.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/consumers\/faq\/\">SD Association FAQ<\/a>, the typical lifespan of a consumer SD card is about 10 years. However, this can vary depending on the quality of the card and the conditions under which it is used.<\/p>\n<p>SSDs typically last longer than flash memory cards because they are designed for more intense, continuous usage. When shopping for an SSD, look for a \u201cTBW\u201d number, or \u201cterbabytes written.\u201d A higher number means the drive can tolerate more data written to it over time, and it will <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly last longer. If you\u2019re a typical home computer user, you shouldn\u2019t need to worry about an SSD failure from too many writes. But SSDs do fail randomly from time to time, so remember to always keep backups. Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Does &#8220;TBW&#8221; Mean for SSDs?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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We\u2019ll explain. The Origins of Flash Memory In the early 1980s, a team of engineers at Toshiba led by&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":477573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/plugging-in-usb-drive-laptop.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-477572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}