Portable Memory

PORTABL E MEMORY DEVICES Pen drives | External Hard Disk Drives | Memory Cards

1.What is portable memory? A memory device that is external to a computer, which can be easily carried around, is called portable memory/external memory. Eg. Compact Disks, USB pen drive, external hard drive, memory cards. Old technology includes floppy drives.

2.Uses of Portable memory: a. b.

c.

d.

Making back-up of important files and information For easy and fast transfer of data between two computers eg. A pen drive would help take a movie, or music from my computer to my friend’s computer Helps makes more space on your computer because you can store files which you don’t use too often. External hard drives are often used for this. You can store important information on an external memory device eg., a pen drive and keep it safely so that no one else can access it.

1.Types of portable memory a.Magnetic Storage The earliest type of removable-storage technology is magnetic storage. For example, 1.44-MB floppy-disk drives using 3.5-inch diskettes have been around for about 15 years, and they are still found on almost every computer sold today. In most cases, removable magnetic storage uses a drive, which is a mechanical device that connects to the computer. You insert the media, which is

the part that actually stores the information, into the drive.

b.Optical Storage The optical storage device that most of us are familiar with is the compact disc (CD). A CD can store a limited amount of digital information (upto 800 MB) on a very small surface. The CD surface is a mirror covered with billions of tiny bumps that are arranged in a long, tightly wound spiral. The CD player reads the bumps with a precise laser and interprets the information as bits of data. CDs come in different sizes and these days DVDs and HDDVDs are also available which can store between 4 GB to 30 GB of data, which are used more often than the normal CDs. Disks are useful for storing data which will be available for a long period of time. If properly stored, they can last for years together. DataPlay Micro-optical Disks: this was a new innovation in 2001, but was not very popular due to the introduction of pen drives and DVDs. These are disks the

size of a coin and can store upto 500 MB of data.

c.Solid-State Storage For modern day cellphones, digital cameras, digital photoframes etc., “flash memory” is used. It is a solid state type of storage, which means that there are no moving parts. Flash memory works much faster than traditional (EEPROM) chips.

Extra Note: Expandable RAM These days, laptops and computers come with about 1 to 4 GB of RAM. Each can be extended upto a certain extent. This increases the speed of the machine. Though it is not quite in the same category as ‘portable memory’ it is extra memory for a computer and very favourable these days, as they can be extended upto 8 GB.

The three major forms of latest external data storage devices are explained below:

A. MEMORY CARDS A memory card or flash memory card is solid-state electronic flash memory data storage device capable of storing digital contents. These are mainly used with digital cameras, handheld and Mobile computers, mobile phones, music players, digital cinematography cameras, video game consoles, and other electronics. They offer high re-record-ability, power-free storage and small form factor. They come in different sizes and with different capacities: miniSD, microSD, MS Duo etc. There are different companies manufacturing these like, SanDisk, Toshiba, Olympus, etc. Latest memory cards can store upto 32 GB of data. These cards are capable of fast, reliable performance while allowing you to specify the data you wish to keep. They are small, lightweight and easy to use. They are less rugged than other forms of removable solid-state storage, so you should be very careful when handling and storing them. The data on these cards can be accessed from a computer or a laptop using card readers. Each type of memory card has an accompanying “adapter” for data reading.

These days Multi-Card Readers are used which is a device with various slots, i.e. inbuilt adapters for most types of cards and a USB cable which connects to the computer.

B. External Hard Drives Video files and images can take up a lot of hard drive space on a computer resulting in a space shortage on your internal hard disk drive, that’s why you need an external hard disk drive or portable storage media. An external hard disk drive is an easy way to increase hard drive space without installing a new internal hard disk drive. An external drive can also be used to restore your data in case your computer’s hard disk drive becomes corrupted or unstable.

Types of external hard disk drive / Portable hard disk drive. • Desktop external hard disk drive. • Portable external hard disk drive.

Desktop external hard disk drive. These hard drives have capacities from about 320 GB to 1.5 terabytes (1,500 GB). They are not portable, usually fixed on your desktop. They use a direct power supply. Commonly bigger size drives have slower speed. A desktop external hard drive runs at a speed of 7,200 RPM and has a buffer size of about 2-16 MB.

Portable external hard drive. Portable external hard drives are very small in size as compared to desktop external drives. These smaller drives usually connect with a USB cable and come in capacities of 6 GB to 500 GB. They get power from the USB, so you don’t need an external power supply. Portable hard drives run at a speed of 5,400 RPM. They have a buffer size of about 2 MB.

1 TB external HDD-Fujitsu HDD-Toshiba

500GB external

C. USB Pen Drives Sometimes referred to as a jumpdrive or portable USB flash memory device, pen drives small memory storage devices inserted into the USB port of the desktop computers or laptop computers. Their capacities range from 1 GB to 128 GB. Pen drives are classified as NAND style data storage devices. Equipped with a large amount of memory capacity, the pen drive is considered to be an improvement on both the older floppy drive disks and the more modern compact disks that are

often used to copy data and reload the files on a different hard drive. The types of files that can be loaded onto a pen drive are all the common types that can be housed on any hard drive. Utilizing a pen drive is a simple task. One end of the drive is equipped with a USB connector at one end. The connector is inserted into the USB port on a desktop or laptop and activated. Once the pen drive is in place, it is possible to drop and drag files into the memory of the drive, or forward the files to the drive. Persons using an older operating system can usually find a pen drive that is compatible. As long as the desktop or laptop is constructed with a USB port, and the pen drive is compatible with the operating system, the pen drive will provide practical and easy transmission of data from one hard drive to another one in a matter of minutes.

Internals of a typical USB flash drive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

USB connector USB mass storage controller device Test points Flash memory chip Crystal oscillator LED Write-protect switch (Optional)

8 Space for second flash memory

LATEST PRODUCTS AND DEVELOPMENTS: Toshiba Packs 160 GB into Single-Platter 1.8-inch Hard Drives

Always looking to cram more capacity into media players, camcorders, and other gear, Toshiba has unveiled a 160 GB single-player 1.8-inch hard disk drive. If there's one thing digital media consumers are supposed to want, it's more storage capacity in ever-smaller packages—and Toshiba's Storage Device Division is willing to comply, today announcing a new series of 1.8-inch hard drives that manage to cram 160 GB of storage onto a single platter. The 1.8-inch form factor is commonly used in devices like portable media players and camcorders that need a large amount of storage in a compact, power-sipping form factor. "With the increasing demand for anytime content access and capture, we continue to see healthy opportunity for 1.8-inch HDDs in portable devices," said Toshiba SSD marketing VP Maciek Brzeski, in a statement. "Our 1.8-inch produces have fuelled innovation in a variety of markets, and have been installed in many products that are today common household items." The new MKxx34GAL series sport a 8 MB of onboard cache, a 4,200 rpm rotational speed, a 15ms average seek time, and support transfer rates of up to 100MB/s. Although the devices consume up to 1.8 watts when spinning up, they run at under 1 watt when seeking, writing, and reading data, just 0.4 and 0.3 watts in active and low power idle modes, and just 0.7 watts when sleeping. The drives connect to devices using a standard Parallel ATA connection, and put out just 15 dB of noise when operating.

TSMC Unveils First Commercial 65-Nanometer Multi-Time Programmable Non-Volatile Memory Technology July 2nd, 2009 The technology incorporates process-qualified MTP IP blocks jointly developed with Virage Logic. The new technology is the first 2.5 volt MTP process, breaking the heretofore 3.3 volt baseline barrier. It eliminates the need for an external EEPROM currently in many systems applications, thereby reducing power, area and costs while increasing data security. Built on TSMC’s 65nm Low Power (LP) process, the new MTP technology features up to 8k bits memory size that is ideal for small memory requirements associated with MP3 music downloadable digital rights management, RFID devices, fingerprint identification applications, and pre-paid cash or phone cards. The 65nm MTP process is built up to 10 metal layers using copper low-k interconnects and nickel silicide transistor interconnects. The technology is fully logic-compatible and the NVM memory requires no additional processes or masks. Devices built using the process will support full read and program operations across temperatures ranging from - 40 °C to 125 °C, with minimum 10-year data retention at 125 °C. “With inputs from customers’ design needs, we are convinced this 65nm process is well-suited for applications that require a small memory footprint on a leading edge manufacturing technology,” explains Jason Chen, vice president Worldwide Sales and Marketing for TSMC. Since TSMC first announced commercial availability of its 65nm process in 2006, the company has shipped over 700,000 12-inch wafers manufactured in its Fab 12 and Fab 14. The full 65nm process node includes logic, mixed-signal, R/F, and high-density memory options and supports a broad range of computing, communications, and consumer electronics applications. The 65nm LP process is ideal for cellular baseband, as well as portable applications and multimedia processors. The 65nm general-purpose (G) process targets graphics, networking and high-end ASIC fabrication, while the highspeed process is intended for CPU and advanced graphics processors. The 65nm LP plus G process that offers both low power and general purpose devices on the same wafer, supports wireless and portable applications requiring both low power and high performance. TSMC’s 65nm node also supports an embedded DRAM option for high bandwidth, fast data rate designs found in high-speed consumer applications and in very small form factor handheld devices.

Samsung Launches 1.5 Terabyte 'EcoGreen' F2EG Hard Disk Drive March 9th, 2009 "Lower platter count means less power to start the motor, less power to continuously spin the motor and a lighter head-stack which takes less power to seek,” said Andy Higginbotham, director of HDD sales and marketing for the Samsung Semiconductor Storage Division. “With fewer heads and disks, the F2EG hard drive has a lower probability of head-disk failures, enabling customers to build more reliable systems." As hard disk capacity increases from an increased number of disks, so does power consumption. However, Samsung’s F2EG drive offers low power consumption by using EcoTriangle, a low-power, low-heat, low-noise operation technology. With its advanced design and fewer components, the F2EG drive is 40% lower in power consumption in idle mode and 45% lower in reading/writing mode than competitive drives. Samsung’s Eco-Triangle™ technology offers more energy efficient and high performance hard drive options to manufacturers of home media PC, external HDD, set-top box, and personal NAS. In addition to the European Union (EU)’s Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Regulations, Samsung’s F2EG drive complies with many other environmental regulations. Samsung’s EcoGreen F2EG drive, which is suitable for both external hard disks and desktop PC, incorporates 500GB/1TB/1.5TB capacity, 16MB/32MB buffer memory, and 3.0 gigabytes per second (GBps) Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface. The F2EG hard drive, employing advanced PMR technology, achieves greater aerial density and improves transfer performance as well. The F2EG family of drives is currently being shipped to major OEM businesses. The 1.5TB HDD is available at $149.00 MSRP. Source: Samsung

Miniaturizing memory: Taking data storage to the molecular level November 11th, 2008 Researchers at The University of Nottingham are now exploring ways of exploiting the unique properties of carbon nanotubes to create a cheap and compact memory cell that uses little power and writes information at high speeds.

Miniaturisation of computer devices involves continual improvement and shrinking of their basic element, the transistor. This process could soon reach its fundamental limit. As transistors approach nanoscales their operation is disrupted by quantum phenomena, such as electrons tunnelling through the barriers between wires. Current memory technologies fall into three separate groups: dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which is the cheapest method; static random access memory (SRAM), which is the fastest memory — but both DRAM and SRAM require an external power supply to retain data; and flash memory, which is non-volatile — it does not need a power supply to retain data, but has slower read-write cycles than DRAM. Carbon nanotubes — tubes made from rolled graphite sheets just one carbon atom thick — could provide the answer. If one nanotube sits inside another — slightly larger — one, the inner tube will 'float' within the outer, responding to electrostatic, van der Waals and capillary forces. Passing power through the nanotubes allows the inner tube to be pushed in and out of the outer tube. This telescoping action can either connect or disconnect the inner tube to an electrode, creating the 'zero' or 'one' states required to store information using binary code. When the power source is switched off, van der Waals force — which governs attraction between molecules — keeps the Inner tube in contact with the electrode. This makes the memory storage non-volatile, like Flash memory. Researchers from across the scientific disciplines will be working on the 'nanodevices for data storage' project, which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Dr Elena Bichoutskaia in the School of Chemistry at the University is leading the study. Source: University of Nottingham

CREDITS: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/removable-storage1.htm http://www.getpcmemory.com/hard-disk-drives/internalworking-of-a-hard-disk-drive-watch-the-video/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_card http://www.getpcmemory.com/user-guide/external-hard-diskdrive-and-portable-memory-storage-buying-guide/ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-pen-drive.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive

http://www.pcworld.com/article/123728/top_10_externa l_hard_drives.html http://www.physorg.com/