BuildOrBuy Group Network
[ www.buildorbuy.org | www.buildorbuy.net ]

BuildOrBuy News

Pocket Drive Portable Storage Devices

Flash Memory:

Rough Draft Notes - Work In Progress!

Flash Memory today allows us to do more than Boot a PC from a Bios Chip. Flash Memory today can be a Memory Chip Data Storage Device that can be rewritten quickly and hold its content without power. It is widely used for Digital Film, MP3's, Computer Data Storage and Hand Held Devices such as Cell Phones. The term was coined by Toshiba for its ability to be erased "in a flash."

FLASH also known as FEPROM is one of the newest types of non-volatile memory. In this device, data is erased and reprogrammed in blocks, unlike the byte by byte altering capability of EEPROM.  FLASH memory has the density of EPROMs and the electrical erase capability of standard EEPROMs.  FLASH is used in digital cameras to store pictures, PC's store their BIOS on FLASH memory chips, and MP3 audio recorders use FLASH to store music. 

Flash Memory Chips are also conveniently packaged as "Flash Cards" and come in several formats, including full-size PC Card (ATA PC Card), smaller CompactFlash (Invented by SanDisk), SmartMedia, Sony's Memory Stick and similar formats listed below. Although functionally similar, none of them are plug compatible. Thank you Manufacturers!

Flash News:

1. www.extremetech.com - USB Flash Drive Firms Join Forces: "Several companies driving next-generation "sneakernets" have banded together to support the key technology, USB flash drives... USB Flash Drive Alliance (UFDA)." (12/10/2003)
   1. www.usbflashdrive.org - usb flash drive alliance:
2. Wanted Successor to flash memory - Tech News - CNET.com (12/14/2002).
3. Removable flash cards continue to shrink - Tech News - CNET.com (12/14/2002).
4. WestWorld Productions -- CTN: New Flash Memory Format For Digital Cameras - 'xD-Picture Card' from FujiFilm & Olympus, 16 MB to 128 & 256 MB (8/6/2002).

Flash Memory Card Formats:

1. CompactFlash Association: Compact Flash (CF)
2. www.FujiFilmSupport.com: xD-Picture Card
3. IBM Microdrive family of one-inch disk drives: Current Microdrive capacities include 1GB, 500 MB and 340 MB (12/19/2002).

   IBM's Microdrive and CFA - (CompactFlash Association) A membership organization founded by SanDisk and others. Their goal is to promote CompactFlash as the premier open standard for storage for Digital Devices.

4. M-Systems: Flash Disk Pioneers - DiskOnChip & M-Systems' DiskOnKey.

   Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Documentation: To set up a flash memory disk as a fail-safe startup device - M-Systems DiskOnChip.

5. PCMCIA: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
   1. PC Card Standard
   2. PC Card Resource Directory: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, PCMCIA created the PC Card. PCMCIA Type II ATA PC Card
6. SD Card Association - "SD - a Universe of Possibilities" : Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card
7. Sony's Memory Stick: The Technology
8. www.mmca.org: MultiMediaCard Association
9. Olympus America Inc: xD-Picture Card

Flash Memory Research:

1. Small Form Factor I-O Devices for Windows (12/23/2002).
2. www.UltraCompactFlashCards.com: Sales Resource
3. ExtremeTech: Memory
4. Amd.com:  Product Information: Flash Memory
5. Intel Flash Memory Home:
6. Developer.Intel.com:  Common Flash Interface (CFI)
7. Intel Flash Memory Migration Solution Tool:
8. Intel Flash Software (2/2/2003).
9. Intel.com:  Flash File System Selection Guide PDF: Flash Translation Layer (FTL) Mangers
10. Embedded Flash File System - Protection from Unexpected Reset
11. flash file system
12. Journaling Flash File System: Ported to Linux under GPL.
13. Olympus America Inc: xD-Picture Card - The xD-Picture Card is a new type of ultra-compact memory media that has been developed jointly by Fujifilm and Olympus. It meets the demands of new camera technologies that deliver larger image files and in some cases have the ability to record high-quality movie footage. By adopting a very small footprint (of only 20 x 25 x 1.7mm and around 2g in weight), camera designers also have the flexibility to produce more compact and innovative models.
    • xD Picture Cards
14. www.FujiFilmSupport.com: xD-Picture Card