AALIM MUHAMMED SALEGH

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

PAPER
PRESENTATION
ON

MEMORYCARDS

BY
PRAKASH N
III yr CSE-B
Reg: 10108104053
FLASH MEMORY CARD:
INTRODUCTION:

 Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers

to computer components, devices, and recording media that retain digital
data used for computing for some interval of time.

 Computer data storage provides one of the core functions of the

modern computer, that of information retention.

 It is one of the fundamental components of all modern computers, and

coupled with a central processing unit (CPU, a processor),implements the
basic computer model used since the 1940s.

TYPES OF STORAGE:

Primary storage :

 Primary storage, presently known as memory, is the only one directly

accessible to the CPU. The CPU continuously reads instructions stored there
and executes them.

 Example.RAM

Secondary storage :

Secondary storage, or storage in popular usage, differs from primary

storage in that it is not directly accessible by the CPU.

 Example.Hard Disk, Flash Memory .

TYPES OF MEMORY :

 Static Memory

A form of volatile memory similar to DRAM with the exception that it does
not refresh on occasion.

 Dynamic Memory

A form of volatile memory which also requires the stored information to be

periodically re-read and re-written, or refreshed, otherwise it would vanish.
  Volatile Memory

Requires constant power to maintain the stored information. Since primary

storage is required to be very fast, it predominantly uses volatile memory.

 Non- Volatile Memory

Will retain the stored information even if it is not constantly supplied with
electric power. It is suitable for long-term storage of information.

FLASH MEMORY CARDS:

 Flash memory, sometimes called flash RAM, is a type of semiconductor device

that combines important features of both memory & storage. These features
include high-speed access and retention of data in the absence of a power supply.

 Flash memory gets its name because the microchip is organized so that a section
of memory cells are erased in a single action or "flash."

 Flash memory refers to a particular type of EEPROM, or Electronically Erasable

Programmable Read Only Memory. It is a memory chip that maintains stored
information without requiring a power source.

 Why Flash Memory Cards Popular?

 Flash Ram storage devices are shock proof, dust proof, immune to magnetic
fields and really small too. Flash Memory provides storage for today’s
electronic devices such as iPods, PDA, digital cameras, CAMCORDERS
Utilize flash cards.
 Different Types of Flash Memory Cards
SMART MEDIA CARD
COMPACT FLASH
XD PICTURE CARD
SECURE DIGITAL or MULTIMEDIA CARD
MEMORY STICK
 How Flash Memory Works?

 It has a grid of columns and rows with a cell that has two transistors at each
intersection.

 The two transistors are separated from each other by a thin oxide layer. One
of the transistors is known as a floating gate, and the other one is the control
gate.

 The floating gate's only link to the row, or wordline, is through the control
gate. As long as this link is in place, the cell has a value of 1.

 To change the value to 0 requires a curious process called Fowler-Nordheim

tunneling.
FLASH MEMORY WORKING:

 Tunneling is used to alter the placement of electrons in the floating gate.

An electrical charge, usually 10 to 13 volts, is applied to the floating gate.
The charge comes from the column, or bitline, enters the floating gate and
drains to a ground.

 This charge causes the floating-gate transistor to act like an electron gun.
The excited electrons are pushed through and trapped on other side of the
thin oxide layer, giving it a negative charge.

 These negatively charged electrons act as a barrier between the control

gate and the floating gate.

 A special device called a cell sensor monitors the level of the charge passing
through the floating gate.

 If the flow through the gate is above the 50 percent threshold, it has a
value of 1. When the charge passing through drops below the 50-percent
threshold, the value changes to 0. A blank EEPROM has all of the gates fully
open, giving each cell a value of 1.

 The electrons in the cells of a flash-memory chip can be returned to normal

("1") by the application of an electric field, a higher-voltage charge.

 Flash memory uses in-circuit wiring to apply the electric field either to the
entire chip or to predetermined sections known as blocks. This erases the
targeted area of the chip, which can then be rewritten.

 Memory works much faster than traditional EEPROMs because instead of

erasing one byte at a time, it erases a block or the entire chip, and then
rewrites it.
EXTERNAL CARD READERS:
It is used to access digital cameras images very fast. These come in many
varieties depending on the computer interface. Most common type are made
for PCs and connected to the usb port.

Removable Flash Memory Cards:

 While your computer's BIOS chip is the most common form of Flash
memory, removable solid-state storage devices are also popular.

 SmartMedia and CompactFlash cards are both well-known, especially as

"electronic film" for digital cameras.

 Other removable flash-memory products include Sony's Memory Stick,

PCMCIA memory cards, and memory cards for video game systems.

 There are a few reasons to use flash memory instead of a hard disk:

 It has no moving parts, so it's noiseless.

 It allows faster access.

 It's smaller in size and lighter.

 So why don't we just use flash memory for everything?

 Because the cost per megabyte for a hard disk is drastically cheaper, and
the capacity is substantially more.

 As shown below, SmartMedia cards are extremely simple. A plane

electrode is connected to the flash-memory chip by bonding wires.

 The flash-memory chip, plane electrode and bonding wires are embedded
in a resin using a technique called over-molded thin package (OMTP).

 This allows everything to be integrated into a single package without the

need for soldering.

 The OMTP module is glued to a base card to create the actual card.
DIS-ADVANTAGES:

 The main disadvantage at present is that the cost per unit of storage
capacity is still much higher than that for HDDs.

However, the gap is gradually narrowing.

 In contrast to RAM and like all types of EEPROMs, it wears out after a
certain number of write and erase cycles. This is due to the degradation of
the insulating oxide layer around the microscopic cells that are used to
store data. Fortunately, however, the number of cycles in most applications
is sufficiently low that this situation is not frequently encountered.

 Bad Blocks

Applications :

 Flash memory is very useful in a variety of applications including:

 Your computer BIOS

 Memory Cards

 Mp3 players

 Modems

 Video game cards

 Digital cellular phones

 Digital cameras.