USB Technology and Flash memory Jump Drives
USB flash drives are flash memory data storage devices integrated with a universal serial bus (USB) connector. They are small, lightweight, rewritable and removable.
USB flash drives offer great advantages over other portable storage devices, such as the floppy disk, which is currently excluded from newly manufactured CPUs. USB ports, however, appear on every PC and laptop. The USB flash drives, such as Lexar 2GB Jump Drive Mercury USB Flash Drive, available from Midwest Merchandise at http://www.midwest-merchandise.com, are more compact, faster, hold more data, and are more reliable being void of moving parts, and have a more sturdy and durable design. These types of drives use the USB mass storage standard, and are supported by modern operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. Without being mechanically driven, the name seems inappropriate. However, it is referred to as a "drive" because it accessed by the computer operating system (and the user) in a manner identical to a mechanical disk drive.
A flash drive is a small printed circuit board typically housed in a plastic, metal or rubber casing to increase their durability. This makes the drive small and sturdy enough to be carried about in a pocket or purse.
The typical USB device may include:
· Jumpers and test pins — for testing during the flash drive's manufacturing or loading code into the microprocessor.
· LEDs — indicate data transfers or data reads and writes.
· Write-protect switches — indicate whether the device should be in "write-protection" mode.
· Unpopulated space — provides space to include a second memory chip. Having this second space allows the manufacturer to develop only one printed circuit board that can be used for more than one storage size device, to meet the needs of the market.
· USB connector cover or cap — reduces the risk of damage due to static electricity, and improves overall device appearance. Some flash drives do not feature a cap, but instead have retractable USB connectors. Some flash drives have a swivel cap that is permanently connected to the drive itself and eliminates the chance of losing the cap.
· Transport aid —the cap or the main body contains a hole suitable for connection to a key chain or lanyard or to otherwise aid transport and storage of the USB flash device.
To access the data stored in a flash drive, the drive must be connected to a USB port, (the drive protrudes from the port, so caution should be used when using a notebook or laptop USB port. Flash drives are active only when plugged into a USB connection and draw all necessary power from the supply provided by that connection. Some flash drives, especially high-speed drives, may require more power than the limited amount provided by a bus-powered USB hub, such as those built into some computer keyboards or monitors. These drives will not work unless plugged directly into a host controller (i.e., the ports found on the computer itself) or a self-powered hub.
Mp3 players use USB connecters and ports for uploading and playing back music, video and storing photos.
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