Researchers Store Data in Flash Memory Under Low Voltage Conditions
Researchers from University of Massachusetts Amherst and Texas A&M University have succeeded in writing information to flash memory under low-voltage conditions, paving the way for a new generation of low-power gadgets that can store data. They presented the paper Feb. 16 at the USENIX File and Storage Technologies Conference in San Jose, Calif.
Flash memory generally requires 2.2 to 4.5 volts, which makes them unusable in devices using low-power microprocessors, the researchers wrote. For example, the MSP430 microcontroller from Texas Instruments is intended for embedded applications and runs on as little as 1.8 volts.
There are a number of memory manufacturers that have started building low-power flash solid-state-drives for use in embedded storage systems, such as Greenliant and SanDisk. Intel also announced last month a SSD that can be used in industrial embedded applications. Greenliant targets embedded devices in enterprise, industrial, automotive and networking applications.
