A flash drive is a tiny portable data storage device that can be plugged into the USB port of any compatible computer. A flash drive consists of nonvolatile memory, a clock generator, an LED indicator, and a controller. Some flash drives offer VoIP, mp3 player, fingerprint sensor, password protection and other features.

The technological history of a pen drive began with a CMOS circuit. These low-power, high-density circuits marked the beginning of digital integrated circuits. CMOS circuits are comparable to today’s BIOS circuits and were responsible for the basic configuration of the computer system. However, there was a major problem with this CMOS circuit. A constant power supply was necessary to maintain the data.

Then came the advent of the EEPROM chip. This chip overcame the disadvantage of the CMOS chip but had a limited lifespan. The materials inside the chip wore out with the increase in the number of write operations.

This paved the way for the entry of pen drives. Pen drives have flash memory, so they are also called flash drives. Flash memory was originally invented by Intel in 1988 and provided faster access to data. Flash memory could be used by any electrical application that did not require electrical current. M-Systems (SanDisk) were the first to work on this concept in 1998. SanDisk initially collaborated with IBM on the production of the pen drive, but later bought all the rights and produced advanced versions of this pen drive.

Flash memory was invented by Dr. Fujio Masuoka for Toshiba in 1980. Flash memory can be of the NOR and NAND type. The NOR-type flash chip was introduced to the market by Intel in 1988. NOR-based flash memory soon gave way to more affordable NAND-type flash memory. 1989 saw the arrival of NAND through Toshiba. Comparatively, NAND had faster write and erase times, higher storage capacities, and lower costs.

A pen drive uses a NAND flash memory chip. SanDisk and Toshiba introduced the NAND chip with a 1GB storage capacity in 2005. Samsung followed suit with a 2GB version followed by 4GB and 8GB the following year. Today we can get 128 GB memory pen drive on the market!

The latest technology to try on pen drives is the U3 platform. The security restriction has been largely overcome by this technology. SanDisk has developed this platform. The pen drive can be made tamper proof and embedded with passwords for security measures. The U3 platform on flash drives uses ICQ instant messaging software. This software helps pen drive owner to send emails and search Google with ease.

The LaunchPad interface is enabled within the pen drive using the U3 platform. Many different types of software can be loaded onto the pen drive using this interface and various jobs can be done. These include photo management, password protection, antivirus, file synchronization, and software for making calls.

The U3 platform on pen drives has the ability to customize any PC. You have the ability to customize your desktop, games, web browsers, email programs, instant messengers, and personal preferences. However, file security and data privacy are the most important considerations in pen drives using U3. Its exclusive password protection software does not allow any breach of security.

Pen drives have left a mark on our lives and are now irreplaceable. Whether it’s data management, storage, transfer or security; You can’t do without flash drives. Their portability and multiple utilities make them the ideal companion for any computer enthusiast. However, care must be taken to keep it completely virus-free lest it turn into a nightmare of a blessing.