FAQs about Rugged USB Flash Drive Technology
USB flash drives are among the most familiar and widely used forms of storage available. They can be found in their popular removable format or as embedded drives called eUSB. A rugged USB flash drive goes beyond consumer formats to provide strong, reliable storage appropriate for industrial applications. If you are looking for a rugged USB flash drive to use with your industrial device, here are the answers to some of the questions that are likely to be on your mind.
What is a USB flash drive?
USB flash drives are better known to some people as thumb drives. They are small, portable storage devices that can be plugged into the USB port of any device. eUSB flash drives are found inside devices rather than being portable; they provide storage when the device is too small for a solid state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD). USB flash drives are convenient to use and provide a surprising amount of storage. They are compatible with almost every system, giving users the convenience of transferring and storing data with a powerful, portable device that fits into their pockets.
What makes it rugged?
Not all USB flash drives are rugged. Commercial grade USB drives are the kind that many people carry with them on key chains or have sitting on their desks. These drives feature MLC flash memory, or multi-level cell flash memory. With this kind of flash, two bits of data are stored per cell. These USB drives have a standard operating temperature range.
Rugged USB drives utilize SLC, or single-level cell, flash memory, which stores one bit of data per cell. Rugged USB flash drives are faster and more reliable, and they offer extended operating temperature ranges of -40 degrees C to 85 degrees C.
When should I use a rugged USB?
Opting to use a rugged USB flash drive, rather than a commercial grade option, is essential for any industrial application. Commercial grade drives do not offer the appropriate level of data security or operating capabilities to be reliable enough for industrial settings.
Delkin offers an extensive range of industrial grade storage products, including rugged USB flash drives. To learn more, contact us today.