Delkin Blog

One question that comes up time and again when it comes to flash memory is how long it really lasts. The reason for these lingering concerns is understandable but outdated. When it first was introduced to the market, flash memory storage life was short and unpredictable, which is why magnetic storage devices like hard drives were considered to be the preferred technology. However, flash memory has come a significant way since then, and now, it is widely used in a variety of mission-critical applications in which storage life is crucial. Here are the real facts you need to know about flash memory storage life.

Flash memory storage lifespan can depend on several different factors.

There is no single answer to questions about how long flash memory lasts. The actual lifespan of a flash memory device depends on how the memory is used and on its host application. It also depends on the type of flash memory in question. Single-level cell flash, or SLC flash, has the longest lifespan. With this kind of flash, the use of different voltages is minimized and only one bit of data has to be written and read per cell. This maximizes the life of the flash memory since it is the most efficient usage.

Flash memory storage life declines as the number of bits of data per cell—and therefore the number of voltages used—is increased. However, this doesn’t mean that the lifespans of memory devices that store multiple bits of data per cell are poor. It is just one more reason why choosing the right form of flash memory for a particular application is so important.

Write operation counts affect flash memory storage life.

Every flash device can only perform a certain number of write operations. Often, this can be anywhere from 10,000 writes to over a million. Read operations do not impact the longevity of the flash memory. For applications in which write operations happen frequently, the full lifespan of the memory will be shortened accordingly. Applications such as gaming systems, which run read applications the vast majority of the time, will experience longer flash memory storage life.

Let Delkin’s product team help you evaluate flash memory storage life concerns and make the best selection for your industrial application. Reach out to our team today for more information.