Flashcards on Secondary Storage Devices and Media
Secondary Storage Devices & Media: Your Student Guide
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Solid State Drive (SSD)
15 cards
Card 1
Question: What type of transistors do SSDs use to store data?
Answer: Floating-gate and control-gate transistors, utilizing CMOS and NAND technology.
Card 2
Question: How is a 1 or a 0 stored in an SSD's memory cell?
Answer: By applying precise voltages to the control gate, allowing electrons to flow into the floating gate to create a charge (1) or prevent a charge (0).
Card 3
Question: What components are found at each intersection of an SSD's memory grid?
Answer: A floating gate and a control gate.
Card 4
Question: Why are SSDs faster than hard disk drives (HDDs)?
Answer: Because they have no moving parts, which allows for much higher operating speeds and eliminates rotational latency.
Card 5
Question: In what way are SSDs still slower than RAM?
Answer: Although significantly faster than HDDs, SSDs are still slower than RAM.
Card 6
Question: What effect do the insulation and tunnel layer have on a floating gate?
Answer: The dielectric and tunnel oxide layer insulate the floating gate while allowing the controlled passage of electrons to store a charge.
Card 7
Question: What data retention issue can SSDs experience over time, and what practice is recommended?
Answer: The charge in the floating gate can leak after about 12 months, so it's recommended to use the device at least once a year to maintain data integrity.
Card 8
Question: Name three main advantages of SSDs.
Answer: No moving parts (fewer failures), low power consumption/less heat generation, and very high transfer speeds (approximately 100 times faster than HDDs)
Card 9
Question: What data deletion advantage do SSDs offer compared to HDDs?
Answer: They allow for permanent data deletion: when overwriting or erasing data on SSDs, old data is destroyed, whereas on HDDs, it can often be recovered.
Card 10
Question: Name three disadvantages or limitations of SSDs.
Answer: Limited lifespan due to a finite number of write cycles, potential data loss if the controller or NAND chips fail, and a higher cost per GB compared t