Question

8. Flash memory has some of the properties of ROM (it retains its contents with the power off), and some of the properties of RAM (you can read or write to it). However, most types of FLASH memory are slower when writing than when reading. Briefly explain why. Hint: The answer may not be in the course slides, do some research. Please write proper English sentences. [3 marks] Click here to enter text.

Answer 1

Flash memory is a data storage medium that have some properties of RAM and ROM. It is a form of memory that erase the data and it also reads the data. It acts like both ROM and RAM. It can reads the data as ROM and it can writes the data as RAM. But the flash memory is slower in writing than reading.

• Flash memory is setup in small chips which are capable of reads and writes the data in the memory. There are different issues that makes the writing slower than reading.
• Reading is faster because each chip can read the data from the processor by holding each block of memory. There is no change to do in the memory block. But when comes to writing the data, the flash memory has an controller chip that control what data can be placed into each block of memory.So it works with different blocks at a time.
• If there is need to change or modify, the flash memory should copy the data and erase it and then it rewrites the data in suitable block. This is a long process in writing, so that writing is the slower process.

Therefore, the writing process is slower than reading by flash memory.