Re: Confused: What is difference between SRAM and Flash Card

Warren H. Minix (minix@inet.net)
Wed, 11 Dec 1996 20:38:08 -0500

To cut to the quick, SRAM cards (and 2oCache) is simply a form of RAM.
Essentially the same type of storage that
is utilized on the OGO itself, (empty space being available for system
use). It requires a constant supply of energy to maintain its contents.
It requires relatively little power to read and write from but should the
internal battery power be interrupted it will lose contents.

Flash RAM on the other hand is a form of non-volatile memory. It requires
substantially more power to read and write from
but currently has the advantages of being much less expensive per MB and
not dependent upon a constant power source.

SRAM is far faster than FLASH, but in a storage application on a machine
like the OGO the difference will usually not be that noticeable, especially
with the built-in apps.

I typically have found FLASH cards to be much picky as far as compatibility
in different machines. SRAM can probably be considered to be more
versatile in a PCMCIA card as it can be used as dynamically shared RAM in
some cases.
The highest memory sizes available in SRAM cards are much smaller than
those of flash. (Even if they were not I don't know too many people who
would like to pay around $4,000(US)+ for a 50mb card.

You probably have heard the term flash used for BIOS and other updateable
EPROMs where the code can be updates with a burst or flash of input.

Warren H. Minix
AES
PO Box 411
Rockland, DE 19732-0411
USA

minix@inet.net
http://inet.net/~minix

----------
> From: Kathleen Weaver <kathleen@metronet.com>
> To: ogo@lifelike.com
> Subject: Confused: What is difference between SRAM and Flash Card
> Date: Wednesday, December 11, 1996 13:37
>
> What IS the difference?
>