Have you ever wondered how it is that your pen drive can hold so much information in such a tiny package? It is truly amazing how many strides computer related technology has taken over the last few years. One of the most impressive aspects of this type of technology is data storage.

The first thumb drives came out only a few years ago and back then they were only able to store a fraction of the information that modern day flash drives can hold. It may seem like some kind of magic but these modern day storage miracles actually all work in the same way. They use flash memory so that they can easily absorb and erase data. Flash memory is so impressive because it does not require a current to hold the information that is stored on it.

So how exactly do the best pen drives work? There are three main parts to a flash memory unit, two transistors and a memory cell. When there is contact between the two transistors, known as the floating gate and the control gate. When these two are connected together, information can be written and stored on the memory cell. When the transistors no longer maintain a connection the cell looses all of its information. This is how you can easily write to and erase USB drives.

Although, it may seem simple when it is broken down like it was above, this type of technology is very intricate and has been developed over years. In relatively short period of time these storage units have grown in storage capacity while shrinking in size. One can only imagine what will be available to us a few years from now. So the next time that you are using your thumb drive, I hope that you appreciate how much work has gone into creating the technology that makes your life so much easier today.