What is it?
Memory is associated with computers that need memory to hold their stored program and data variables. As the
technical world leaves behind analogue devices and embraces the digital approach, the need for computer based processing of data is growing exponentially. Fortunately advances in
memory technology are being made in leaps and bounds. Different memory technologies are used to satisfy different needs relating to: speed of access, data
transfer rate, volatility and volume of data.
The Science/ Technology
Magnetic memory devices are non-volatile, large volume, but slow due to their mechanical parts - spinning disk or reel to reel tape.
Semiconductor memory has the advantage of high speed but it is naturally volatile unless special tricks are used to
maintain the memory when the power supply is removed. It invariably is Random Access (so called RAM). Program memory for embedded processors is typically burnt in and so
Read Only (ROM). Memory that needs to become non-volatile can be FLASH
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