Flash Memory and Its By-products: A to Z in a Flash

This tutorial will be a crash course on flash memory. We will cover the major ground related to flash memory-based products, starting from the intrinsic characteristics of flash memory devices, moving up to the FTL firmware that controls the flash memory devices, and then finally up to the system software layer that makes use of these flash memory-based end products. We start off covering the history and the very basics of each layer. We then discuss the recent trends that are happening in each of the layers. We will also discuss how each of the layers differ for the various flash products that are commercially available. We will also attempt to untangle the close-knit relationship among the system, software, interface, and the market that together results in the flash memory-based end products and the software systems that make use of these end products.