Flash drives running hot - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 03:37:10 am
content: it seems like, most pen/flash/thumb drives out there, have poor design. They stay warm even when idle. I've also noticed, some memory cards like Samsung do it to.Poor voltage conversion system maybe? Really bugs me out when you think, heat kills flash memory in no time. I wonder how much current they consume when idle

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 04:29:50 am
content: It would be very easy to measure it if you were curious.I have not really noticed flash drives getting uncomfortably hot, maybe a bit warm but not enough to be a problem. I can't actually think of any that I've had fail either, I still have several very old 128MB pen drives that still work fine.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 04:35:11 am
content: Pretty much every USB drive I have come across used linear regulators for the various voltage rails. Back in the day, there was a microcontroller based data logger (that logs data to a USB drive) which exploited that by allowing the 5V supplying the USB drive to be reduced to keep it running cooler.Quote from: Raj on May 21, 2020, 03:37:10 amI read somewhere that heat actually improves endurance slightly.

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 06:13:40 am
content: Quote from: james_s on May 21, 2020, 04:29:50 amConnected to my router, where I intend to use em,I get 36mA and 60mA for HP 16gig and pny 8gig (both made my pny).. Standby for testing on computerEdit: same idling on computer... And 60mA and 70mA current while writing to emOther things I just measured: My rapoo mouse dongle, while active-35mA (I wonder what a normal mouse consumes) (mouse seems to use single AA at 2-10mA)Razer deathstalker ultimate-300mA on each of its usbXbox controller-idle 20mA,100mWChink joystick hotas-idle 11mA,55mW(Couldn't test while it vibrates, I have no testing software)Seagate portable hdd,idle-800mW-400mW (startup) 400mA (idle, reading, wiring (operating)) 250mA ejected

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 07:03:02 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on May 21, 2020, 06:45:40 amMight be the difference between memory management controller, since I think pen drive and ssd use the same technology. (oh wait...SSD usually have ram too.

author: Syntax Error
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 08:48:55 am
content: My experience, flash drives in Linux machines run hotter than in Windows machines. Why?Maybe it's the way Linux sees a flash drive as a block device (sda/sda1) and when mounted, the drive is always 'on'? Any Linux experts care to disagree? Windows just sees the flash as a dumb FAT32 file system and only makes it active over USB for RW access? This is compounded if the Linux file system on the flash is EXT4.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 09:18:22 am
content: An idle flash card or pen drive doesn't necessarily mean it does nothing, it might be busy internally with checking/scrubbing/wear leveling its memory pages.

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 09:34:24 am
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on May 21, 2020, 09:18:22 amThe hp one was brand new and empty

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 11:32:14 am
content: Geez, with all the multimeter expertise out there you'd think someone would take 2 minutes to hook up their thermocouple and see what the ACTUAL temps are...A Sandisk USB 3.0 (has a flashing LED inside) sitting idle is drawing just under 0.1 A, and the case temp flattens at 33C. Warm, but definitely not hot.A Sandisk Cruzer USB 2.0 sitting idle draws about 0.04 A, and the case temp flattens at 23C. Room temperature.A Seagate Backup 2TB sitting idle draws 0.3-0.4 A, and the large case (understandably) is at room temperature.I'm not sure what the issue is. I can't recall ever having hot thumb drives.

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 01:00:42 pm
content: And for the inevitable "yeah, but..."'sI transferred about 15GB of files to my Sandisk 3.0 USB (at idle it draws around 0.1A), and after about 15 minutes of transferring the temps flattened a little over 38C, and the current draw varied from 0.13 to 0.16 amps.So yeah, if you're transferring a bunch of data over a long period it might get warm, just like any other device. But I'm still not seeing the issue with stuff like "burning hot".

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2020, 01:17:50 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on May 21, 2020, 11:32:14 amSorry...I'd don't have a thermometer yet...but i'll do that ones my flir arrivesBut I do have dht22...My room tempearture is 38 degrees Centigrade.