Author Topic: Flash drives running hot  (Read 1755 times)

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Offline RajTopic starter

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Flash drives running hot
« on: May 21, 2020, 03:37:10 am »
 :-BROKE 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
« Last Edit: May 21, 2020, 03:40:57 am by Raj »
 

Offline james_s

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2020, 04:29:50 am »
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.
 

Offline NiHaoMike

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2020, 04:35:11 am »
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.
Really bugs me out when you think, heat kills flash memory in no time.
I read somewhere that heat actually improves endurance slightly.
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Offline RajTopic starter

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2020, 06:13:40 am »
It would be very easy to measure it if you were curious.
Connected 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 computer

Edit: same idling on computer... And 60mA and 70mA current while writing to em

Other 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 usb

Xbox controller-idle 20mA,100mW
Chink 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
« Last Edit: May 21, 2020, 07:14:41 am by Raj »
 
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Offline RajTopic starter

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2020, 07:03:02 am »
Be glad. My Sandisk CZ880 (SSD disguised in a flash drive's body) runs burning hot when idle and consumes 200mA+ doing nothing.
Might 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.
 

Offline Syntax Error

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2020, 08:48:55 am »
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.
 

Offline RoGeorge

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2020, 09:18:22 am »
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.

Offline RajTopic starter

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2020, 09:34:24 am »
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.
The hp one was brand new and empty
 

Offline engrguy42

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2020, 11:32:14 am »
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.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2020, 11:57:56 am by engrguy42 »
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Offline engrguy42

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2020, 01:00:42 pm »
And for the inevitable "yeah, but..."'s  :D

I 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".
« Last Edit: May 21, 2020, 01:05:16 pm by engrguy42 »
- The best engineers know enough to realize they don't know nuthin'...
- Those who agree with you can do no wrong. Those who disagree can do no right.
- I'm always amazed at how many people "already knew that" after you explain it to them in detail...
 

Offline RajTopic starter

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Re: Flash drives running hot
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2020, 01:17:50 pm »
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...

Sorry...I'd don't have a thermometer yet...but i'll do that ones my flir arrives

But I do have dht22...My room tempearture is 38 degrees Centigrade.
 


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