The new device stores data for up to 200 years.
A flash drive has appeared on the market, which offers completely unexpected characteristics. Instead of large capacity and high performance, it offers only 8KB of memory, but this memory can last up to 200 years. The price of the device is €29.95 with taxes, and it is equipped with a blue LED, which adds to its appeal.
The Blaustahl flash drive from Machdyne is equipped with 8KB FRAM and is designed for long-term text storage. It can last for more than 200 years thanks to the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, which makes it suitable for secure data storage with minimal memory.
The FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM) technology used is characterized by ultra-low power consumption, high write speed, and an extremely high write resource that can withstand up to a million billion write/read cycles. This makes it superior to EEPROM and NOR flash in terms of performance, although at a high cost. The device also has 4MB NOR flash for firmware and a USB Type-A connector that does not require additional drivers for most operating systems.
What can I store on an 8KB device? Multiple pages of text, depending on the formatting. For user convenience, Blaustahl includes a built-in text editor available through serial communication programs such as PuTTY and Tera Term. This makes the device ideal for securely storing passwords, cryptocurrency keys, notes, and geocaching data.
FRAM stands out for its durability and reliability compared to other storage solutions. It can store data for more than 200 years at a temperature of 35°C, surpassing NOR flash and NAND flash, which have a service life of 16 to 20 years in similar conditions. EEPROM also provides good data retention, but with a longer write time and fewer write cycles compared to FRAM.
There is also good news: future firmware updates will include encryption features, which will further increase the security of the device. All firmware files, schematics, and case designs are available on GitHub, allowing users to explore and modify the device to suit their needs.
A flash drive has appeared on the market, which offers completely unexpected characteristics. Instead of large capacity and high performance, it offers only 8KB of memory, but this memory can last up to 200 years. The price of the device is €29.95 with taxes, and it is equipped with a blue LED, which adds to its appeal.
The Blaustahl flash drive from Machdyne is equipped with 8KB FRAM and is designed for long-term text storage. It can last for more than 200 years thanks to the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, which makes it suitable for secure data storage with minimal memory.
The FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM) technology used is characterized by ultra-low power consumption, high write speed, and an extremely high write resource that can withstand up to a million billion write/read cycles. This makes it superior to EEPROM and NOR flash in terms of performance, although at a high cost. The device also has 4MB NOR flash for firmware and a USB Type-A connector that does not require additional drivers for most operating systems.
What can I store on an 8KB device? Multiple pages of text, depending on the formatting. For user convenience, Blaustahl includes a built-in text editor available through serial communication programs such as PuTTY and Tera Term. This makes the device ideal for securely storing passwords, cryptocurrency keys, notes, and geocaching data.
FRAM stands out for its durability and reliability compared to other storage solutions. It can store data for more than 200 years at a temperature of 35°C, surpassing NOR flash and NAND flash, which have a service life of 16 to 20 years in similar conditions. EEPROM also provides good data retention, but with a longer write time and fewer write cycles compared to FRAM.
There is also good news: future firmware updates will include encryption features, which will further increase the security of the device. All firmware files, schematics, and case designs are available on GitHub, allowing users to explore and modify the device to suit their needs.
