A flash drive is a device that is used for data storage. It includes a flash memory and an integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. Most USB flash drives are removable and rewritable. Physically, it has a metal or plastic housing and one end is fitted with a Standard-A USB plug. That plug allows the flash drive to be plugged directly into a USB port on a computer or other device. The flash drive will only start when inserted into a USB port, as it draws the electricity it needs from the computer or device.
A typical USB flash drive consists of a USB connector, which is well protected and electrically insulated inside a plastic or rubber case. A small printed circuit board with surface-mounted integrated circuits are found within the device’s casing. A USB flash drive has 4 main components; a standard USB plug which connects the flash drive to a device, USB mass storage controller which is used as a microcontroller for the USB, a flash memory chip where in the data is stored, and a crystal oscillator which controls the data output components.