# How flip-flop stores data?

Joined May 4, 2016
4
Hello!
Anybody can help me in understanding how flip-flop stores data?? And my doctor said it can be used in applications like USB in storing data!
Thanks!

#### WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
26,398
Many kinds of flip flops. Some store information as charge on a capacitor. These tend to be unstable and quickly "forget" the value stored. They are therefore referred to as "dynamic" memory and must be refreshed. Others are stable and can hold their value indefinitely as long as they are powered. These are referred to as "static" memory.

The simplest static memory is two cross coupled inverters. To change the state of the memory you use a more powerful driver to force a particular state at one inverters input and that quickly flips the output of the other inverter to match it.

For much more, try Googling "flip flops".

#### BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
A flip flop doesn't store data. It stores state. We encode the state and position. (order) Now we have data.

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Joined May 4, 2016
4
A flip flop doesn't store data. It stores state. We encode the state and position. (order) Now we have data.
Flip flops ,i.e R S flip flops it stores state at a particular situation when R is low and S is low so it maintains what was at the output, is this can be helpful?
Sorry for the stupid and wrong questions, i am just new :$#### BR-549 Joined Sep 22, 2013 4,928 All digital devices are switches. They are on or off. They should stay on or off, until you change it. When you turn your wall switch on for the ceiling light...........it's helpful that is stays on, isn't it. You don't want to get up every minute to turn it back on. We don't want switches turning themselves on and off. So, when we set a switch, it better stay that way. #### WBahn Joined Mar 31, 2012 26,398 Flip flops ,i.e R S flip flops it stores state at a particular situation when R is low and S is low so it maintains what was at the output, is this can be helpful? Sorry for the stupid and wrong questions, i am just new :$
Yes, it is helpful. That is why we make and use flip flops -- they remember their state so that we can refer back to that information later.

#### hp1729

Joined Nov 23, 2015
2,304
Hello!
Anybody can help me in understanding how flip-flop stores data?? And my doctor said it can be used in applications like USB in storing data!
Thanks!
A flip flop stores one bit of data. It is set (1) or Reset (0). A register is a bank of flip flops with a common purpose (data, address, or some value). For example an 8-bit latch. A static RAM might be considered to be thousands of such registers. We select the register we want to reference by address lines then write data to it or read data from it. Static RAM loses its contents on losing power. Thus the need for that small battery in your computer. Flash RAM is special in that it retains its contents even when power is lost.
Dynamic RAM, as mentioned, is more just a charge on a tiny capacitor. Being a lot smaller than a flip flop you typically have more of them in a given package.