Help me choose

Updated 2026-09-25

In short

Start from the question of whether the user can swap the storage. If yes, you want a removable part: a TF card for anything that takes the MicroSD form factor, or a custom USB drive when the product is branded. If no, you want something soldered: a UDP module on your own board, or a semi-finished board if you already make the housing and do the assembly. The rest of this page sets out each path with the fact that decides it, and the comparison table deals with the four products side by side.

What you are building → what to order

Read down the left column and stop at the row that matches. Each one links to the product, where the specification table and the related questions are already worked out.

A dashcam, action camera or vehicle DVR TF card → These devices use the MicroSD form factor, 15 × 11 × 1 mm, and record continuously. The card is a replaceable consumer-replaceable part, you set the capacity against recording duration, and the device expects to overwrite in place. A security or IP camera that records around the clock TF card → Same form factor and the same overwrite pattern as a dashcam. The difference is duty cycle, so the capacity and the grade of silicon matter more than they would in a device that records occasionally. An IoT device, POS terminal or medical device that needs storage soldered onto its own board UDP module → UDP is USB Disk in Package: a complete USB flash device on an 11.3 × 24.8 × 1.45 mm board that you reflow onto your own PCB. There is no removable part, so nothing can be swapped and nothing can come loose. You have your own housing and your own assembly line Semi-finished board → This is the USB flash PCBA without a housing — 12 × 44 × 4.5 mm, 3.2 g. You supply the shell and do the assembly; you need the electronic core only. A branded giveaway, event gift or client present Custom USB flash drive → The product is the brand, not the storage. You choose the body — metal, PVC or wood — the capacity, the interface and the branding method, and the flash inside is specified by you rather than inherited from stock. Delivering software, media kits or product documentation Custom USB flash drive → Same product, different justification: the payload is pre-loaded and the drive may or may not come back. Capacity is set by content size, and content can be pre-loaded before shipment. A product that has to be compact and cannot have a removable part at all UDP module → When enclosure space is the binding constraint, a soldered module is smaller than any removable drive with its housing. This is the same decision from the mechanical side rather than the application side.

The four products side by side

Product	Mounts as	Size	Who orders it	Not for
TF card	RemovableMicroSD card	15 × 11 × 1 mm, 0.25 g	Device makers and brands specifying a consumable storage part	Buyers who need a documented industrial-temperature rating
UDP module	Soldered onto your PCB	11.3 × 24.8 × 1.45 mm, 0.819 g	Product designers integrating fixed internal storage	Buyers looking for a removable stick
Semi-finished board	Soldered into your housing	12 × 44 × 4.5 mm, 3.2 g	Manufacturers with their own housings and assembly lines	Buyers who want a finished, ready-to-brand drive
Custom USB drive	Removable, with branding	Set by body style	Companies ordering branded drives in volume	Anyone needing a single retail unit today

Five questions worth answering before you write to us

Will a user be able to swap the storage? If yes, a removable product — a TF card or a finished USB drive. If no, a soldered part — a UDP module or a semi-finished board.
Do you already have a housing design? If you have the housing and the line, order the semi-finished board. If you do not, order the finished custom drive and skip the tooling.
How much data has to live on the part? Work backwards from your content. A capacity guide shows what each size actually holds, and note that a 128GB part reports roughly 119GB to the operating system.
Is this branded, or is it a component? Branded means the body and the marking carry the decision. A component means the silicon grade, the package and the controller are what matter.
Does anything need to be replaceable in the field? If the answer is yes, a removable product is the right architecture. If no, a soldered module avoids a failure mode entirely.

These are the questions that change the answer, so answering them first saves a round trip.

Still not sure?

Say what the part goes into rather than which product you want. A one-line description of the device, roughly how much data it stores and whether the storage can be swapped is enough to get you the right specification. If it turns out you need a comparison rather than a product, the guides cover the decisions one at a time.

If you are still working out what to ask, start with the procurement guides, or read how pricing is built.

Procurement guides · How pricing works · Custom vs standard · UDP vs COB vs PCB · Request a quote

Choosing questions

What if I genuinely cannot tell which one I need?

Send what you are building rather than which product you want. A description of the device, the data volume and whether the storage is removable is enough for us to point you at the right part and the right specification.

Can I order samples of more than one type?

Yes. Sample terms depend on the configuration and the volume you are considering. If you are comparing formats, tell us that up front so we can quote the sample set together.

Do I have to fix the capacity before I order?

You need a target, not a final answer. Capacity, interface and grade are all adjustable before bulk production, and we would rather confirm them in writing at quotation than discover a mismatch after the line has started.

Can a product need both removable and internal storage?

It can, and it is two separate line items. Soldered internal storage handles the operating system and records; a removable card handles user-visible media. Order them as two products with two specifications.

What if my design changes after I have sampled?

Tell us before bulk production. A mechanical change may only affect the module length, while an interface change affects the board. Either is cheaper to handle before the run than during it.

Tell us what the part goes into. We reply within 1 business day.

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