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PCMCIA (PC Card) technology - expansion functionality laptop

Andrey Irkhin

Any modern laptop has one or two slots for connecting expansion cards of the PCMCIA standard, also called PC Cards. This technology enhances the capabilities of laptops and connects them external devices is the most advantageous, since, with the very small size and weight of the PC Cards themselves, the laptop is not overloaded with additional built-in controllers, and replacing the cards makes it easy to configure the computer for specific user tasks.

The abbreviation PCMCIA stands for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (its official website is http://www.pcmcia.org). The specification adopted by this association was immediately supported by such giants of the computer industry as AT&T, IBM, Intel, NCR and Toshiba.

PCMCIA worked on the specification in collaboration with JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association). By the way, in 2000, JEIDA merged with EIAJ (Electronic Industries Association of Japan) and transformed into JEITA (Japan Electronic and Information Technology Industries Association). Its official website is located at http://www.jeita.or.jp.

PC Card Type I have the following dimensions: 54 mm wide and 85.6 mm long. The modules must have a thickness of 3.3 mm. All PC Cards are equipped with a 68-pin connector (developed by Fujitsu) with a double-row arrangement of contacts (the distance between contacts in a row and between rows is 1.27 mm). As a rule, the PC Card Type I standard uses non-volatile flash memory cards with a typical capacity of 128 MB to 2 GB or more today. They are the electronic analogue of floppy disks and hard drives, they can be divided into sections and formatted. By recording the most important and confidential information on a flash card, you can always carry it with you. Some advanced cards are also implemented in the same PC Card Type I standard. sound cards like the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook, which can partially eliminate the lack of wide multimedia capabilities some laptops.

PC Card Type II has the same dimensions as Type I: 54 mm wide and 85.6 mm long. But modules that fit Type II dimensions must have a different thickness - 5 mm in the middle and 3.3 mm at the edges. Starting with the second version of the PCMCIA specification, a thickening is also provided in the middle part of the board - the so-called “substrate area”. The width of this section is 48 mm and the length is 75 mm. The PC Card Type II standard includes fax modem cards, adapters local networks, SCSI adapters for connecting external peripherals, FireWire (IEEE-1394a) adapters, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, navigation GPS receivers and many others.

Also, in accordance with the PCMCIA 2.0 standard, Type I and II boards can be produced with a length increased by 50 mm (that is, the board length is 135 mm). Accordingly, this allows you to place more components, but the board will protrude 51 mm from the slot.

Type III PC Cards are 10.5mm thick and are not suitable for use in Type I and II module slots. This type of module requires so-called “double-height slots”. By the way, the thickness of the Type III module at the edges is also 3.3 mm. According to the PC Card Type III standard, they are mainly produced hard disks 1.3-inch form factor, which are used when the capacity of removable flash cards becomes insufficient. Such HDD has a number of advantages: firstly, a simple setup procedure after installing it in a PCMCIA slot, and secondly, if you need to store large volumes of important and confidential information, then a hard drive made in the PC Card standard will be the optimal solution.

But these hard drives should not be confused with Hitachi Microdrive (developed by IBM) and the like, which are produced in the Compact Flash Type 2 standard and are connected to the laptop using a PC Card Type II adapter. The PCMCIA adapter for connecting a Hitachi Microdrive to a laptop is much more complex than the one used to connect Compact Flash Type 1 cards.

Typically, regular laptop models have two Type II slots or one Type III slot. Ultraportable and thin models usually have one Type II slot. If the laptop is equipped with a Type III PCMCIA slot, then Type I and Type II modules can also be used with it. But there are also models like RoverBook Partner E415, E417 (actually produced by ECS) and E510, which are completely deprived of PC Card slots. :)

PC Cards have what is called "symmetrical geometry". That is, the user, which happens all the time, can accidentally insert the board into the slot upside down. But this is not a problem, since any incorrectly inserted board simply will not work. As a result, neither the computer nor the board itself will be damaged or fail...

PC Cards require an appropriate controller, which is usually not built into desktop PCs due to cost and because desktop systems can connect any necessary peripherals via USB or PCI. A computer that supports the PCMCIA standard can theoretically have from one to 255 PCMCIA adapters, and each adapter can support up to 16 ports. Thus, the second version of the standard allowed the use of up to 4080 PC Cards!

Currently, any company specializing in the sale of laptop computers offers PCMCIA standard cards that allow you to get fax-modem communications and access to local area networks (LANs) such as Ethernet.

Almost all offered fax modems made in the PC Card standard (except for some not very new and used models sold on the secondary market) have similar characteristics and support the most modern protocols for data transmission, compression and correction. Some models allow you to connect a telephone cable without a special line adapter to the RJ45 connector, which is located directly on the card body, which eliminates the need for additional cables. There are also special cables that allow you to connect a PC Card modem to a cell phone.

Combination PC Card options are also available, which combine a fax modem and a local network adapter. This is very convenient, since only one PC Card Type II slot is occupied. As for the network cards themselves, today network adapters are produced that allow you to connect computers to most local networks. But mainly Ethernet adapters are offered with the ability to connect to a network made using twisted pair or thin coaxial cable.

There is also one very important note to make regarding compatibility... Laptop manufacturers provide two levels of management for PC Card devices. At the lower level, this is carried out using PCMCIA slot controller maintenance programs. To access the card and distribute laptop resources, there are special drivers targeted at a specific type of PC Card device (flash memory, hard drive, fax modem, network card, etc.). As a rule, laptop manufacturers are trying to create universal software for PC Card class devices that could support management of cards from different manufacturers, while focusing on existing PCMCIA standards.

Currently, there are many manufacturers producing various expansion cards of the PCMCIA standard. But not all of them are compatible with specific model laptop... May be incompatible software interfaces- then the problem can be solved using the drivers supplied with this card. But if there is incompatibility at the hardware level, the card will never be able to work with a specific laptop model. Therefore, before purchasing a PC Card device, you should carefully read the recommendations for using cards for a particular laptop. This useful compatibility information can be found in the user manual, or on the Internet - on the website of the laptop or expansion card manufacturer.

By the way, relatively recently the release of specifications for the ExpressCard Version 1.0 standard for laptops and desktop PCs was announced (see information on the official website - http://www.expresscard.org). Previously, the ExpressCard form factor was known to the public under the working name NewCard. The ExpressCard standard was developed by a collaboration of OEMs, card and component developers, including Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Lexar Media, Microsoft, SCM Microsystems and Texas Instruments. The development was based on close collaboration between working groups of the following organizations: PCMCIA, USB Implementers Forum (USB IF) and Peripheral Component Interconnect-Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG). Thus, ExpressCard technology also supports serial data transfer specifications: USB 2.0 and PCI Express(PCI-E).

The ExpressCard Version 1.0 standard provides two form factors that differ in width: ExpressCard/34 (34 mm) and ExpressCard/54 (54 mm). In both cases, the module length is 75 mm and the thickness is 5 mm. Each module has 26 contacts (let me remind you that PCMCIA had 68). Approximate heat dissipation is 1.3 W. Host systems will be supplied with slots for both versions of cards. The release of a wide version of ExpressCard/54 is due to the fact that there are wide devices on the market for the CardBus connector, for example, Compact Flash cards and 1.8-inch hard drives.

Anyone interested in learning more about the new standard can consult the following official documents: http://www.expresscard.org/files/ExpressCardBrochure.pdf (1.87 MB) and http://www.expresscard.org/files /ExpressCardWP.pdf (255 KB).

The article uses a number of information materials from the official websites of PCMCIA and ExpressCard, as well as Compulent and Kompunity.

Laptop for beginners. Mobile, accessible, convenient Kovalevsky Anatoly Yurievich

PC CARD (PCMCIA) and Express Card

PCMCIA(Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, PC Card, PC-cards, CardBus, JEIDA). Since the abbreviation itself is dissonant to the ear, and the decoding is even more so, a joke appeared: PCMCIA - People Can’t Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms - People cannot remember stupid computer abbreviations. Therefore, a shorter name was invented - PC Card... which did not catch on, because everyone was already accustomed to PCMCIA. As a result, such adapters are sometimes called PCMCIA Card, which is incorrect. Just as it didn’t work out with the name, it didn’t work out with the connector itself, although you will find it in any laptop.

Initially, the connector was created to be able to connect additional modules in the same way as modules are connected to the PCI bus in a desktop PC. Thus, you can connect any device to high speed– USB, card reader for any memory cards, HDD, TV/FM tuner, Enternet port, LTP port, COM port, IDE, SATA, eSATA, SCSI interface, IEEE 1394 port, S-video, DVI port, RS-232, GPS, etc. Developed in a time period when there were no high speed connections, but now there is USB and FireWire. Therefore, in fact, it lost its meaning, especially due to the much higher cost. Those who have a desktop PC should keep in mind that the AT-WR PCI 2411 adapter is available, which can be installed in a desktop PC, so that the purchased hardware will not go to waste.

There are four types of PCMCIA (all 68-pin connector, 85.6 mm long, 54 mm wide).

Type I – 3.3 mm height, 16-bit data exchange, are almost never seen now (they work only as memory cards, to emphasize the difference from flash drives, they are called “linear”). Analogue of the ISA bus, operating voltage 3.3/5.0 V. PCMCIA 2.0 standard.

Type II – 5.0 mm height, 32-bit data exchange, the most common option. Analogue of the PCI bus, operating voltage 3.3 V. Type I cards can be connected to Type II, but not vice versa (this is prevented by a special metal shield with eight bulges). PCMCIA standard starting from 3.0.

Type III – 10.5 mm high, 32-bit data exchange, designed in such a way that two Type II cards can be inserted in its place. Analogue of the PCI bus, operating voltage 3.3 V. PCMCIA standard, starting from 4.0.

Type IV – 16.0 mm height, 32-bit data transfer, discontinued.

In parallel with PCMCIA, Japan was implementing its own standard, JEIDA. Since 1991, JEIDA 4.1 and PCMCIA 2.0 specifications have been released and are fully compatible. Further standardization resulted in the introduction of advanced plug&play functions, power management and many other improvements. For this version, the name CardBus was introduced (PCMCIA 5.0 and JEIDA 4.2 specifications), as a result, modern cards are now often called PCMCIA CardBus.

It should be kept in mind that PCMCIA is not an extension of RAM - a misconception arose due to the external similarity of some older RAM modules and PCMCIA cards. If the contact pads are not 68, but 108, then this is a Small-PCI (SPCI) card: similar in size to PCMCIA, divided into two types - Style A and B, can be directly connected to the PCI bus, but does not support hot plugging. SPCI is extremely rare in laptops.

The compartment should be protected from dust by at least a plastic plug, or better yet, a lid - try not to lose it. During operation, the card can become very hot (up to 55–60 °C) - be careful when removing it. When connecting the antenna, be sure to provide grounding.

When disassembling, keep in mind that the PCMCIA connectors are connected as a single module. Most of the screws that hold them in place are located on the bottom of the laptop, sometimes under the covers of other compartments, or in the worst case, inside the case. After removing all the bolts, the compartment is removed as a single block.

PCMCIA cards support hot swapping, that is, the adapter can be removed/inserted into the slot without rebooting the OS (this is ensured by the fact that hardware resources are initially reserved, regardless of whether the device is connected or not). The exception is cases of incorrectly written drivers that are not able to implement the Plug&Play procedure. If this happens, let's try to figure out why. Let's look at the diagram:

Adapter > Enabler Module > Card Services Driver > Socket Services > Connector > Windows

From the presented chain it is clear that Windows does not have direct access to the hardware component of the card. If there are PCMCIA connectors not only in the laptop, but also in the docking station, several Socket Services drivers (there may be several) interact with one Card Services (only one). The Enabler module receives parameters from Card Services and configures the adapter and Plug&Play (be sure to install the latest PCMCIA drivers from the laptop manufacturer and PCMCIA drivers from the card manufacturer). Sometimes, especially on pre-Windows XP operating systems, a boot record is needed necessary drivers in config.sys and autoexec.bat. Make sure Socket Services loads before Card Services.

ExpressCard makes it possible to connect additional modules in the same way as modules are connected to the PCI Express bus in a desktop PC. The main advantages are speed PCI buses Express is approximately 2 times larger, expanded support for energy saving, driver support at the OS level. It is not backward compatible with the PCMCIA connector and is being marketed as its replacement.

Available in two versions. Each of them is divided into a regular version (fitting entirely into the connector) and Extended (protruding significantly from it).

SW (Single Wide), also known as ExpressCard-34 - single width, 34x75x5 mm, 32-bit data exchange, operating voltage 3.3 V.

DW (Double Wide), also known as ExpressCard-54 – double width, 54x75x5 mm, 32-bit data exchange, operating voltage 3.3 V. This text is an introductory fragment.

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PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) personal computers) - specification of expansion modules for laptops and computers, called PC cards.

The PCMCIA specification was developed as a standard for memory expansion cards and connectors for connecting these cards. Its further development and improvements made it possible to connect various peripheral devices (modems, network cards etc.).

From history, it can be noted that PCMCIA was developed as a response from the United States to the JEIDA expansion card specification developed in Japan. In 1991, both standards merged and the similar JEIDA 4.1 and PCMCIA 2.0 (PC Card) specifications were released.

Most older laptop models are equipped with 2 Type II PCMCIA slots, which allows you to connect two Type II devices or one Type III card. In the process of replacing outdated COM and LPT interfaces from laptops with higher-performance USB, FireWire, and Ethernet, the need for PCMCIA began to decrease. Laptops were already equipped with the 1st type II slot.

Version 1.x of the PCMCIA specification described Type I cards with a 16-bit interface that were used only as memory expansion modules. They were 3.3mm thick and used a single row connector.

Type II cards come with either a 16-bit or 32-bit interface; The connector already has two rows of contacts. The thickness of the cards is 5 mm. Type II cards support I/O devices, allowing them to be used for connecting peripheral devices.

Type III cards support a 16- or 32-bit interface and use four rows of pins. These cards are 10.5 mm thick, allowing standard connectors to be installed on the card. external interfaces and thus get rid of additional cables.

The remaining dimensions for cards of all three types are: length 3.3 inches and width 2.13 inches.

Further developments in PCMCIA led to the emergence of the CardBus (PCMCIA 5.0 or JEIDA 4.2). CardBus are 32-bit PCMCIA cards introduced in February 1995. Since the end of 1997, laptops have already been widely equipped with these slots.

The CardBus bus is electrically and logically a full-fledged 32-bit PCI bus with the dimensions and connector of a PCMCIA bus. CardBus devices can support DMA, which allows CardBus devices to conduct information exchange with other peripheral devices or with RAM without using the CPU.

The notch on the left front edge of the CardBus card slot is smaller than that of non-CardBus cards, so a 32-bit CardBus card cannot be installed in a slot designed only for 16-bit cards. Most modern slots support CardBus cards and older 16-bit cards.

Further development of PCMCIA

The PCMCIA interface became the ancestor of a whole generation of flash-based storage cards, which emerged as a result of attempts to improve the characteristics of Type I PCMCIA cards: CompactFlash, Miniature Card and SmartMedia. If you match the connector, then CompactFlash can be successfully connected to PCMCIA.

PCMCIA was replaced in laptops by a new standard - ExpressCard, which appeared in 2004. ExpressCard expansion cards are smaller in size than PC cards and use PCI Express and USB 2.0 buses to connect peripheral devices.

Technological progress does not stand still, and new devices appear almost constantly, and devices that have already become familiar are equipped with additional devices. This applies to almost all types of activities, but the entertainment industry and related devices are always at the forefront of updating. However, sometimes this process happens so quickly that even fairly tech-savvy users experience difficulties. For example, among owners of the latest generations of LG TVs, the question often arises about what a PCMCIA card slot is, which can be seen on the back wall of the device. The answer will be both complex and simple, but first things first.

Smart card and PCMCIA card slot

What is a smart card and PCMCIA card slot

The answer to the question posed above should begin from afar, namely, consider such an innovation as a smart card for cable television. The familiar form of television broadcasting is gradually becoming part of history, and cable channels are taking its place. This process is completely natural and natural.

In this case, there is a need to organize address broadcasting and an appropriate security system that excludes the possibility of unauthorized connection. Laying cable networks to the user and maintaining them in working condition requires significant financial investments on the part of supplying companies, which directly affects the cost of tariffs. At the same time, there must be certain protections to ensure that the person who paid for the service will use it. This is one of the few cases where both the client and the company are on the same side. The only question is how exactly to organize the possibility of limiting broadcasting. The answer to this was the development and implementation of smart cards and PCMCIA card slots in LG TVs.

Smart card and adapter

Smart card is a small device (essentially a card) that performs the function of a pass. That is, certain information is entered on the card regarding the owner, the tariff he purchased, connected additional services etc. This card is connected to the TV using a slot in the PCMCIA card slot format.

Initially, the technology was developed for use in laptops and its intended purpose was to connect various additional peripheral devices, such as additional memory drives, network cards, modems for Internet access. However, over time, application was found in cable television. I think you understand what a PCMCIA card slot is and why it is needed.

Using smart cards for access allows you to achieve a number of advantages:

• Possibility of direct management of connected tariffs and channel packages.
• Increased security of use - no one will be able to access channels if the card is not physically installed in the slot.
• If the equipment is compatible, you can take your channel package with you, which is very convenient.

Smart card installed in the slot

Moreover, if the LG TV is equipped with a built-in PCMCIA card slot, then all actions for using a smart card are reduced to simply installing it in the designated slot.

Conclusion

What is a PCMCIA card slot and what is it for? So, the PCMCIA card slot in the LG TV is not at all a useless connector, as it might seem at first glance. Due to the not very widespread prevalence of such technology, we do not often encounter the need to use smart cards in our country, but it is only a matter of time. It is almost certain that in a few years, the presence of this extension format will be a necessary standard.

Solid State Media for Portable Electronics

Despite the strict implementation of Moore's law for microprocessors, we must not forget that before the processor begins to process data, it must get it from somewhere. Thus, the well-known dilemma about the chicken and the egg continues in the issue of the primacy of data storage or processing. However, I propose not to be distracted by philosophical disputes, but only to note the obvious fact - simultaneously with the increase in the speed of modern processors, the complexity of the tasks assigned to the computer also increases, and therefore the volume of data processed increases. Moreover: for consumer electronic devices (due to the expansion of the range of audio and visual data they process), the problem of storing information becomes even more pressing than for desktop computers. Read more about modern technologies storing data in portable electronic devices This article will help you.

ROM or RAM?

ROM or (in our opinion) ROM (read-only memory) is a non-volatile type of memory that allows you to permanently store data entered at the production stage. The data recorded in the ROM chip can only be changed using special methods firmware, which is why this memory is called “read-only memory”. Most often, manufacturers store so-called “firmware” in ROM - proprietary software used to control the operation of the device’s built-in processor. In many laptop computers, in order to save main memory, ROM is used to store operating system code. This applies both to devices based on Windows CE, and to electronic organizers 3Com PalmPilot (up to and including the Personal model) and Handspring Visor, which also store basic applications there. Thus, in order to upgrade the operating system, users have to replace the entire ROM chip.

Unlike ROM, "flash memory" allows you to upgrade software the data contained in it. The name “flash” was adopted lightly by Toshiba, since the contents of the memory can be erased instantly (“in a flash”). Like standard ROM, Flash ROM is non-volatile, meaning the data in it will not be lost when the power is turned off.

Palm Computing switched to flash memory in its electronic organizers, starting with the Palm III. However, most manufacturers continue to use conventional ROM. The reason is simple - the cost of ROM is much less than the cost of flash memory.

Let's go further. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory, or in Russian RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is a collection of memory chips that together make up the computer's random access memory. RAM serves to store programs, as well as data processed by these programs. In many operating systems it is called "main memory".

Unlike ROM, RAM is volatile memory. In other words, it needs a power source to save data. Simply remove the batteries from your pocket computer to test the truth of these words in practice. However, the advantage of RAM is that its contents can be easily modified.

Now let's take a closer look at the main types of storage devices.

PCMCIA memory cards

Perhaps one of the oldest device standards external memory is the PCMCIA standard developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, or PCMCIA for short.

PCMCIA standard on this moment defines four main types of memory cards:

• DRAM (dynamic random access memory, dynamic memory)
• SRAM (static random access memory, static memory)
• Linear Flash
• PC Card ATA Flash (ATA-compatible flash)

DRAM cards are not non-volatile, which sharply limits their scope of application. That is, even if you imagine that you use, for example, a DRAM memory card in your digital camera to store information, this will not end well: as soon as you remove the card from the camera, all images will be immediately lost.

SRAM cards also require a power source to store the data they contain. For this purpose, there is a small battery in the board design. As a result, cards of this type have a fixed service life, determined by the battery life. After a certain period of time, the battery must be replaced (much like we change the battery in our watch). Thus, if you do not have time to copy data from the card to your desktop computer before replacing the battery, it will be lost. Another disadvantage of SRAM cards is their cost - higher than that of flash memory cards.

Linear Flash requires a special software. The performance and compatibility of Linear Flash cards (or, in other words, non-ATA) is determined by drivers called Flash File System(FFS) or file translation layer (FTL) software. Different versions of these drivers are not always compatible on different systems, so data cannot be transferred from one device to another. Even if your portable device has correct version appropriate software, this does not mean that the card will be read on a desktop computer. For this reason, this type of memory card is currently used quite rarely in portable devices.

ATA-compatible flash, on the other hand, is fully compatible with the open industry standard PCMCIA-ATA. ATA was designed as standard interface for storage devices such as hard drives or flash memory cards for the market mobile computers. It provides interoperability with major computer platforms and operating systems. It also allows for easy data portability from one device to another without the need for FFS or FTL. If you purchase an ATA-compatible memory card, it is guaranteed to work in any system that supports the ATA standard, regardless of whether it is a computer or, for example, a digital camera. All major operating systems, including DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows CE, Windows "95, OS/2, Apple System 7, most Unix clones and many other operating systems, support the ATA standard.

By the way, the same principle is used in hard disk drives: any modern hard drive always has a standard data exchange interface (IDE, EIDE, SCSI). Accordingly, this disk can be used in any system that supports this standard. Therefore, PC Card ATA Flash cards are most widespread in consumer electronics (especially digital cameras).

To work with PC Cards on a desktop computer, you need to purchase a special adapter - the PC Card Adapter, which costs about $70. And in all modern laptops this adapter is already present in the standard configuration.

PC Cards vary in size. At the moment, the standard describes three types of cards (the fourth is still under development, so there is little information about it).

Type	Length	Width	Thickness	Usage
Type I	85.6 mm	54 mm	3.3 mm	Memory (SRAM, Flash, etc.)
Type II	85.6 mm	54 mm	5 mm	I/O devices (modems, network cards, etc.)
Type III	85.6 mm	54 mm	10.5 mm	Storage devices, hard drives

information taken from www.pc-card.com

Thanks to top-down compatibility, Type I and Type II cards can be used in devices equipped with Type III connectors (but not vice versa).

If we talk about modern digital cameras, they most often use Type I and Type II cards as data storage devices.

CompactFlash memory cards

The first CompactFlash (CF) cards were released in 1994 by Sandisk. They are fast, lightweight, high-capacity, removable memory devices that use flash memory technology long-term storage data even in the absence of a power source. The CompactFlash card is comparable in size to a box of foreign matches: its dimensions are 43x36x3.3 mm.

CompactFlash cards can be used in a wide variety of devices, including digital cameras and PDAs. In fact, CompactFlash is supported by most platforms and operating systems that support the PCMCIA ATA standard.

At the beginning of 2001, there were about 40 companies in the world producing CompactFlash memory cards. The capacity of modern memory cards ranges from 4 to 256 MB, and the price ranges from 1.5-2 dollars per megabyte.

CompactFlash drives are more expensive than conventional hard drives, but they have quite significant advantages over the latter. Firstly, memory cards do not have moving parts, which ensures much higher data safety and, in addition, reduces the chances of the drive failing due to mechanical problems. Secondly, the power supply requires a voltage of only 3.3 or 5 volts, which is much lower than that required for operation of a conventional hard drive. The storage life of data on a memory card is about 100 years. Well, in the end, you can drop a CompactFlash card on the floor from a height of about 3 meters and nothing will happen to it. Thanks to such “positive” characteristics, plus small size CompactFlash cards have become widespread (perhaps even the greatest) in digital photography

On the other hand, if we talk about microcomputers, the programs recorded on them cannot be run directly from the CompactFlash card: in order to execute the programs, they must first be loaded into the computer's RAM. But it still takes much less time than loading data from hard drive. The connector used in CF cards is similar to that used by PCMCIA cards, but has 50 pins instead of 68. However, it still follows the ATA specification, so the CF card can easily be installed in a 68-pin passive Type II adapter, after which it becomes completely identical PCMCIA card for all mechanical and electrical parameters.

By the way, some manufacturers write about using PCMCIA CompactFlash in their devices, which can mislead the buyer. It must be remembered that you cannot simply insert a card into a PCMCIA slot; a special adapter is required for this!

By the way, in addition to being used in computers based on Windows CE, memory cards can be used by the TRGPro microcomputer, created by TRG and running the PalmOS operating system, as well as the Psion 5mx PDA from the company of the same name. TRGPro is a regular Palm IIIx pocket computer with a built-in CompactFlash slot. However, not all existing applications PalmOS can use the CF TRGPro slot. They must be compiled in a special way.

SmartMedia Memory Cards

Another flash memory standard, invented about four years ago by Toshiba Corporation. Its creators consider this standard “the most convenient and accessible for digital cameras in existence.” However, this is not surprising - due to their compactness, such cards have already become quite widespread among digital electronics manufacturers. Dimensions of SmartMedia cards are 45x37x0.76 mm, capacity - from 2 to 64 MB. In the near future it is planned to release cards with a capacity of 128 MB.

The most important difference between SmartMedia cards and CompactFlash and PC Card ATA is the following. There are no integrated controls on SmartMedia cards—just the media and a gold-plated contact pad. The CompactFlash and PC Card ATA standards are ATA-compatible, that is, each card, as is common with conventional hard drives, has its own controller. Thus, it is the absence of a controller that significantly reduces the cost of SmartMedia cards. SmartMedia card readers are equipped in currently digital cameras Olympus, MP3 players and many other portable devices.

The main problem that arises when using SmartMedia cards today is the lack of an established format. As a result, many manufacturers use their own data storage format, which sometimes leads to compatibility problems (a card formatted in one device may not be accepted by others).

To work with SmartMedia cards on a desktop computer, you can purchase a floppy disk adapter (about $70 in the US), and then read information from them on a regular floppy drive. If you are the proud owner of a laptop with a PC Card slot, it will be more convenient for you to buy an adapter from SmartMedia to PC Card (costing about $60). There are also adapters designed for parallel port or USB bus.

MultiMedia Cards

If you need ultra-compact storage media, the SanDisk MultiMediaCard is what you'll love. MultiMediaCard is the smallest information storage device available today. Weighing less than two (!) grams and the size of a postage stamp, MultiMediaCard is not inferior to its “big brothers” in such parameters as reliability, performance and low power consumption.

One of the leading manufacturers of MultiMediaCard is the American company SanDisk. As one of the inventors of this technology, the company is also a member of the MultiMediaCard Association, designed to promote the MultiMediaCard standard as an open industry standard. Currently, MultiMediaCard memory cards are available in capacities from 8 to 64 MB.

Despite its small size, MultiMediaCard has the following advantages:

• high compatibility
• inexpensive serial interface(only 7 pins are used)
• reliable mechanical design
• low power consumption
• low cost

Thanks to these advantages, MultiMediaCard is gradually becoming the de facto standard for the latest digital devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, digital voice recorders and smart phones.

Currently, the same types of devices for reading and writing information to MultiMediaCard memory cards are available in Moscow companies desktop computers, as for other standards: adapters for a regular disk drive, external “card drives” for LPT or USB, as well as special MMC-PCMCIA adapters.

1.4 mm

24 mm

32 mm

3.3 mm

42.8 mm

36.4 mm

SpringBoard Memory Modules

Handspring has introduced a new SpringBoard expansion module in its line of pocket computers. The SpringBoard module is similar in appearance to the cartridge for Nintendo Gameboy game consoles.

One of the first modules released using SpringBoard technology was an 8-MB flash memory module ($79 in the US). It uses non-volatile flash ROM, so the module can be uninstalled from the system without losing data. However, as with TRGPro, not all PalmOS programs will be able to work with the SpringBoard flash memory module.

IBM Microdrive

IBM (the inventor of Winchester-type magnetic disk technology) has introduced the miniaturization of hard drives to new level, releasing their new model Microdrive (with a capacity of 170 MB and 340 MB, respectively). Slightly larger than a regular CompactFlash card (42.8 x 36.4 x 5 mm) and weighing 16 grams, these “babies” actually contain all the mechanics of a hard drive inside, rather than flash memory chips. I think you're impressed, but that's not all: IBM microhard drives with capacities of 600 MB and 1 GB are already on sale.

The IBM Microdrive is compatible with CompactFlash Type II PCMCIA, so you can install it in any device that has this slot. The only thing is that for this, your CF slot must be equipped with a “return” mechanism, since the device is completely “recessed” into the slot. The spindle speed is 4500 rpm, and the data transfer rate is from 30 to 45 MB/s with an average access time of 15 ms. In addition, to increase performance, the hard drive is equipped with a built-in buffer of 128 KB.

Now I would like to draw your attention to the cost per unit of information storage in a new microhard drive. A typical Type I CompactFlash card costs about $100 for the 64 MB option and about $250 for the 128 MB option. Thus, the price of storing one megabyte of information is about $1.8 per megabyte. If we take prices for 340 MB and 1 GB IBM Microdrive, then this is approximately 250 and 430 dollars. Thus, the cost of one megabyte of information for a microdrive is approximately $0.6 per megabyte, which is three times less than the cost of a megabyte of information for a CompactFlash card.

The only drawback here is that the Microdrive literally “devours” the batteries of a pocket computer or any other portable device, since the mechanics actually require a lot more energy to operate. In addition, when the hard drive operates, a small but still quite noticeable amount of heat is released, which can adversely affect not only your finger if you accidentally touch it, but also the entire electronics of the device in which it is installed.

Iomega Click!

Iomega, maker of the popular Zip drives, has created Click! - the smallest of its disk drives. Click! Uses 40 MB floppy disks of its own format, costing about $10. Since these drives cannot be directly used in various modern electronics, you can use them to save content, such as CompactFlash cards. You simply insert the memory card into a special slot in the Iomega drive, and then with the press of a button the information is transferred to the 40-megabyte Click! drive.

In practice, transferring data from a 4 MB CompactFlash card takes about 28 seconds. This way you can increase the capacity of your device without purchasing new CF cards or IBM Microdrive.

Now briefly about the technical characteristics of the disk: diameter is approximately 50 mm, outer radius is 34 mm, inner radius of the spindle ring is about 7 mm. By design Click! very similar to a regular floppy disk. Like the IBM Microdrive, the Iomega Click! is not a direct competitor to flash memory cards, since it is quite inferior to them in terms of power consumption and mechanical reliability.

Now let's look forward and a little sideways

At the moment, devices that support the CompactFlash standard are in a very good position. On the other hand, other devices, in particular Palm Computing, have quite big choice non-standard solutions data storage problems.

One such solution is Memory Stick from Sony. Sony early last year signed an agreement with Palm Computing to develop devices that will use Memory Stick technology. These modules, about the size of a good Orbit Sugar Free record, are now used in some consumer products, such as digital cameras and audio players.

However, it is known that Sony has already failed in the past in implementing its BetaMax video standard. But the success of its recently created CLIE device based on the PalmOS operating system suggests quite rosy prospects for Sony's own memory standard. On the other hand, few manufacturers will begin to produce equipment whose media will be created by its direct competitor.

UniLinear Corporation is in a similar situation with its carrier The Parachute ($199). The Parachute is a slim, clip-on PCMCIA slot that allows the use of standard PCMCIA peripherals, including modems and memory cards. If you can only find drivers for these devices.

And finally, axxPac from AMS Software & Elektronik GmbH. axxPac is a module that fits into the internal expansion slot of the Palm IIIx and allows the use of SmartMedia cards ranging from 8 to 64 MB.