Memory card

Size comparison of different flash memory cards (SD, CF, MMC and xD)

Memory cards from 2012 (CF and SD)

A memory card , sometimes also called a flash card or memory card , is a compact, rewritable storage medium that can be used to store any data such as text, images, audio and video. The data is saved using flash memory technology. They are used for small, mobile devices such as digital cameras or cell phones , but also as a means of data porting together with a USB stick on a personal computer .

Types

Most current devices use flash technology, although other technologies are being developed. There are a variety of memory cards on the market:

CompactFlash (CF) Type I, CompactFlash Type II, CompactFlash ATA Serial Transfer (CFast) Type I, CFast Type II
Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Select, Memory Stick-ROM, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick XC Duo, Memory Stick XC-HG, Memory Stick Micro ( M2), Memory Stick HG Micro (M2-HG), Memory Stick XC Micro (M2 XC), Memory Stick XC-HG Micro (M2 XC-HG)
Multimedia Card (MMC), RS-MMC, MMCmobile, MMCmicro
Secure Digital Memory Card (SD), SDHC, SDXC, miniSD, miniSDHC, T-Flash / TransFlash, microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
Smart Media (SM) / Solid State Floppy Disc Card (SSFDC) is no longer manufactured
xD-Picture Card (xD)
XQD

Other storage media that belong to the plug-in flash storage media are Sony SxS ( ExpressCard -based) and Panasonic P2 ( PCMCIA -based).

Not a memory card in the true sense of the word, but due to its similar application and structure, the USB stick is included here . There are also compact memory card readers (without their own memory) with their own slot for a micro SD card, for example, so that they can be used as an adapter from the plug standard of these cards to USB .

The flash memory cards are of different sizes, whereby the storage capacity usually corresponds directly to the price. The CompactFlash card is roughly the size of a matchbook, while the MultiMedia Card (MMC) and SD card are the size of a postage stamp. Newer developments are only the size of a fingernail. In 2009, memory cards with 64 gigabytes came on the market.

Since 2010 Sony (formerly exclusively Memory Stick) and Olympus (formerly exclusively xD-Card and before that SmartMedia-Card) have also been offering SD-Card slots in their new models. With this the format war with memory cards of the SD card is tending .

Transmission speed

The transmission speed of memory cards is usually not specified directly, but as a factor based on the reading speed of CDs (= approx. 150 kB / s for the original single-speed or 1 × drives). Starting from CD burners , this notation has also spread to other writable storage media. Example: SD card 50x = approx. 7.5 MB / s transfer speed. The terms High Speed or HyperSpeed etc. are not subject to any standardization, so it is not possible to say that a HighSpeed card has to be very fast. In addition, the measurement methods for speeds are not standardized. In this way, exorbitant write values can be determined with a few large files, which are of no relevance to many small files.

When comparing the X speed factors of flash memory cards from different manufacturers, however, it should be noted that the individual manufacturers define this speed differently or not at all. Some definitions describe the X-factor on the basis of the writing speed, others on the basis of the reading speed. Still others speak of the data transfer speed and mean both reading and writing speed.

Well-known manufacturers have data sheets that define the speed designation more precisely.

Overview of memory card standards

Type	Dimensions [mm]	Controller in card	interface	Connections (pins)	DRM	File system	theoretically possible capacity [GB]	commercially available capacity [GB]	theoretical data rate (read) [MByte / s]	Operating voltage [V]
CompactFlash Type I.	42.8 x 36.4 x 3.3	Yes	PATA	50	(optional, including CPRM)	any (FAT16 / FAT32 recommended)	128 (134217728 for CF5.0)	100	133 (167 for CF6.0)	3.3 / 5.0 (3.3 with CF5.0)
CompactFlash Type II	42.8 x 36.4 x 5.0	Yes	PATA	50	(optional, including CPRM)	any (FAT16 / FAT32 recommended)	128 (134217728 for CF5.0)	-	133 (167 for CF6.0)	3.3 / 5.0 (3.3 with CF5.0)
CFast type I.	42.8 x 36.4 x 3.3	Yes	SATA	24	(optional, including CPRM)	any (FAT32 recommended)	2048	64	300	3.3
CFast type II	42.8 x 36.4 x 5.0	Yes	SATA	24	(optional, including CPRM)	any (FAT32 recommended)	2048	-	300	3.3
MMC	24.0 x 32.0 x 1.4	Yes	MMC / SPI	07th	-	any	128	-	002.3	3.3
MMCplus	24.0 x 32.0 x 1.4	Yes	?	13	-	any	128	8th	052	3.3
MMC DV	24.0 x 32.0 x 1.4	Yes	?	07th	-	any	128	8th	002.3	3.3 / 1.8
RS-MMC	24.0 x 18.0 x 1.4	Yes	?	07th	-	any	128	4th	002.3	3.3
RS-MMC DV / MMCmobile	24.0 x 18.0 x 1.4	Yes	?	13	-	any	128	4th	052	3.3 / 1.8
MMCmini	20.0 x 21.5 x 1.4	Yes	?	11	-	any	002	?	026th	3.3 / 1.8
MMCmicro	14.0 x 12.0 x 1.1	Yes	?	10	-	any	128	2 (4)	010	3.3 / 1.8
SD	24.0 x 32.0 x 2.1	Yes	SD / SPI	09	CPRM	FAT16	02 (4)	2 (4)	025th	2.7-3.6
SDHC	24.0 x 32.0 x 2.1	Yes	SD / SPI	09	CPRM	FAT32	032	64	025th	2.7-3.6
SDXC	24.0 x 32.0 x 2.1	Yes	?	09	CPRM	exFAT	02048	256	0300	2.7-3.6
miniSD	20.0 x 21.5 x 1.4	Yes	SD / SPI	11	CPRM	FAT16	002	02	025th	2.7-3.6
miniSDHC	20.0 x 21.5 x 1.4	Yes	SD / SPI	11	CPRM	FAT32	032	08th	025th	2.7-3.6
microSD (TransFlash)	11.0 x 15.0 x 1.0	Yes	SD / SPI	08th	CPRM	FAT16	002	02	025th	2.7-3.6
microSDHC	11.0 x 15.0 x 1.0	Yes	SD / SPI	08th	CPRM	FAT32	032	32	025th	2.7-3.6
microSDXC	11.0 x 15.0 x 1.0	Yes	?	08th	CPRM	exFAT	02048	1024	0300	2.7-3.6
xD	25.0 x 20.0 x 1.78	No	?	18th	-	any	000.512	00.512	005	3.0-3.3
xD type M	25.0 x 20.0 x 1.78	No	?	18th	-	any	008th	02	004th	3.0-3.3
xD type M +	25.0 x 20.0 x 1.78	No	?	18th	-	any	008th	02	006th	3.0-3.3
xD type H	25.0 x 20.0 x 1.78	No	?	18th	-	any	008th	02	015th	3.0-3.3
Memory stick	21.5 x 50.0 x 2.8	Yes	?	10	MagicGate	any	000.128	00.128	002.5	3.3
Memory Stick Select	21.5 x 50.0 x 2.8	Yes	?	10	MagicGate	any	000.256	00.256	002.5	3.3
Memory Stick PRO	21.5 x 50.0 x 2.8	Yes	?	10	MagicGate	any	032	-	020th	2.7-3.6
Memory Stick PRO Duo	20.0 x 31.0 x 1.6	Yes	?	10	MagicGate	any	032	08th	020th	2.7-3.6
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo	20.0 x 31.0 x 1.6	Yes	?	14th	MagicGate	any	032	032	060	2.7-3.6
Memory Stick XC Duo	20.0 x 31.0 x 1.6	Yes	?	10	MagicGate	exFAT	02048	0not yet on the market	020th	3.3
Memory Stick XC-HG Duo	20.0 x 31.0 x 1.6	Yes	?	14th	MagicGate	exFAT	02048	0not yet on the market	060	3.3
Memory Stick Micro	12.5 x 15.0 x 1.2	Yes	?	11	MagicGate	any	032	08th	020th	3.3
Memory Stick HG Micro	12.5 x 15.0 x 1.2	Yes	?	20th	MagicGate	any	032	016	060	3.3 / 1.7
Memory Stick XC Micro	12.5 x 15.0 x 1.2	Yes	?	11	MagicGate	exFAT	02048	0not yet on the market	020th	3.3
Memory Stick XC-HG Micro	12.5 x 15.0 x 1.2	Yes	?	20th	MagicGate	exFAT	02048	0not yet on the market	060	3.3
SmartMedia	45 × 37 × 0.76	No	?	18th	ID	any (FAT12 / FAT16 recommended)	00.128 (0.256)	00.128	000.8	5 / 3.3

Remarks

↑ ^a ^b "Format war decided: SD card prevails" , January 14, 2010
↑ ^a ^b ^c partly also 13, but only 7 used
↑ CPRM = Content Protection for Recordable Media
↑ Smartphone and Tablet microSDHC / XC Class 10 UHS-I U1 | Integral memory. Accessed March 19, 2018 (English).
↑ is no longer produced

Memory cards for game consoles

Memory cards are mainly used here to save scores ( savegames ).

Manufacturers of game consoles usually do not adhere to memory card standards, so every game console system has its own memory card format, even if it is only the design. The proprietary formats are designed to promote sales of the original accessories; However, there are usually memory cards from third-party manufacturers that often also provide more memory. Since the introduction of the Xbox in 2001, more and more game consoles such as the Wii , Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have , in addition to conventional memory cards, also integrated memory in the form of a hard drive or flash memory.

The memory card is usually plugged into the console (for example in the products Neo Geo , Sega Saturn , PlayStation , PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube ). With the Dreamcast , the memory card ( called VMU here ) is attached to or inserted into the gamepad, just like with the Xbox and Nintendo 64 developed by Microsoft .