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A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic flash memory
Flash memory

Flash memory is a non-volatile memory computer storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products....
 data storage device
Data storage device

A data storage device is a device for recording information . Recording can be done using virtually any form of energy, spanning from manual muscle power in handwriting, to acoustic vibrations in phonographic recording, to electromagnetic energy modulating magnetic tape and optical discs....
 used with digital camera
Digital camera

A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording digital image via an electronics .Many compact digital still cameras can record sound and moving video as well as still photographs....
s, handheld
Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant is a handheld computer, also known as a palmtop computer. Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones, , web browsers, or portable media players....
 and Mobile computers, telephone
Telephone

The telephone is a telecommunications device that is used to transmitter and receive electronically or digitally encoded sound between two or more people conversing....
s, music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
 players, video game console
Video game console

A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
s, and other electronics
Electronics

Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....
. They offer high re-record-ability, power-free storage, small form factor
Form factor

Form factor may refer to:* Form factor or emissivity, the proportion of energy transmitted by that object which can be transferred to another object...
, and rugged environmental specifications. There are also non-solid-state memory cards that do not use flash memory, and there are different types of flash memory.

There are many different types of memory cards and jobs they are used for.






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A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic flash memory
Flash memory

Flash memory is a non-volatile memory computer storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products....
 data storage device
Data storage device

A data storage device is a device for recording information . Recording can be done using virtually any form of energy, spanning from manual muscle power in handwriting, to acoustic vibrations in phonographic recording, to electromagnetic energy modulating magnetic tape and optical discs....
 used with digital camera
Digital camera

A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording digital image via an electronics .Many compact digital still cameras can record sound and moving video as well as still photographs....
s, handheld
Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant is a handheld computer, also known as a palmtop computer. Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones, , web browsers, or portable media players....
 and Mobile computers, telephone
Telephone

The telephone is a telecommunications device that is used to transmitter and receive electronically or digitally encoded sound between two or more people conversing....
s, music
Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
 players, video game console
Video game console

A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
s, and other electronics
Electronics

Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....
. They offer high re-record-ability, power-free storage, small form factor
Form factor

Form factor may refer to:* Form factor or emissivity, the proportion of energy transmitted by that object which can be transferred to another object...
, and rugged environmental specifications. There are also non-solid-state memory cards that do not use flash memory, and there are different types of flash memory.

There are many different types of memory cards and jobs they are used for. Some common places include in digital cameras, game consoles, cell phones, and industrial applications. PC card
PC card

In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard were defined and developed by a group of industry-leading companies called the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association ....
 (PCMCIA) were among first commercial memory card formats (type I cards) to come out in the 1990s, but are now only mainly used in industrial applications and for I/O jobs (using types I/II/III), as a connection standard for devices (such as a modem). Also in 1990s, a number of memory card formats smaller than PC Card came out, including CompactFlash, SmartMedia
SmartMedia

SmartMedia is a flash memory memory card standard owned by Toshiba, with capacities ranging from 0.5 MB to 128 MB. SmartMedia memory cards are no longer manufactured, and there have been no new devices designed for use with SmartMedia for many years....
, and Miniature Card. In other areas, tiny embedded memory cards (SID) were used in cell phones, game consoles started using proprietary memory card formats, and devices like PDAs
Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant is a handheld computer, also known as a palmtop computer. Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones, , web browsers, or portable media players....
 and digital music players started using removable memory cards.

From the late 1990s into the early 2000s a host of new formats appeared, including SD/MMC, Memory Stick, xD-Picture Card, and a number of variants and smaller cards. The desire for ultra-small cards for cell-phones, PDAs, and compact digital cameras drove a trend toward smaller cards that left the previous generation of "compact" cards looking big. In digital cameras SmartMedia and CompactFlash had been very successful, in 2001 SM alone captured 50% of the digital camera market and CF had a strangle hold on professional digital cameras. By 2005 however, SD/MMC had nearly taken over SmartMedia's spot, though not to the same level and with stiff competition coming from Memory Stick variants, xD, as well as CompactFlash. In industrial fields, even the venerable PC card (PCMCIA) memory cards still manage to maintain a niche, while in cell-phones and PDAs, the memory card market is highly fragmented.

Nowadays, most new PCs have built-in slots for a variety of memory cards; Memory Stick, CompactFlash, SD, etc. Some digital gadgets support more than one memory card to ensure compatibility.

Data table of selected memory card formats

Name Acronym Form factorDRM
Digital rights management

Digital rights management refers to access control technologies used by publishers, copyright holders, and hardware manufacturers to limit usage of digital media or devices....
PC Card
PC card

In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard were defined and developed by a group of industry-leading companies called the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association ....
PCMCIA85.6 × 54 × 3.3 mmNone
CompactFlash I
CompactFlash

CompactFlash is a mass storage device format used in portable electronic devices. For storage, CompactFlash typically uses flash memory in a standardized enclosure....
CF-I43 × 36 × 3.3 mmNone
CompactFlash II
CompactFlash

CompactFlash is a mass storage device format used in portable electronic devices. For storage, CompactFlash typically uses flash memory in a standardized enclosure....
CF-II43 × 36 × 5.5 mmNone
SmartMedia
SmartMedia

SmartMedia is a flash memory memory card standard owned by Toshiba, with capacities ranging from 0.5 MB to 128 MB. SmartMedia memory cards are no longer manufactured, and there have been no new devices designed for use with SmartMedia for many years....
SM / SMC45 × 37 × 0.76 mmNone
Memory Stick
Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks....
MS50.0 × 21.5 × 2.8 mmMagicGate
MagicGate

MagicGate is a Digital rights management technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied....
Memory Stick Duo
Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks....
MSD31.0 × 20.0 × 1.6 mmMagicGate
MagicGate

MagicGate is a Digital rights management technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied....
Memory Stick PRO Duo
Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks....
MSPD31.0 × 20.0 × 1.6 mmMagicGate
MagicGate

MagicGate is a Digital rights management technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied....
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks....
MSPDX31.0 × 20.0 × 1.6 mmMagicGate
MagicGate

MagicGate is a Digital rights management technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied....
Memory Stick Micro M2
Memory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks....
M215.0 × 12.5 × 1.2 mmMagicGate
MagicGate

MagicGate is a Digital rights management technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied....
Multimedia CardMMC32 × 24 × 1.5 mmNone
Reduced Size Multimedia CardRS-MMC16 × 24 × 1.5 mmNone
MMCmicro CardMMCmicro12 × 14 × 1.1 mmNone
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital card

Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory memory card format developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., SanDisk, and Toshiba for use in portable devices....
SD32 × 24 × 2.1 mmCPRM
Content Protection for Recordable Media

Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player....
SxS
SxS

SxS is a flash memory standard compliant to the Sony and Sandisk-created ExpressCard standard. According to Sandisk and Sony, the cards have transfer rates of 800 Mbit/s and burst transfer rate of up to 2.5 Gbit/s....
SxS  
Universal Flash Storage
Universal Flash Storage

Universal Flash Storage is a proposed common flash memory specification for digital cameras, mobile phones and consumer electronic devices. This could bring higher data transfer speed and increased reliability in flash memory storage, thus reducing market confusion and the varying number of adapters for different number of cards....
UFS  
miniSD cardminiSD21.5 × 20 × 1.4 mmCPRM
Content Protection for Recordable Media

Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player....
microSD
MicroSD

microSD is a format for removable flash memory cards. The SD stands for Secure Digital. It is commonly used in cellular phones, but also in handheld GPS devices, portable media players, digital audio players, expandable USB flash memory drives, and for Nintendo DS flashcards, along with digital cameras....
 card		microSD11 × 15 × 0.7 mmCPRM
Content Protection for Recordable Media

Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player....
xD-Picture Card
XD-Picture Card

xD-Picture Card is a type of flash memory memory card, used mainly in digital cameras. xD originally stood for extreme Digital. The cards were developed by Olympus company and Fujifilm, and introduced into the market in July 2002....
xD20 × 25 × 1.7 mmNone
Intelligent Stick
Intelligent Stick

"Intelligent Stick" is a brand name for a USB flash drive memory card which was developed by the Power Quotient International company in 2002. Also called "I-Stick"....
iStick24 x 18 x 2.8 mmNone
Serial Flash ModuleSFM45 x 15 mmNone
µ cardµcard32 x 24 x 1 mmUnknown
NT Card
NT Card

"NT Card" is a brand name for a memory card which is used by C-Map company for their line of Electronic Maps. It's unknown what the generic name for these cartridges is....
NT NT+44 x 24 x 2.5 mmNone


Since many EEPROM
EEPROM

EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory and is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices to store small amounts of data that must be saved when power is removed, e.g., calibration tables or device configuration....
 devices only allow a limited number of write cycles, some of these cards incorporate wear levelling
Wear levelling

Wear levelling is a technique for prolonging the service life of some kinds of erasable computer storage media, such as flash memory.The term has also been used by Western Digital to describe their hard disk preservation technique, but hard disks are not generally wear-levelled devices....
 algorithms to spread the wear and to avoid wearing out specific places which are often written to.

Overview of all memory card types


  • PCMCIA ATA Type I Flash Memory Card (PC Card ATA Type I) (max 8 GB (8 GiB
    Gibibyte

    Gibibyte is a unit of Computer data storage, abbreviated GiB.The gibibyte is closely related to the gigabyte, which can either be a synonym for gibibyte, or refer to 109 bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes, depending on context ....
    ) flash as of 2005)
    • PCMCIA Linear Flash
      Linear Flash

      Linear Flash is a PC card flash memory format now used primarily in Cisco routers. Linear Flash requires no battery support, unlike somewhat faster Static random access memory, and features read/write speeds much faster than similar, less expensive ATA-type cards Like an SRAM, Linear Flash supports Execute in place applications in mobile PC...
       Cards, SRAM cards, etc.
    • PCMCIA Type II, Type III cards
  • CompactFlash Card (Type I), CompactFlash High-Speed (max 32 GB as of 2008)
  • CompactFlash Type II, CF+(CF2.0), CF3.0
    • Microdrive (max 6 GB as of 2005)
  • MiniCard (Miniature Card
    Miniature Card

    Miniature Card or MiniCard is a flash memory or Dynamic random access memory memory card standard first promoted by Intel Corp. in 1995 and backed by Advanced Micro Devices, Fujitsu and Sharp Electronics....
    ) (max 64 MB (64 MiB
    Mebibyte

    The Mebibyte is a standards-based binary prefix of the byte, a unit of Computer data storage. Mebibyte is abbreviated MiB.The unit prefix mebi was defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission in December 1998....
    ))
  • SmartMedia Card (SSFDC) (max 128 MB) (3.3 V,5 V)
  • xD-Picture Card, xD-Picture Card Type M
  • Memory Stick, MagicGate Memory Stick (max 128 MB); Memory Stick Select, MagicGate Memory Stick Select ("Select" means: 2x128 MB with A/B switch)
  • SecureMMC
  • Secure Digital (SD Card), Secure Digital High-Speed, Secure Digital Plus/Xtra/etc (SD with USB connector)
    • miniSD Card
    • microSD Card (aka Transflash, T-Flash)
    • SDHC
  • MU-Flash (Mu-Card) (Mu-Card Alliance of OMIA)
  • C-Flash
  • SIM
    Subscriber Identity Module

    A Subscriber Identity Module on a removable SIM Card securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity used to identify a subscriber on mobile telephony devices ....
     card (Subscriber Identity Module)
  • Smart card
    Smart card

    A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is in any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits which can process data....
     (ISO 7810 Card Standard , ISO 7816 Card Standard, etc.)
  • UFC (USB FlashCard
    USB FlashCard

    USB FlashCard is a flash memory memory card format developed by Lexar, and announced on December 13, 2004.There is a plethora of existing memory card formats such as Secure Digital card, xD-Picture Card, and CompactFlash; the major advantage of USB FlashCard is that the cards are in fact standard USB USB flash drives....
    ) (uses USB
    Universal Serial Bus

    In information technology, Universal Serial Bus is a Serial communications computer bus standard to electrical connector devices to a host computer....
    )
  • FISH Universal Transportable Memory Card Standard (uses USB)
  • Disk memory cards:
    • Clik! (PocketZip), (40 MB PocketZip)
    • Floppy disk
      Floppy disk

      A floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangle plastic shell....
       (LS120, 2-inch, 3.5-inch, etc.)
  • Intelligent Stick (iStick, a USB-based flash memory card with MMS)
  • SxS (S-by-S) memory card, a new memory card specification developed by Sandisk
    SanDisk

    SanDisk Corporation is an United States multinational corporation which designs and markets flash memory card products. SanDisk was founded in 1988 by Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory technology experts....
     and Sony
    Sony

    is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
    . SxS complies to the ExpressCard
    ExpressCard

    ExpressCard is a hardware standard replacing PC cards , both developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association . The host device supports both PCI Express and USB 2.0 connectivity through the ExpressCard slot, and each card uses whichever the designer feels most appropriate to the task....
     industry standard.
  • Nexflash Serial Flash Moduel (SFM) cards, size range 1 mb, 2 mb and 4 mb.


Memory cards in video game consoles

Many video game console
Video game console

A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
s have used proprietary
Proprietary

The word proprietary indicates that a party, or proprietor, exercises private ownership, control or use over an item of property.Terms relating to Proprietary include:...
 solid-state
Solid-state drive

A solid-state drive is a data storage device that uses Solid-state Computer storage to store persistent data. An SSD emulates a hard disk drive interface, thus easily replacing it in most applications....
 memory cards to store data. In recent years read-only optical disc
Optical disc

In computing, sound reproduction, and video, an optical disc is a flat, circular disc wherein Data is stored in the pits in its flat surface ? sequentially on the continuous, spiral track extending from the innermost track to the outermost track, covering the entire disc surface....
s have replaced these memory cards in most current home console systems. However most portable gaming systems still rely on custom memory cartridges, due to their low power consumption, smaller physical size and reduced mechanical complexity.

The sizes in parenthesis are those of the official, first-party memory cards.
  • Microsoft
    Microsoft

    Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
     Xbox line:
    • Xbox
      Xbox

      The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....
       Memory Unit (8 MB)
    • Xbox 360
      Xbox 360

      The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
       Memory Unit (64 MB, 256 MB, and 512 MB versions)
  • Nintendo
    Nintendo

    is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
     line:
    • Nintendo 64
      Nintendo 64

      The , often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1, 1997 in France and December 10, 1997 in Brazil....
       Controller Pak
      Controller Pak

      The Controller Pak is the Nintendo 64's memory card, comparable to those seen in the PlayStation and other CD-ROM-based video game consoles.Certain video games allowed saving of game files to the Controller Pak, which plugged into the back of the Nintendo 64 controller ....
       (256 KB, divided in 123 pages)
    • Nintendo GameCube
      Nintendo GameCube

      The , is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the History of video game consoles . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
       Memory Card
      Nintendo GameCube

      The , is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the History of video game consoles . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
       [59- (4 Mb/512 KB), 251- (16 Mb/2 MB) and 1019-block (64 Mb/8 MB) versions]
    • Wii
      Wii

      The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....
       Nintendo GameCube Memory Card compatible (see above) and Secure Digital card compatible
  • Sega Dreamcast
    Sega Dreamcast

    The is a video game console made by Sega, and is the successor to the Sega Saturn. An attempt to recapture the console market with a next-generation system, it was designed to supersede the PlayStation and Nintendo 64....
     Visual Memory Unit (VMU)
    VMU

    The VMU, or Visual Memory Unit, is a memory card peripheral for the Sega Dreamcast. While its most basic function is as a removable storage device the VMU may also serve as an auxiliary display during normal gameplay and, through use of additional software, act as a handheld game console....
     (128 KB divided in 200 blocks)
  • Sega Saturn
    Sega Saturn

    The is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America, and July 8 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in 2000 in video gaming in Japan and in 1998 in video gaming in other countries....
     memory unit can hold 20 blocks of save games.
  • Sony PlayStation
    PlayStation

    The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
     line:
    • PlayStation Memory Card
      PlayStation

      The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
       (1 Mb/128 KB divided in 15 blocks)
    • The PocketStation
      PocketStation

      The PocketStation is a miniature personal digital assistant created by Sony as a peripheral for the PlayStation. Released exclusively in Japan on January 23, 1999, it features an LCD, sound, a real-time clock, and infrared communication capability....
       can act as PlayStation Memory Card
    • PlayStation 2
      PlayStation 2

      The PlayStation 2 is a History of video game consoles video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation of video game consoles....
       Memory Card (called the "Memory Card (PS2)" onscreen) (8MB)
    • The PlayStation Portable
      PlayStation Portable

      The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
       uses Memory Stick PRO Duo.
    • The PlayStation 3
      PlayStation 3

      The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
       is compatible with CompactFlash, Secure Digital, and Memory Stick PRO Duo.
  • GP2X
    GP2X

    The GP2X is an open-source, Linux -based handheld video game console and media player created by GamePark Holdings of South Korea.The GP2X is designed for Homebrew developers as well as commercial developers....
     GNU/Linux based portable games console, uses SD/MMC.
  • Neo-Geo AES, released in 1990 by SNK
    SNK

    SNK may refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Playmore, formerly known as just SNK, a Japanese video game company * SNK Union of Independents...
    , was the first video game console able to use a memory card. AES memory cards are also compatible with Neo-Geo MVS arcade cabinets.


See also

  • Hot Docking (see Hot swapping
    Hot swapping

    Hot swapping and hot plugging are terms used to separately describe the functions of replacing system components without shutting down the system....
     or Hot plugging)


External links