Compact Flash - Tiny, Reliable, Inexpensive Memory
About the size of a book of matches and weighing half an ounce, the Compact
Flash card is an ideal portable storage device. The solid-state memory has no
moving parts and a 100 year life. With capacities from 16MB to 12GB, these
compact cards are perfect for a wide range of hand-held portable devices.
CompactFlash® cards were introduced in 1994 as an
alternative to the larger PCMCIA cards. Simple adapters make the 50 pin CF cards
fully functional in 68 pin PC card slots, making data transfer easy. Another
advantage of CF cards is that they require only 1/20 the power of small disk
drive memories.
Compact Flash Card Types
CF Type I cards measure 1.7 x 1.4 x .13 inches, while CF Type II cards are
slightly thicker at .19 inch. Type I cards operate in either Type I or Type II
slots, while CF Type II cards only work in Type II slots. CF I/O cards provide
I/O functions such as barcode scanning, fax/modem, and wireless networking and
Internet access for devices like pocket PC's. Portable Microdrives are CF Type
II cards called CF+. These cards use a 1 inch disk drive and are also available
in CF+ I/O configurations.
Compact Flash Applications
CF cards are used in a variety of devices including PDA's, audio recorders,
portable computers and scanners. Probably the most common application is in
digital cameras. CF cards are to digital cameras what film is to conventional
cameras. But unlike film, the card can be used over and over. Other advantages
are the ability to access photos instantly and storing as few or as many
pictures as desired.
For camera applications it's important to compare not only the card capacity,
but read and write speeds to ensure the card is at least as fast as the camera,
although most CF cards can read/write faster than most digital cameras.
Compact Flash cards are widely available, reliable and low priced. CF cards
are the most commonly used removable memory for today's portable electronic
devices.
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