CF CompactFlash memory cards

CompactFlash® is a very small removable mass storage device. First introduced in 1994 by SanDisk Corporation, CF™ cards weigh a half ounce and are the size of a matchbook. They provide complete PCMCIA-ATA functionality and compatibility plus TrueIDE functionality compatible with ATA/ATAPI-4. At 43mm (1.7") x 36mm (1.4") x 3.3mm (0.13"), the device's thickness is less than one-half of a current PCMCIA Type II card. It is actually one-fourth the volume of a PCMCIA card. Compared to a 68-pin PCMCIA card, a CF card has 50 pins but still conforms to PCMCIA ATA specs. It can be easily slipped into a passive 68-pin Type II adapter card that fully meets PCMCIA electrical and mechanical interface specifications.

CompactFlash cards are designed with flash technology, a non-volatile storage solution that does not require a battery to retain data indefinitely. CompactFlash storage products are solid state, meaning they contain no moving parts, and provide users with much greater protection of their data than conventional magnetic disk drives. They are five to ten times more rugged and reliable than disk drives including those found in PC Card Type III products. CF cards consume only five percent of the power required by small disk drives. CF cards are also available for data storage using the Microdrive. CF I/O cards are available as modems, Ethernet, serial, digital phone cards, laser scanners, BlueTooth wireless, 802.11b WiFi LAN, etc.

• Dual 3.3V & 5V Operation – CF and CompactFlash cards support both 3.3V and 5V operation and can be interchanged between 3.3V and 5V systems. This means that any CF card can operate at either voltage. Other small form factor flash cards may be available to operate at 3.3V or 5V, but any single card can operate at only one of the voltages
• Connector – The connector used with CompactFlash is similar to the PCMCIA Card connector, but with 50 pins. Years of field experience in portable devices have proven the reliability and durability of this connector in applications where frequent insertions and ejections of the card are required. Other small form factor flash cards use connector technology that is not reliable or durable in these applications .
• Shock – CF cards have an operating shock rating of 2,000 Gs, which is equivalent to a 10-foot drop. With typical usage, a CF card can be used for more than 100 years with no loss or deterioration of data.
• Power – Typically consuming less than five percent of the power than that required to operate 1.8" and 2.5" disk drives, CF cards run at 3.3V or 5V with a single power supply. This makes them ideal for a range of current and next-generation, small-form factor consumer applications.
• Operating System Support – Numerous platforms and operation systems support the PCMCIA-ATA standard, including Windows®, Windows XP, OS/2, Apple System 7, most types of UNIX, and many others. These all also support CompactFlash, CF disk drives and CF I/O cards..
• Data Reliability – CompactFlash data is protected by built-in dynamic defect management and error correction technologies.
• Cost – CompactFlash provides the lowest cost flash storage solution for all capacities. With the built-in controller, a wide variety of low cost flash technologies can be used. The built-in controller lowers costs further by reducing costs in the host device and allowing defective flash chip cells to be mapped out, thus increasing flash chip yields.

When compatibility, interoperability, reliability, cost, and performance count, CompactFlash, CF and CF/I/O cards are the PCMCIA, ATA-compatible solution that delivers.