Memory card formats

Different formats of memory cards were developed by different companies. Most companies that produce electronicdevices, prefer to use in their products some one specific format (especially if they themselves have developed it). Say, Sony prefers the format of the Memory Stick and its variations (Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro, etc.).

What is the difference between memory card formats? The first difference is visible to the naked eye - it is a form factor (size and shape). Therefore, you simply can not physicallyUse in your gadget a memory card of a different format - it will not be able to normally enter the slot. However, there are special adapters (adapters) that allow you to insert a small card into a slot for cards of larger format. But they usually work within the formats of one manufacturer (say, an adapter with microSD on SD).

Also, the memory card formats differ speed of writing and reading data, data exchange, the maximum amount of memory,the speed class used by the "default" file system and, of course, the price. Some cards can be connected to the computer via a USB interface, without a card reader. There are cards supporting the new UHS-1 standard (high-speed data bus).

So, let's talk a little more about different formats of memory cards. Let's start with the format, which we already mentioned at the beginning of the article - this Memory Stick and its variations. This memory card format was developedcompany Sony. It is considered the most expensive format. The Memory Stick format is closed, that is, only Sony's original cards (hence the high cost) fully comply with the standard.

Types of Memory Stick cards differ in form factor, interface, maximum capacity and speed of reading information. The first was the Memory Stick in1998, its maximum volume was only 128 MB. Now there are other variations of this format: Memory Stick Select, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo.

Another common format of memory cards - Secure Digital (SD), it is used mainly in portabledevices. It was developed in 1999 by three companies - Toshiba, SanDick and Panasonic based on the MMC (MultiMedia Card). This format supports the option of protecting information and other significant benefits. Its drawback is that SD cards from different manufacturers are not always 100% consistent with the standard and may not work in separate devices.

Like the Memory Stick, SD cards are divided into types with different form factor, memory size and data exchange speed. In addition to the SD cards themselves, miniSD, microSD, SDHC and SDXC cards (high-capacity cards), miniSDHC, microSDHC are allocated.

Another "pioneer" among the formats of memory cards is MMC (MultiMedia Card), the format was developed in 1997 by companiesSanDisc and Siemens AG. These cards are small in size, characterized by high strength and low power consumption, disadvantages are high cost and slow interface. The main modifications of this format are actually MMC, RS-MMC (reduced-size cards), MMCmobile (DV-RS-MMC), MMCmicro, MMCPlus and MMCPlus HC.

Also popular memory card formats include(CF, CF Type II), Cfast, SxS Memory Card, Universal Flash Storage (UFS), xD-Picture Card, etc. Some of them are not as versatile as, for example, Memory Stick and SD. For example, xD-Picture Card is designed for digital cameras, mainly Fujifilm and Olympus. There are also types of memory cards specially designed for gaming consoles (usually they are not flash cards, but solid ones).

Different formats have advantages and disadvantages, but usually the memory card format is notthe main criterion when choosing us an electronic gadget. But with all other characteristics being equal, the type of memory card used can help you make a choice from several devices.