What is CompactFlash ^TM

CompactFlash is the world's smallest removable mass storage device. First introduced in 1994 by SanDisk Corporation, CF ^TM cards weigh a half ounce and are the size of a matchbook. They provide complete PCMCIA-ATA functionality and compatibility.

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 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.

CF 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.

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

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 .

CompactFlash provides the lowest cost flash storage solution for capacities of 4MB and above. 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 cards are the ATA-compatible solution that delivers.

Where will CompactFlash be used?

Several leading consumer electronics companies, including the CFA's roster of founding members, are designing CF technology into next-generation products being developed for mass markets. The CFA expects CF technology will be widely used in such products as portable and desktop computers, digital cameras, handheld data collection scanners, cellular phones, PCS phones, PDAs, handy terminals, personal communicators, advanced two-way pagers, audio recorders, monitoring devices and set-top boxes. CF technology offers all of these applications new and expanded functionality while enabling smaller and lighter designs.

How does CF fit into the digital camera market?

The market demand for CF cards will surge with the advent of new computers, cameras and electronics products. CF technology will have widespread application in digital cameras. The current roster of users already includes several major companies that produce digital cameras. The momentum created by such companies as Canon, Kodak, Polaroid, Apple, Pentax, Ricoh, Nikon, Sanyo and Sony joining a single organization committed to the development of CF-based products, will propel the adoption of the CF specification as an industry standard.

The exception is that CF cards will be the film in small, lightweight digital cameras currently being developed for the mass consumer market. "Canon's commitment to the market is driven by our belief that CompactFlash cards will become the film for next-generation digital cameras," said Toru Takahashi, Director and Group Executive of Research and Development at Canon, Inc.

Until recently, digital cameras ranging in price from $800 to $15,000 have been used mainly for business applications. They have significant drawbacks. Some models required that the camera be tethered at all times to a PC so that the images, or photos, could be downloaded to the computer housing the digital storage device. Other models had embedded digital storage devices that could not be removed and transported. Those users could not take more pictures with their camera once the storage capacity was reached, having to wait to download the stored photos to their computer. More recent digital cameras utilize PC cards but are too heavy and bulky to use comfortably.

With CF cards, camera users can easily eject their "film" and transport the images via the PCMCIA Type II adapter card or a CF reader to either obtain prints or move the photos to another digital system such as a computer or a fax machine. One 8MB CF card, which can be used repeatedly for more than 100 years to take millions of pictures, will store 30 or more digitally compressed images or photos. Photos can be "developed" in seconds and transmitted or printed using high-resolution color printers. Some copy shops and desktop-publishing service bureaus already have color printers equipped with PC Card slots.

Digital camera owners can use CF cards in a variety of ways. Realtors can take pictures of new homes that just came on the market and send them via modem or E-mail to prospective, out-of-town buyers who can view the pictures on their computers. Insurance agents can take pictures of accident scenes, incorporate these pictures into accident reports they compose on their computers and later submit for processing and payment. People can take pictures of family celebrations and later that day send the photos electronically to relatives or friends in distant states or countries. Camera users no longer need to "waste" the shots at the end of a roll of 35mm film just to get pictures developed. They will use as much or as little of the CF card as they need and then erase the CF when they have prints in hand or have stored the images digitally in their PC. The CF is then free for more photo taking. With CF film, taking pictures will be less expensive because consumers won't have to keep buying new roles of film. And "developing" photos will be less costly.

Handheld audio recorders?

The market expects that small, handheld audio recorders will soon employ CF technology. Audio messages will be stored on CF cards capable of holding up to 60 minutes of sound. When CF slots are designed across numerous platforms, the digital messages can be moved to several different kinds of products using adapter cards. An office supervisor on their way to work could dictate a message to a subordinate who had submitted a budget update on a spreadsheet. The supervisor could record comments to the subordinate indicating specific areas on the spreadsheet where data seemed inconsistent. Later, at the office, the spreadsheet user would insert the CF card into a PC and would work on the document while being guided by the supervisor's pre-recorded voice comments linked to the spreadsheet file.

Can CF help solve key PDA design problems?

CF technology provides a solution to a key problem facing manufacturers of PDAs and personal communicators. They want to provide users with systems having two standard-sized PC card slots ? one slot for a communications card and the other for a mass storage card. But today's PDAs and communicators do not have enough space inside to accommodate both slots. And tomorrow's handheld, mobile units will be even smaller. With CF technology, manufacturers can earmark one standard-sized slot for a communications card and set aside a mini-slot for data storage with a CF card.

What about set-top boxes?

Set-top boxes are just entering the mass market and will become a fixture in the home entertainment and information center. These boxes will have slots for CF cards. By utilizing a PCMCIA Type II adapter card, users will transport, data, audio, video or images on CF cards from their set-top boxes to other platforms for viewing or listening in whatever format they desire. The market expects software and video games to be widely distributed on CF cards.

What are the characteristics of CF cards?

Capacities?

CF cards are available in capacities from 4MB to 128MB, storage densities that can effectively be doubled with the use of compression software.

Many CF applications will require only low capacity CF cards. A 4MB CF, for example, will store approximately 2,800 double-spaced pages of text created with a word processor or hundreds of pages of faxed material.

Dual Voltage Support?

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

The 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/ejections of the card are required. Other small form factor flash cards use connector technology that is not reliable or durable.

Temperature?

CF cards are able to withstand extremely rapid increases or decreases in temperature - a feature not found in disk drives. CF devices are offered with an extended operating temperature range of -25 C to +75 C compared with a range of +5 C to +55 C for rotating drives.

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 CompactFlash and the PCMCIA-ATA standard, including DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, , Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows CE, OS/2, Apple System 7, most types of UNIX.

Data Reliability?

CompactFlash data is protected by built-in dynamic defect management and error correction technologies.