What is CompactFlash, CF Type I, CF Type II and CF I/O?
CompactFlash is a small, removable mass storage device.
First introduced in 1994, CompactFlashTM 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 CF Type I card'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 PCMCIA Type II to CF Type I adapter that fully meets PCMCIA
electrical and mechanical interface specifications.
At 43mm (1.7") x 36mm (1.4") x 5.5mm
(0.19"), the CF Type II card's thickness is equal to a current PCMCIA
Type II card. It is actually less than one-half 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
PCMCIA Type II to CF Type II adapter that fully meets PCMCIA electrical
and mechanical interface specifications.
The only difference between CF Type I and CF Type II
cards is the card thickness. CF Type I is 3.3 mm thick and CF Type II
cards are 5mm thick. A CF Type I card will operate in a CF Type I or CF
Type II slot. A CF Type II card will only fit in a CF Type II slot. The
electrical interfaces are identical. CompactFlash is available in both CF
Type I and CF Type II cards, though predominantly in CF Type I cards. The
Microdrive is a CF Type II card. Most CF I/O cards are CF Type I, but
there are some CF Type II I/O cards.
CompactFlash cards are designed with flash technology, a
nonvolatile 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.
CF data storage cards are also available using magnetic
disk (Microdrive).
CF I/O cards include modems, Ethernet, serial, Bluetooth
wireless, digital phone cards, USB, laser scanners, etc.
The connector used with CF and 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 16MB 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. Microdrives provide the lowest cost data storage
solution for capacities of 340MB and above.
When compatibility, interoperability, reliability, cost,
and performance count, CF and CompactFlash cards are the ATA-compatible
solution that delivers.
What is the CompactFlash Association?
The CompactFlash Association (CFA) was established in
October, 1995 as a nonprofit, mutual-benefit corporation with the premise
that CompactFlash technology will result in the introduction of a new
class of advanced, small, lightweight, low-power mobile products that will
significantly increase the productivity and enhance the lifestyle of
millions of people. The concept behind CompactFlash technology is simple:
to capture, retain and transport data, video, audio and images.
CompactFlash provides the capability to easily transfer all types of
digital information and software between a large variety of digital
systems. CF technology expands data storage with the use of disk drives (Microdrive)
and I/O cards.
The CompactFlash Association is a nonprofit,
mutual-benefit corporation that promotes adoption of CompactFlash as a
worldwide, ultra-small, removable storage standard for capturing and
transporting digital data, audio and images. The CFA, which makes the
CompactFlash and CF(logo) trademarks and CompactFlash Technical
Specification available royalty-free to member companies, is headquartered
in Palo Alto, CA.
The CFA board members include 3COM, Canon, Eastman Kodak
Company, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM, SanDisk, Seiko Epson and Socket
Communications. The combined markets pursued by these corporations will be
highly influenced by the introduction of many new computing, imaging,
communications and consumer electronics products utilizing the CF storage
standard.
Where can I get a free copy of the CompactFlash
Specification?
Many leading consumer electronics companies, including
the CFA's roster of members, have designed CF technology into
next-generation products developed for consumer markets. CF technology is
widely used in such products as portable and desktop computers, digital
cameras, handheld data collection scanners, PDAs, Pocket PCs, 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.
What are the CFA's goals and objectives?
The goals of the CFA are to promote and encourage the
worldwide adoption of CompactFlash and CF technology as an open industry
standard. The association's primary objectives are to drive
alternate-source availability; to drive acceptance of the CF &
CompactFlash specification as an industry standard across platforms and
markets internationally; to ensure compatibility for users of CF &
CompactFlash products, and to evolve the approved CF & CompactFlash
standard over time while ensuring backward compatibility.
Do CFA members get to use the CompactFlash trademarks?
The CFA will license the CompactFlash Specification, and
CompactFlash CFA(logo) and CF(logo) trademarks, at no charge and no
royalty to CFA members. This has encouraged industry to quickly adopt the
CF form factor into as many new devices as possible.
What are the benefits of the CF standard?
The CFA has approved and published the CF+ &
CompactFlash Specification. This vendor-independent specification will
enable users to use CF products that function correctly and will be
compatible with future CF designs. The idea is to eliminate future
compatibility issues between different hosts, such as different computers
and cameras or between different vendors of CF cards. A CompactFlash
compatibility certification program and CF certification logo has been
approved by the CFA members. This assures users of complete compatibility
for all CompactFlash cards and host systems.
Are there multiple sources for CF cards and components
CF cards are being manufactured and marketed by many
manufacturers. CF cards and components such as connectors manufactured by
numerous vendors compete in performance, capacity, endurance, cost,
reliability and product availability.
Who is joining CFA?
Any company that is or plans to manufacture, implement,
or use CF products should consider membership in the CFA. Executive and
affiliate level memberships are available. Recruitment of new CFA members
is a major marketing goal of the organization. CFA membership is presently
over 165 companies, with more on the way. The CFA includes a board of
directors, technical committees, a marketing committee, a compliance
committee and a variety of technical work groups. All committee and work
group chairs are open to executive members only.
How does CompactFlash and CF fit into the digital
camera market?
The market demand for CF cards has surged with the
advent of new computers, cameras and electronics products. CF technology
has widespread application in digital cameras. The current roster of CFA
members already includes several major companies that produce digital
cameras. The momentum created by such companies as Canon, Epson, JVC,
Kyocera, Kodak, Minolta, Polaroid, Pentax, Pretec, Ricoh, Nikon, Sanyo and
Yashica joining a single organization committed to the development of
CF-based products, has propelled the adoption of the CF specification as
an industry standard.
The CFA expects that CompactFlash and CF cards will be
the film in small, lightweight digital cameras currently being developed
for the mass consumer market. "Canon's commitment to the CFA 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.
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, Pocket PC, etc. One 16MB 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.
Higher capacity CompactFlash cards (currently up to 512MB) and Microdrives
up to 1GB can store large numbers of images even with today's highest
resolution digital cameras. Photos can be "developed" in seconds
and transmitted or printed using high-resolution color printers. Some copy
shops and desktop-publishing service bureaus 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 can 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 is less expensive because consumers don't have to
keep buying new roles of film. And "developing" photos is less
costly.
Handheld audio recorders?
Small, handheld audio recorders employ CF technology.
Audio messages are be stored on CF cards capable of holding over 60
minutes of sound. With CF slots 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.
Audio (MP3) Players?
Small, MP3 players employ CF technology. MP3 music files
are stored on CF cards capable of holding hours of near CD quality sound.
With CF slots designed across numerous platforms, the MP3 files can be
moved from a PC to a CF card and played in a CF MP3 Player. Small size and
totally skip proof operation make a CF MP3 player a cool accessory..
CF helps solve key PDA design problems?
CF technology has provided a solution to a key problem
facing manufacturers of handheld and Pocket PCs. Today's handheld and
Pocket PCs are too small to use PC Cards. CF with its complete PCMCIA ATA
functionality provides all the necessary data storage and I/O capability
that is available in PC Cards. With CF technology, manufacturers reduce
the size of devices without reducing functionality or flexibility.
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. Many o
these boxes will have slots for CF cards. 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.
What are the characteristics of CF cards?
Capacities?
CF cards are available in capacities from 8MB to 1GB.
While many CF applications can operate with low capacity
CF cards, higher capacity cards are increasingly used as digital camera
resolution rises and MP3 player users demand more play time.
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.
Cost?
CompactFlash provides the lowest cost flash storage
solution for capacities of 32MB 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 allowing defective cells to be mapped
out, thus increasing flash chip yields and by reducing costs in the host
device.
Temperature?
CompactFlash cards are able to withstand extremely rapid
increases or decreases in temperature. Industrial version CompactFlash
cards are offered with an extended operating temperature range of -45 C to
+85 C.
Shock?
CompactFlash cards have an operating shock rating of
2,000 Gs, which is equivalent to a 10-foot drop. With typical usage, a
CompactFlash 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 CE, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows
XP, OS/2, Apple System 7, 8 & 9, Linux and most types of UNIX.
Data Reliability?
CompactFlash data is protected by built-in dynamic
defect management and error correction technologies.
The CFA is a licensee of the CompactFlash trademark
which is licensed royalty-free to CFA members.
The CFA(logo) and CF(logo) are trademarks of the CFA and
are licensed royalty free to CFA members.
