Specifications

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SDIO (SD Input/Output) Cards are not flash memory storage devices at all. They are generally
mobile electronic devices that plug into ports that are identical to SD ports, but these SDIO cards
are designed for many different applications. SDIO cards are completely compatible with the SD
format in terms of their mechanical design, electrical and power requirements, signal information,
and software parameters. They consume very little power from the host device while providing
high-speed data transfer in multiple ways. Examples of SDIO cards are Wi-Fi transmitters, GPS
locaters, modems, digital tuners, tiny scanners, and cameras.
• SD cards – up to 2GB capacity
• SD/HC cards – from 4GB to 32GB capacity. These cards are incompatible with earlier SD
devices and need SD/HC compatible devices in order to work properly. These cards come
in three speed classes (see above.)
• MiniSD cards – 60% smaller than SD cards. Capacities are up to 4GB.
• MicroSD cards – 75% smaller than SD cards. Capacities are up to 8GB despite their tiny
size.
• SDIO cards – not flash cards at all but devices that work in SD slots.
MEMORY STICK
Sony is the developer and chief promoter of the Memory Stick, a lightweight, rectangular flash
memory card used in many types of Sony products from cameras, to MP3 players, to personal
digital assistants. A few non-Sony products accept Memory Stick also, and that number may
continue to grow. There are ten versions of Memory Sticks:
1) The original standard blue stick using a serial transfer interface
2) MagicGate white Memory Sticks with copyright protection similar to that provided by the
Secure Digital cards. Audio files require this version in order to be able to be played back
in Sony audio devices that use Memory Sticks.
3) Memory Stick Duo, a smaller version about half the size of the standard stick.
4) Memory Stick Select, a standard 128MB stick with a switch that accesses a second layer of
another 128MB for a total of 256MB.
5) Memory Stick PRO with MagicGate copyright protection, higher capacity, and faster
transfer rates using a parallel transfer interface. The Memory Stick PRO version is
incompatible with earlier versions of Memory Stick devices, but Memory Stick PRO devices
are “forward compatible” in the sense that they will be able to use the older Memory Stick
cards.
6) Memory Stick PRO-HG with an 8-bit parallel interface in addition to the regular serial and 4-
bit parallel interfaces. The interface clock frequency is also different, with an increase from
40 MHz to 60 MHz for data transfer speeds three times faster than the older Memory
Sticks. Data transfer rates can reach up to 480 Mbps (roughly 60 MB/sec), and writes
speeds are up to120 Mbps (15 MB/sec).
7) Memory Stick PRO Duo, the smaller version of the Memory Stick PRO
8) Memory Stick PRO High-Speed Duo with write speeds up to 80MB/s in compatible devices
9) Cobalt blue MagicGate Memory Sticks that can be used in both the standard serial ports as
well as the faster transfer parallel ports that the Memory Stick PRO card utilizes. These
new sticks will replace the original blue sticks and offer the advantage of being compatible
with all Memory Stick devices.