Flash Memory Forms 2
Secure Digital (SD)
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Secure Digital or SD cards and the associated formats miniSD, microSD, SDHC (SD High Capacity) miniSDHC and microSDHC, are perhaps today’s rising stars of Flash. SD memory is physically small and light, so it is eminently suitable for use in hand-held digital devices such as pocket cameras, mobile phone. The name Secure Digital is used because the original formats, which is SD and SDHC that are fitted with a tiny mechanical write-protect slide switch. High Capacity, as in SDHC, refers to cards with capacities over the 2GB partition size limit imposed by Fat; these HC devices use the Fat32 format instead.
The mini and micro cards don’t have a switch, but can be inserted into an miniSD to SD adapter that does, and allows them to fit SD slots.
Transfer rates for SD are 10Mbytes/sec for the low-capacity, minimum-specification cards, up to 20Mbytes/sec for the highest specification card.
Sony Memory Stick
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Sony Memory Stick is a proprietary Sony product, designed to lock users of their devices into using only this format. There are five flavors of Memory Stick; the original, the Memory Stick Micro, the MS Duo, the MS Pro Dua, and the MS Pro-HG Duo, with a maximum capacity of 32GB. According to Sony the newer MSmicro is designed for use in mobile phones and the company no longer supports the original Memory Stick.
The MS Micro is available in 512MB, 1, 2 and 4GB capacities and the MS Duo is available only in 128MB. The MS Pro-Duo is available in 512MB, 1, 2, 4 and 8GB capacities. All three have a maximum transfer rate of 20Mbytes/sec. The MS Pro-HG Duo is available in 1, 2 and 4GB capacities with a maximum transfer rate of 30Mbytes/sec.
Memory Stick is one of the few removable Flash memory formats that supports DRM (Digital Rights Management), in the form of Sony’s Magicgate.
Tags: storage