| Ever wondered what are these tiny chips? Confused | | | | MultiMediaCard family and among the smallest in the |
| by the names? | | | | world. It was specifically designed for being used in |
| We are here to help you. | | | | mobile phones and other small portable devices. |
| This article is about the various memory components | | | | The MMCmicro memory card is available with an |
| available in the market for mobile phones. | | | | adaptor, MMCplus. This makes it not only compatible to |
| | | | all MMC and MMCplus slots but also to all SD Memory |
| Memory Stick | | | | Card slots. It is important to keep in mind that music |
| MS Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card | | | | stored on MultiMediaCards my not be able to play |
| format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also | | | | back when inserted into a SD Memory Card slot due |
| used in general to describe the whole family of | | | | to the copyright protection features supported by the |
| Memory Sticks. This family includes the Memory Stick | | | | SD slots. |
| Pro, a revision that allows greater maximum storage | | | | Since the MMCmicro is the latest memory card to be |
| capacity and faster file transfer speeds, and Memory | | | | developed and introduced to the market it is not that |
| Stick Duo, a small-form-factor version of the Memory | | | | compatible to many mobile phones and electronic |
| Stick. | | | | devices yet. Still it is expected to be one of the |
| 50.0 × 21.5 × 2.8 mm | | | | memory card formats that will dominate in the mobile |
| Memory Stick Duo | | | | phone industry among the frontrunner microSD and |
| MS Duo | | | | the under development Memory Stick Micro. |
| 31.0 × 20.0 × 1.6 mm | | | | Secure Digital Card |
| The Memory Stick Duo, which is slightly smaller than | | | | SD |
| the competing Secure Digital format, was developed in | | | | 32 × 24 × 2.1 mm |
| response to Sony's need for a smaller flash memory | | | | The SD Memory Card or Secure Digital was |
| card for pocket-sized digital cameras and cell phones, | | | | introduced in 2001 by SanDisk Corporation, Matsushita |
| as well as Sony's PSP. Memory Stick Duos are | | | | (Panasonic) and Toshiba. The SD Memory Card was |
| available in all the same variants as their larger cousins | | | | based on the MultiMediaCard, MMC, memory card |
| (normal ones limited to 128 MB, larger Pro Sticks, with | | | | standard and has almost the same form factor, the |
| and without High Speed mode, with and without | | | | size of a postage stamp, the only differences are that |
| MagicGate support), and a simple adapter (often sold | | | | the SD memory card is slightly thicker and has a write |
| along with the Memory Stick Duo) allows a Duo to be | | | | protection switch. Since MMC cards are thinner than |
| used in any device that can accept their larger cousins. | | | | SD Memory Cards they can be used in all SD |
| Memory Stick Micro M2 | | | | Memory Card slots but not vice versa. |
| 15.0 × 12.5 × 1.2 mm | | | | The SD Memory Card is today the most common |
| In a joint venture with SanDisk, Sony announced a | | | | used memory card. It can be found in most digital |
| new Memory Stick format on 30 September 2005. | | | | cameras, PDAs and in many other electronic devices. |
| The new Memory Stick M2 ("micro") measures 15 | | | | The SD Memory Card slots can be used for more |
| × 12.5 × 1.2 mm and could theoretically | | | | than flash memory cards. The SDIO, Secure Digital In |
| have 32GB in the future. Maximum transfer speed is | | | | & Out, is the general name for the many |
| 160MB/s. It will come with an adaptor, much like the | | | | expansion modules that can be found in the SD |
| Duo Sticks, to ensure compatibility with current Pro | | | | Memory Card's form factor. SDIO modules can be |
| devices. | | | | inserted in the slot and be used for other functions like |
| Multi Media Card | | | | Bluetooth adapters, GPS receivers, digital cameras, TV |
| MMC | | | | tuners, etcminiSD CardminiSD |
| 32 × 24 × 1.5 mm | | | | 21.5 × 20 × 1.4 mm |
| The MMC card or MultiMediaCard was introduced in | | | | The miniSD was introduced in 2003 by SanDisk |
| 1997 by SanDisk Corporation and Siemens AG. At | | | | Corporation in cooperation with Matsushita (Panasonic) |
| that point the MMC card was the smallest memory | | | | and Toshiba. Later in that year the miniSD format was |
| card, about the size of a postage stamp, in the market | | | | adapted by the SD Card Association as the second |
| based on flash memory technology. The MMC card is | | | | form factor memory card in the Secure Digital family. |
| very similar to the Secure Digital Memory Card, | | | | MiniSD is a smaller version of the SD memory Card |
| actually the SD Memory Card is based on the MMC | | | | format, about 60% smaller in volume, and offers the |
| card. They have almost the same form factor the only | | | | same benefits as the SD Memory Card expect of the |
| differences are that the SD Memory Cards are slightly | | | | writing protection switch. |
| thicker and they have a write protection switch. | | | | MiniSD was designed specifically to be used in small |
| Since the MMC card had slow transfer speed, 2.5 MB | | | | portable electronic devices like digital cameras and |
| sec, in comparison to other memory cards, mostly | | | | mobile phones. But since all miniSD memory cards |
| compared to SD Memory Card, a new high | | | | always come with a SD Memory Card adaptor, they |
| performance version of the MMC card was | | | | are compatible to all SD Memory Card slots and |
| introduced in 2005 by the name MMCplus. The | | | | thereby provide compatibility with the rapidly growing |
| MMCplus has today the highest, up to 52 MB/sec, | | | | number of SD Memory Card compatible devices in the |
| theoretical data transfer speed in the whole memory | | | | market. |
| card industry. | | | | MiniSD was the second, after SD Memory Card, |
| The MultiMediaCard Association announced that by | | | | memory card to be adapted by the SD Card |
| the end of 2005 the secureMMC application will be | | | | Association, which today consists of three members. In |
| available only for the MMCplus and MMCmobile | | | | 2005 the microSD was introduced as the third, and |
| memory cards. The secureMMC is a copyright | | | | smallest, member of the Secure Digital family.microSD |
| protection application that features DRM, Digital Rights | | | | Card also known as Transflash |
| Management, and VPN, Virtual Private Network, | | | | µSD |
| capabilities. | | | | 11 × 15 × 1 mmrashFlash, formerly known |
| | | | as T-Flash, was introduced by SanDisk Corporation in |
| Reduced Size Multi Media Card | | | | 2004 as the world's smallest memory card, |
| RS-MMC | | | | approximately the size of a fingernail. TransFlash was |
| 16 × 24 × 1.5 mm | | | | specifically designed for being used in mobile phones. |
| MMCmobile (RS-MMC) | | | | Motorola was the first mobile phone manufacturer to |
| RS-MMC, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard, was | | | | adapt the TransFlash memory card standard. |
| introduced in 2003 by the MultiMediaCard Association | | | | In the 3rd quarter of 2005 TransFlash was adapted by |
| (MMCA) as the second form factor memory card in | | | | the SD Card Association as the third form factor |
| the MultiMediaCard family. The RS-MMC is a smaller | | | | memory card in the Secure Digital family, after SD |
| version of the standard MMC card, approximately half | | | | Memory Card and miniSD. After the adoption, |
| in size, and was specifically designed to be used by | | | | TransFlash changed name to microSD. The microSD |
| mobile phones and other small portable devices. | | | | has exactly the same dimensions and specifications as |
| | | | the TransFlash and therefore both memory cards are |
| Dual Voltage Reduced Size Multi Media Card | | | | completely compatible to each other. |
| DV RS-MMC | | | | Today the microSD is the most common used |
| 16 × 24 × 1.5 mm | | | | memory card in mobile phones and the SD Card |
| In 2005 the Dual Voltage (DV) RS-MMC was | | | | Association's objective is to make microSD a de facto |
| introduced. It is basically the same card like the | | | | memory card standard for all mobile phones. All |
| standard RS-MMC but operates with dual voltage, 1.8V | | | | TransFlash and microSD cards always come with a |
| and 3.3V, leading to lower power consumption which | | | | SD Memory Card adaptor, which makes them |
| contributes to longer lasting battery life for the host | | | | compatible to all SD Memory Card slots. The microSD |
| devices. The DV RS-MMC and the RS-MMC are | | | | is about 10% in size compared to SD Memory Card |
| completely compatible with each other but since some | | | | and about 30% compared to miniSD.xD-Picture |
| mobile phones, mostly from Nokia, only operate with | | | | CardxD |
| 1.8V cards the regular RS-MMC will not work. We | | | | 20 × 25 × 1.7 mm |
| recommend to always buy the Dual Voltage RS-MMC | | | | The xD-Picture Card was introduced in 2002 by Fuji |
| for being sure your memory card will function with the | | | | Film and Olympus as a replacement to the older |
| electronic device. | | | | SmartMedia Card. It is produced exclusively by |
| MMCmicro Card | | | | Toshiba and can be found branded only under the |
| MMCmicro | | | | name of Fuji Film and Olympus. |
| 12 × 14 × 1.1 mm | | | | The xD-Picture Card format was developed to be |
| The MMCmicro, formerly known as S-CARD | | | | used in digital cameras and is more or less only used in |
| introduced by Samsung, was adopted and introduced | | | | Fuji Film and Olympus digital cameras. Like SmartMedia |
| in 2005 by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) as | | | | Card, the xD-Picture Card does not incorporate a |
| the third form factor memory card in the | | | | controller chip which allows it to have a small form |
| MultiMediaCard family. MMCmicro is the smallest, about | | | | factor but at the same time making it dependable to |
| the size of a fingernail, memory card in the | | | | the host device's controller chip. |