Digital Media Guide; Portable digital media for computers, digital cameras, and other devices Page 3

· The host device to which the Flash storage device is connected to: If the host device (computer, digital camera, etc.) is limited to specific read and write speeds, using faster Flash storage devices will not deliver higher performance. For example, using a Hi-Speed USB flash drive on a computer that supports only the slower USB speeds will not result in faster transfers. In addition, computers need to be properly configured to support faster transfers in both hardware and software. In the case of a PC, the system board will need to have built-in Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectors, and the Operating System (e.g., Windows) will also need to have the proper USB 2.0 drivers installed in order to be able to support Hi-Speed USB transfers.

Some flash memory product manufacturers provide "speed" ratings. However, due to a lack of industry standards, comparing different flash products may prove difficult for consumers.

Kingston continuously works closely with global semiconductor and controller manufacturers to ensure that Kingston flash cards deliver superior price/performance to its customers. For enthusiasts and advanced customers demanding the highest performance, Kingston offers the Elite Pro line of CompactFlash and SD cards, and the DataTraveler Hi-Speed USB flash drives.

7.0 Kingston's Flash Card Product Lines

There are several types of flash storage devices that are available from Kingston:

· USB Flash Drives (DataTraveler)
· MultiMediaCards (MMC)
· CompactFlash Cards (CF)
· SmartMedia™ Cards (SM)
· Secure Digital Cards (SD)

All these form factors will be described in the following sections.

7.1 USB Flash Drives
Introduced in 2002, USB flash drives offer an incredible combination of high storage capacity, fast data transfer rates, and great flexibility, all in the size of a lighter. Heralded as a floppy drive alternative, USB flash drives have far more storage capacity than that of a standard floppy disk. They provide an easy method for quick downloads and transferring digital files to and from your computer or device.

USB flash drives incorporate NAND Flash and a controller in a capsulated case. USB memory works with the vast majority of computers and devices that incorporate the Universal Serial Bus interface, including most PCs, PDAs, and MP3 players.

Kingston offers standard USB flash drives (DataTraveler) as well as a higherperformance DataTraveler Hi-Speed USB flash drive, DataTraveler 2.0. The DataTraveler 2.0 also supports password-protected partitioning for improved security.

DATATRAVELER:

Interface	Flash Type	Voltage	Pin Count	Size In MM
USB 2.0	NAND	5 Volts	4	4 x 74 x 10

DATATRAVELER 2.0:

Interface	Flash Type	Voltage	Pin Count	Size In MM
Hi-Speed USB 2.0	NAND	5 Volts	4	25.42 x 98.17 x 15.40

7.2 CompactFlash (CF) Cards
CompactFlash, or CF cards, were the first small form factor flash cards introduced in 1994. CF cards incorporate a controller and are about the size of a matchbook. CompactFlash cards incorporate an Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) interface similar to hard drives and ATA PC Cards. Kingston is a member of the CompactFlash Association, which sets the specifications for CF cards.

Kingston offers standard CompactFlash cards as well as a high-performance Elite Pro line.

Kingston's Elite Pro CompactFlash cards are among the fastest available in the industry. The high transfer rate is ideal for use on newer devices such as highmegapixel digital cameras, to ensure that the cameras save pictures faster and are quickly ready for the next shot.

CompactFlash cards come in a Type I form factor:

Interface	Flash Type	Voltage	Pin Count	Size In MM
CompactFlash (includes built-in controller)	NAND	3.3 and 5 Volts	50	36.4 x 42.8 x 3.3

7.3 Secure Digital(SD) Cards

Secure Digital, introduced in late 2001, is a second-generation and more popular derivative of the MultiMediaCard (MMC) standard (see section 7.4) that is backwardcompatible with current MMC cards.

The Secure Digital format includes several important technological advancements over MMC. These include the addition of cryptographic security protection for copyrighted data/music and a 4X increase in data transfer rates. The SD Card Association sets the specifications for Secure Digital cards.

To help support higher-capacity cards, SD cards are slightly thicker than the original MMC cards. This means that devices designed to support SD cards may also accept MMC cards (if the host device is not strictly limited to SD media for data security reasons). However, devices exclusively designed for MMC cards will not support the thicker SD cards at this time.

Kingston offers standard SD cards as well as high-performance Elite Pro SD cards.

Interface	Flash Type	Voltage	Pin Count	Size In MM
Secure Digital (Built-in controller)	NAND	2.7 - 3.3 Volts	9	32 x 24 x 2.1

7.4 MultiMediaCard (MMC)
MultiMediaCards are one of the smallest flash cards available, about the size of a postage stamp. They were introduced in 1997 and initially used in the mobile phone and pager markets. Today, they are commonly used in digital cameras, mobile phones, and MP3 players. The MultiMediaCard Association sets the specifications for MMC.

Interface	Flash Type	Voltage	Pin Count	Size In MM
MultiMediaCard (Built-in controller)	NAND	3.3 Volts	7	32 x 24 x 1.4

7.5 SmartMedia Cards (SM, Previously Called SSFDC)
SmartMedia cards, introduced in 1996, are the thinnest form factor flash storage devices. They were originally called SSFDC, for Solid-State Floppy Disk card, as they look like a miniature floppy disk. SmartMedia cards usually incorporate a single flash chip and do not incorporate a controller. Thus, they depend on the host controller to manage all memory reads and writes. The SSFDC Forum sets the specifications for SmartMedia cards.