Memory card

Memory cards compared to a match
A memory card is an electronic data storage device. It is used in digital cameras, PDAs, notebooks, mobile phones, players, video games, digital recorders and other electronic devices. It is based on EEPROM flash memory. A memory card is a small, compact device with a relatively high capacity (compared to other memory media), resistant to handling (resistant to magnetic and electric fields). The cards were designed as a replacement for the hard disk for devices where it cannot be used for dimensional reasons.

 

History

 

The first attempt was the introduction of a PCMCIA memory card for laptops in the 1990s. Increasing the capacity of memory flash modules and reducing their price has led to a mass spread of cards. As in other fields, there was also a fight for licenses (and related license fees), which led to the creation of a large number of different types of cards from different manufacturers. The effort to create a standard did not meet with success, and the result is dozens of models of memory cards with the same and therefore comparable capacities and performances.

In 2001, the SM (Smart Media) card occupied more than half of the memory card market, and CF (Compact Flash) memory dominated the camera card market. With the development of additional functions in mobile phones, new generations of cards with smaller dimensions and with a reduction in power supply to 3.3V also came. The "big cards" that previously dominated the market were almost abandoned. Major electronics manufacturers have come up with their own forms of cards (and their products only support their own cards), further differentiating this market. (Sony – MS (Memory Stick), Olympus – XD (XD Picture Card)). Today, electronics manufacturers (except those mentioned) add multiple card slots to their devices to ensure compatibility.

Trends

 

Today's trend is the "downsizing" of cards - miniaturization, and thus many card manufacturers deliver modifications with small dimensions. The electronic essence is the same, only the case changes. (eg SD – miniSD – microSD). The reason is the electronic phenomenon - the mobile phone, which in a short time turned from the original device for making calls into a hybrid, allowing (in addition to making calls) to take photos, film, play music, radio, television, access the Internet, play games, transfer data with the possibility of creating local networks (via wifi, bluetooth...) and of course this requires a portable memory medium, which is a memory card. In addition to the built-in memory, many phones also have slots for "mini" and "micro" type memory cards.

Another trend is the exponential increase in card capacities. Until recently, cards had capacities in the order of MB, today the smallest card is a gigabyte, and cards up to 512GB can be purchased. It is related to the commercial success of cards as a recording medium, and thus to their implementation in more and more electronic devices. The effort is to make it possible to use cards for image recording (also in HD quality), which will displace all other recording media used for this purpose from the market. It is a real possibility that when the prices fall further, they will also attack CD and DVD media, and we will buy music and movies on cards.

Limiting the possibilities of playing card content only for owners of DRM (Digital rights management) playback licenses is rampant, especially in the USA. This protection is implemented in some cards, the task of which is to prevent the playback of unauthorized (unlicensed) content. We do not know what the further development and fate of DRM technologies will be, mainly due to the opposition of some organizations in Europe and the world, as well as public opposition, but the following table shows which cards can use this technology.