Compact Flash is a specific type of compact flash memory cards that has existed since 1994.
Compact flash memory cards offer an external data storage solution for electronic devices such as cellular phones, MP3 players and cameras. There are a variety of memory cards on the market and many of these cards have similar appearances or functions. However, consumers can familiarize themselves with the differences between types of compact memory flash cards before making a purchase.
Size
Compact flash memory cards are all small, but the various cards each have unique measurements. For example, a Compact Flash Type I card measures 43 by 36 by 3.3 mm, which can make it too bulky for smaller digital cameras. SD memory cards have a size of 32 by 24 by 2.1 mm. The miniSD card is just 21.5 by 20 by 1.4 mm in size. Memory card readers may be specifically compatible with only one type of compact flash memory card or, as is the case with all-in-one readers, may provide multiple slots for several of the more common memory card types.
Capacity
Not all memory cards can hold the same amount of data. The XD memory card, which is mainly found in digital cameras, is available between 512MB and 2GB, while consumers can purchase miniSD memory cards in a larger range of capacities (16MB to 32GB). Traditional SD cards have a maximum capacity of 4GB, while Secure Digital High Capacity, also known as SD 2.0, can hold a maximum of 32GB. A third type of SD memory card, Secure Digital Extended Capacity, can accommodate up to 2TB of storage. These cards have over 500 hundred times the capacity as the largest, traditional SD card. Electronics owners who require the ability to store large amounts of data should consider memory cards (and, by association, electronic devices) with higher capacities.
Security
Some compact flash memory cards support a feature to lock the card to protect data from accidental deletion. This feature is known as write protection on standard SD compact flash memory cards, and owners can activate the protection by moving a small tab on the physical card.
Speed
Different memory cards are capable of achieving different data reading and writing speeds. An XD M+ picture card can attain a maximum write speed of 3.75 Mb/s and a maximum read speed of 6 Mb/s. In comparison, a miniSD card can achieve data transfer speeds of up to 100 Mb/s and standard SD memory cards have a transfer speed range between 100 and 200 Mbit/s.
Compatibility
Not all compact flash cards are compatible with all electronic devices that use memory cards. For example, the Nokia 5310 xPressMusic cellular phone can only use microSD memory cards and the Olympus FE-100 digital camera is only compatible with XD picture cards. Electronics manufacturers that also manufacture memory cards may do this to promote the sale of their own products. Even if another memory card is faster or has a higher capacity, the consumer must use the card that is compatible with her device.
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