Memory Stick format for Extended High Capacity

At CES 2009, SanDisk and Sony today announced the joint development of two expanded formats that will shape the flash memory landscape for years to come. “Memory Stick format for Extended High Capacity (Tentative name)” expands the “Memory Stick PRO” format series to achieve a maximum storage capacity of 2-terabytes (TB), while the “Memory Stick HG Micro” format enables a maximum data-transfer speed of 60 megabytes per second (MB/s), making it one of the fastest-smallest memory card formats to date. Format licensing corresponding to the “Memory Stick format for Extended High Capacity” and the “Memory Stick HG Micro” is scheduled to start in 2009.

Memory Stick PRO format series Memory Stick PRO Memory Stick PRO HG Memory Stick Micro (M2) Memory Stick HG Micro

Memory Stick format series for extended high capacity Expanded format for Memory Stick PRO Expanded format for Memory Stick PRO-HG Expanded format for Memory Stick Micro Expanded format for Memory Stick HG Micro

“Memory Stick Format Series for Extended High Capacity” - The demand for high-capacity memory cards capable of storing high-resolution pictures and videos is increasing as the image quality of high-definition digital still cameras, DSLR cameras, and camcorders continues to evolve. The new “Memory Stick Format for Extended High Capacity” format hopes to meet this demand by enabling the recording of up to 2TB of data, which is 60 times more storage capacity than the “Memory Stick PRO” format’s 32-gigabyte (GB) capacity limit. By this format expansion, “Memory Stick PRO Format for Extended High Capacity” shatters the terabyte mark for data storage, opening the door for wider applications. This new format is scheduled to continue to support the “MagicGate” copyright protection technology as well as the “Access Control Function”.

“Memory Stick HG Micro” - In addition, SanDisk and Sony today announced the joint development of “Memory Stick HG Micro”, a format expanded from “Memory Stick Micro” (M2). This new format adopts an enhanced 8-bit parallel interface and features an increased interface clock frequency of 60 mega hertz (MHz), enabling 60MB/s (480 Mbps in theoretical value) maximum data transfer speed. This is three times faster than the conventional serial 4-bit parallel interface and 40MHz interface clock frequency adopted in the “Memory Stick Micro”, offering data-transfer speeds of the “Memory Stick PRO-HG” on a micro-size memory card.

Since the September 1998 market introduction of the "Memory Stick” format, cumulative shipments of media is estimated to surpass 500 million units in 2009 (this cumulative number includes Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick PRO Micro media). SanDisk and Sony will continue to work toward enhanced usability of the “Memory Stick” format to respond to the market needs for larger and faster memory cards.

“SanDisk and Sony share a long collaborative history of developing products and technologies that enhance user experience and provide direct benefit to consumers,” said Yoram Cedar, executive vice president, OEM and corporate engineering, SanDisk. “Both companies have enjoyed great successes with the Memory Stick PRO format in the past, and we are sure that the expansion of these formats to improve capacity and performance will be quite compelling. This technology provides a framework for us to develop products that will significantly impact mobile and consumer electronics markets.”

Hidenosuke Kanai, President of Electronic Devices Business Group of Sony Corporation, said, “Sony has successfully collaborated with SanDisk Corporation in developing and promoting the “Memory Stick” formats such as the “Memory Stick PRO” format in 2003, the “Memory Stick Micro” format for mobile products in 2005 and “Memory Stick PRO-HG” format in 2006. Today, we are happy to announce the latest result of the joint development on the “Memory Stick” format to offer a memory card with unprecedented high capacity. Through the introduction of these new formats, Sony hopes that the “Memory Stick” will open up new possibilities and greatly expand its applications of flash memory cards.”

Specification Chart : Memory Stick PRO Format series and Memory Stick format series for extended high capacity

Memory Stick PRO Capacity: up to 32GB Dimension: 31x20x1.6mm Connecter pin: 10 pins I/F: 4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Extended format for Memory Stick PRO Capacity: greater than 32GB, up to 2TB Dimension: 31x20x1.6mm Connecter pin: 10 pins I/F: 4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Memory Stick PRO-HG Capacity: up to 32GB Dimension: 31x20x1.6mm Connecter pin: 14 pins I/F: 8bit parallel,4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 60MB/s (8bit parallel transfer) -- Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Extended format for Memory Stick PRO-HG Capacity: greater than 32GB, up to 2TB Dimension: 31x20x1.6mm Connecter pin: 14 pins I/F: 8bit parallel,4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 60MB/s (8bit parallel transfer) -- Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Memory Stick Micro Capacity: up to 32GB Dimension: 14x12.5x1.2mm Connecter pin: 11 pins I/F: 4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Extended format for Memory Stick Micro Capacity: greater than 32GB, up to 2TB Dimension: 14x12.5x1.2mm Connecter pin: 11 pins I/F: 4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Memory Stick HG Micro Capacity: up to 32GB Dimension: 14x12.5x1.2mm Connecter pin: 20 pins I/F: 8bit parallel,4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 60MB/s (8bit parallel transfer) -- Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Extended format for Memory Stick HG Micro Capacity: greater than 32GB, up to 2TB Dimension: 14x12.5x1.2mm Connecter pin: 20 pins I/F: 8bit parallel,4bit parallel, serial I/F data transfer rate: Max. 60MB/s (8bit parallel transfer) -- Max. 20MB/s (4bit parallel transfer)

Speeds are based on internal testing and/or theoretical maximums. Performance may vary based upon host device. Specifications are subject to change.

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http://www.sandisk.com/

Transcend CompactFlash Memory Card 1GB

Version en français à venir

DEC 05, 2002 - Transcend CompactFlash Memory Card Capacity Reaches 1GB

Now businessmen can carry a library of information in their pocket and professional digital photographers can get an entire photo shoot on a single memory card. Transcend Information Inc., the professional memory module and flash card manufacturer, has doubled the available capacity on a single Transcend Type I CompactFlash Memory Card to 1GB.

CompactFlash is the world's most popular removable mass storage device. CompactFlash was designed based on the popular PC Card (PCMCIA) standard, and the technology has resulted in the introduction of a new class of advanced, small, lightweight, low-power, mobile products that has significantly increased productivity and enhanced the lifestyle of millions of people. These mobile products include: digital cameras, digital MP3 players, handheld PCs, personal communicators, automobile PCs with GPS, digital voice recorders, digital photo printers, medical monitoring equipment, and many other devices.

With the rapid increase in the number of devices using CompactFlash memory cards, and people's enhanced reliance on them, capacity, stability, and reliability are the major factors users consider when selecting flash memory. Roy Wong, product manager for Transcend stated:

"Transcend's 1GB CompactFlash Memory Card uses four 2Gbit NAND Type flash memory chips with a high performance controller. The read speed is up to 5.2MB/sec and the write speed is up to 3.2MB/sec. The 1GB CompactFlash Memory Card has also passed compatibility testing to ensure users a hassle-free, worry-free digital life experience."

• Fully compatible with CompactFlash Association and PCMCIA card standard
• True Plug and Play
• Low power consumption
• Storage capacity up to 1GB
• Single Power Supply: 5V ± 10% or 3.3V ± 10%
• Recommended operating temperature: 0ºC (32°F) to 70ºC (158°F)
• 5-year warranty
• Capacity: 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB

www.transcendusa.com

Source : Transcend - Press Release - 05.12.2002

512MB Transcend CompactFlash Memory Card Announcement

Version française à venir

In August 2001, Transcend Information, Inc. announced that CompactFlash Memory Card Capacity Leaps Ahead to 512MB

Now, businessmen can carry a library of information in their pocket, and professional digital photographers can get an entire photo shoot on a single memory card. Transcend has doubled the available capacity on a single Transcend CompactFlash Memory Card to 512MB. In addition, all Transcend flash memory cards are now in a newly designed package, makes it even easier to spot Transcend flash memory on retailers's shelves.

CompactFlash is the world's most popular removable mass storage device. CompactFlash was designed based on the popular PC Card (PCMCIA) standard, and the technology has resulted in the introduction of a new class of advanced, small, lightweight, low-power, mobile products that has significantly increased the productivity and enhanced the lifestyle of millions of people. These mobile products include: digital cameras, digital MP3 players, handheld PCs, personal communicators, automobile PCs with GPS, digital voice recorders, digital photo printers, medical monitoring equipment, and many other devices.

With the rapid increase in the number of devices using CompactFlash memory cards, and people'ss enhanced reliance on them, capacity, stability, and reliability are the major factors users consider when selecting a flash memory. Roy Wong, product manager for Transcend stated: "Transcend's 512MB CompactFlash Memory Card uses 4 1Gbit NAND Type flash memory chips with a high performance controller. The read speed is up to 5.2MB/sec and the write speed is up to 3.2MB/sec. The 512MB CompactFlash Memory Card also passed compatibility test to ensure users a hassle-free, worry-free digital life experience."

With the announcement of the new 512MB CompactFlash Memory Card, Transcend also presents new packaging for Transcend's flash memory products, including CompactFlash Memory Cards, SmartMedia Memory Cards and MultiMediaCard Memory Cards. The newly designed packaging comes with a user's manual, a warranty card, and a hard plastic memory card-carrying case, that helps users get the most out of their flash memory. The carrying case is specially designed for users to hold and protect the flash memory card during transportation. Once in this case, the memory card can be safely carried in a pocket, briefcase, purse, backpack, and etc.

Panasonic, SanDisk and Toshiba Agreement

SD Memory Card

Photo (c) Sandisk

Matsushita Electric Industrial, best known by its Panasonic brand name, SanDisk and Toshiba have reached an agreement on comprehensive collaboration to jointly develop, specify and widely promote a next generation secure memory card. The announcement was made at joint press conferences in Tokyo, Japan, Osaka, Japan and Redwood City, CA.

The global market is growing rapidly for flash-memory based removable storage cards. These cards provide a compact, reliable, and easy-to-use medium to store high volumes of visual, audio and other data for digital music players and cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras, cellular phones and other digital consumer electronics products. Several major formats including SmartMedia, CompactFlash and MultiMediaCard are gaining solid support as leading media to meet these requirements. In addition to these segments, recent years have seen an increased need for methods to improve copyright protection for artists and other content owners and provide greater data security for users.

The agreement announced today is aimed to jointly develop a small size, high speed read/write next generation memory card capable of providing a high level of copy protection for music, movies and other artistic and commercial content. Each company will aggressively promote development of application products for this card.

The agreement is as follows

• The three companies will collaborate to develop the next generation SD Memory Card, and promote the card to make it widely used in the industry through standardization.
• The three companies will promote to develop application products in the field of digital AV equipment and digital network equipment using the SD Memory Card.
• The three companies will develop products taking into consideration the copyrights of software creators and content providers.
• The three companies will establish a licensing entity which will widely license the SD Memory Card. Both SD Memory Card manufacturers, and equipment producers who manufacture end-user products such as Internet music players and cellular phones, will be required to obtain licenses from the licensing entity.

Outline of the SD Memory Card

• Size: 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm 9 pins
• Capacity: 32MB, 64MB (2000) / 256MB (2001)
• Speed: 10MB/sec / 2MB/sec (2000)
• Features: Powerful security and copy protection (SDMI compliant)

Sampling of the new SD Memory Card will begin in the first quarter of 2000. Production shipments are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2000. It is expected that application products that use the new card will be available in the first half of next year.

Features and advantages of the SD Memory Card include

• Unique and proprietary security functions are included in the card's controller, which facilitate the secure exchange of content between host devices and the card. The security level has been designed to comply with both current and future SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) portable device requirements.
• Several flash memory chips can be stacked in the SD Memory Card which will provide higher capacity cards. This will ensure that the cards are capable of storing, for example, full-length movies in video and playback systems in the future.
• Despite the highly desirable small number of pins, the SD Memory Card is designed for exceptionally high read/write performance.
• A mechanical write protect switch prevents consumers from accidentally overwriting the card and destroying data, images or audio.
• The SD Memory Card has been ergonomically and electrically improved for its target consumer markets.
• The new SD Memory Card slots will also accept existing MultiMediaCards.

The three companies expect that CompactFlash (CF), SmartMedia memory cards and MultiMediaCards will continue their popularity in the current applications that only require relatively lower levels of security.

"Matsushita Electric and the Panasonic companies are delighted to be a partner in this effort to develop a technology that adds new value and features to the products consumers will use in the home, the workplace and everywhere in between," said Mr.Yoichi Morishita, president of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. "With the progress of recent digital network technology we are confident that the SD Memory Card will become a virtual standard for digital consumer electronics as well as for PC's. With this in mind, we intend to develop and build a new generation of digital consumer electronics devices such as Internet music players, digital camcorders and cellular phones which will employ SD Memory Cards"

Eli Harari, CEO and president of SanDisk, said, "We are greatly honored to be partners in this very important cooperation with two of the world's leading global corporations in consumer electronics. The sophisticated security of the SD Memory Card will unleash numerous exciting new consumer products and enable mass distribution of copyrighted content as well as e-commerce in a variety of multimedia and wireless/internet applications. The SD Memory Card provides an easy migration path for users of the highly successful MultiMediaCard for new applications requiring a high level of copyright protection and data security."

Taizo Nishimuro, Toshiba president and CEO, said, "Toshiba is unfolding a comprehensive strategy to promote removable memory cards, Toshiba's original NAND flash memory chips, and products and systems using the media. We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with Matsushita and SanDisk on the development and promotion of a new medium offering high-level security functions, an emerging but increasingly important element in the burgeoning market for silicon media. Toshiba is the leading supplier of SmartMedia, already established as a de facto standard in digital silicon storage and the SD Card will be a strong addition to our product portfolio, allowing us to expand our new business opportunities."

http://www.panasonic.com/
http://www.sandisk.com/
http://www.toshiba.com/