Specifications
Flash Memory Guide
7
the highest performance, Kingston oers the Elite Pro/Ultimate line of CompactFlash and SD cards, the DataTraveler
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Flash drives and HyperX SSDs.
7.0 Kingston’s Flash Product Lines
There are several types of Flash storage devices that are available from Kingston:
- USB Flash Drive (DataTraveler®)
- Secure Digital Cards (SD, SDHC, SDXC, microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
- CompactFlash® Cards
- eMMC
- SSD
7.1 USB Flash Drives
Introduced in 2002, USB Flash drives oer an incredible combination of high storage capacity, fast data transfer
rates, and great exibility, all in the palm of your hand. Heralded as a oppy or CD driver alternative, USB drives have
far more storage capacity than that of a standard oppy disk or CD-ROM drive replacement. They provide an easy
method for quick downloads and transferring digital les to and from your computer or device.
USB Flash drives incorporate NAND Flash and a controller in a capsulated case. USB Flash drives work with the vast
majority of computers and devices that incorporate the Universal Serial Bus interface, including most PCs, tablets,
TVs, and MP3 players.
Kingston oers a full line of DataTraveler Hi-Speed and Super Speed USB Flash drives. Some DataTraveler drives also
support password-protection and hardware-based AES encryption for improved security. For details, please visit
kingston.com/Flash/dt_chart.asp.
7.2 CompactFlash (CF) Cards
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 specications for CF cards.
Kingston oers standard CompactFlash cards as well as high-performance Elite Pro and Ultimate lines.
Kingston’s Elite Pro/Ultimate CompactFlash cards are among the fastest available in the industry. The high transfer
rate is ideal for use on newer devices such as high-megapixel digital cameras, to ensure that the cameras save
pictures faster and are quickly ready for the next shot.
CompactFlash cards come in Type I form factor:
INTERFACE VOLTAGE PIN COUNT SIZE IN MM
CompactFlash 3.3 and 5 Volts 50 36.4 x 42.8 x 3.3 (Type 1)
7.3 Secure Digital Cards (SD, SDHC, SDXC, microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
Secure Digital, introduced in late 2001, is a second-generation derivative of the MultiMediaCard (MMC) standard (see
section 7.4).
The Secure Digital format includes several important technological advancements over MMC. These include the
addition of cryptographic security protection for copyrighted data/music. The SD Card Association, of which Kingston
is an executive member, sets the standard for Secure Digital cards.
SD cards are slightly thicker than the original MMC cards. This means that devices designed to support SD cards may