SD cards are based on the older
Multi Media Card (MMC) format, but most (not all) are slightly thicker than
MMC cards. These
flash memory cards were originally designed to hold copyrighted musical content and prevent its unauthorized duplication. Although this use was not widely adopted,
SD cards have become the
flash memory of choice for
digital cameras because of their small size and low power consumption. Small
cameras need
small memory cards and the larger
CF cards were no longer viable due to their physical size.
SD memory cards are physically smaller than
SmartMedia cards but thicker. Most (not all) offer an
optional lock switch on the side to prevent accidental overwriting, and (little-used)
DRM security features. There are two main types available, ones that run at
regular speeds, and
high-speed cards that have higher data transfer rates. These cards range in size from 4MB up to 2GB.
SD cards generally measure 32 mm × 24 mm × 2.1 mm, but can be as thin as 1.4 mm, just like
MMC cards.
Devices with
SD slots can use the thinner
MMC cards, but the standard
SD cards will not fit into the thinner
MMC slots. SD cards can be used directly in
CompactFlash or
PC Card slots with an
adapter.
miniSD and
microSD cards can be used directly in
SD slots with an
adapter. There are some
SD cards that have a
USB connector built in for dual-purpose use, and there are
readers which allow
SD cards to be accessed via many connectivity ports such as
USB,
FireWire, and the
common parallel port.
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