SD
Secure digital memory devices were first developed to provide non-volatile data storage for digital cameras. Their advantages of small size, simplicity for end users and low power consumption soon saw them spread to other devices and SD memory is now used in products including games consoles, navigation systems, printers, digital audio players and PCs, PDAs and mobile phones. Support for SD devices on the new generation of low cost mobile PCs has seen their use spread even further.A new high capacity format extended the storage space available via the SD interface from 4GB to 32GB. Two form-factors even smaller than the original (mini-SD and micro-SD) have also been introduced to better suit portable applications.
Elan's new Mobidapter allows you to view/transfer files between your phone/pda and a USB memory stick. As a unique mobile accessory with many applications the mobidapter demonstrates Elan's commitment to innovative SD technology.
SDIO
As with PCMCIA, the SD form-factor soon appealed for non-memory applications, and the SDIO standard extended the interface to other device types. SDIO cards are fully compatible with SD memory card controllers - including the mechanical, electrical and power requirements - so SDIO cards can be inserted into all SD slots, although not all hosts support SDIO devices. Already PDA and laptop users can add WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity via SDIO, and plug in barcode and infra-red readers, radio and TV tuners, digital cameras and GPS receivers. Like their memory-only cousins, SDIO cards appeal to end users because of their tiny size and ruggedness, and the range of connectivity available via this interface can only increase.Native operating system support for SD and SDIO is now wide-spread including in Windows (VISTA, XP, 2000), Windows CE (PPC, Windows Mobile), LINUX, Mac OSX and those used on mobile phones.
The SD card association was founded by Panasonic, SanDisc Corp and Toshiba Corp in 2000 to develop and promote the SD standard. Elan is proud to be one of it's 1300 members.
