CompactFlash (CF) refers to early flash memory storage media based on a subset of the PCMCIA interface.[1]
Description
Introduced in 1994, CompactFlash was widely adopted for use in early PDAs, digital cameras, and mobile devices, making it one of the first mainstream solid-state drives (SSDs), with capacities ranging from 2MB to 128GB.[2][3]
The cards are available in two physical sizes:[4]
- CF type I : 36.4 x 42.8 x 3.3mm
- CF type II : 36.4 x 42.8 x 5.0mm
Use in vintage computing
Because CompactFlash is derived from PCMCIA, which itself is derived from the Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) connector, it is possible to use passive adapters to replace IDE hard disk drives in vintage computers with a CF card as a low-cost SSD.[5]
References
- ↑ PC Card Primer, The Official PCMCIA Association website. Archived 2010-02-04.
- ↑ A History of Innovation, Western Digital. Accessed 2021-10-28.
- ↑ CF, Computer Hope. 2021-07-06.
- ↑ Compact Flash, SD, SDHC and SDXC Memory Cards by Bob Atkins. Accessed 2021-10-28.
- ↑ Compact Flash adapters for vintage computing by Jeremy Barr-Hyde, JB Retro Collect. 2014-12-28.
External links
- CompactFlash card (CF card) at TechTarget
- CompactFlash at Wikipedia
