miniSD Card

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Categories: Solid-state computer storage media

MiniSD Card
MiniSD Card and adapter

Capacity	16 MB to 4 GB
Extended from	SD Card
Extended to	micro SD Card

The miniSD Card is a removable and portable memory device intended for use in cell phones/mobile phones, digital cameras, MP3 players and many other gadgets.

Announced for the first time by SanDisk Corporation at CeBIT 2003, the miniSD joined the Memory Stick Duo and xD-Picture Card at this small form factor.

The miniSD card was adopted in 2003 by the SD Association as an ultra-small form factor extension to the SD card standard. While the new cards were designed especially for use in mobile phones, they are usually packaged with a miniSD adapter which enables compatibility with all devices equipped with a standard SD Memory Card slot.

The miniSD card is made by several different manufacturers and come in different brand names. Their compatibility is universal.

The miniSD cards is often confused with the microSD card which is another, smaller, SD derivation. The microSD card may be used in miniSD devices through use of an adapter, but miniSD cards can not be used in microSD devices.

1 Specifications
2 Capacities
3 Write Protection
4 Comparisons
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Specifications

	SD Memory Card	miniSD Card	microSD Card
Width	24 mm	20 mm	11 mm
Length	32 mm	21.5 mm	15 mm
Thickness	2.1 mm	1.4 mm	1 mm
Card Volume	1,596 mm³	589 mm³	165 mm³
Weight	Approx. 2 g	Approx. 1 g	Approx. 0.5 g
Operating Voltage	2.7 - 3.6 V	2.7 - 3.6 V	2.7 - 3.6 V
Write-protect Switch	YES	NO	NO
Terminal Guards	YES	NO	NO
Number of Pins	9 pins	11 pins	8 pins

Capacities

The miniSD card is currently produced in capacities ranging from 16 MB to 8 GB.

In January 2007, SanDisk announced the 4GB miniSDHC.^[1] Like the SD and SDHC, the miniSDHC card has the same form factor as the older miniSD card but the HC card requires HC support built into the host device. Devices that support miniSDHC will work with miniSD and miniSDHC, but devices without specific support for miniSDHC will work only with the older miniSD card.

Write Protection

There have been some problems putting files onto the card via the adaptor,a message comes up stating to place files on the card you must remove the write protection, this is easily solved by NOT locking the adaptation card before inserting the card into your hardrive.

Comparisons

**Technical comparison**
Type	MMC	RS-MMC	MMC Plus	SecureMMC	SD	SDIO	miniSD	microSD
SD Socket	Yes	Mechanical adapter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Electro-mechanical adapter	Electro-mechanical adapter
Pins	7	7	13	7	9	9	11	8
Form factor	Thin	Thin/short	Thin	Thin	Thick (exceptions possible)	Thick	Narrow/short/thin	Narrow/short/extra thin
Width	24 mm	24 mm	24 mm	24 mm	24 mm	24 mm	20 mm	11 mm
Length	32 mm	18 mm	32 mm	32 mm	32 mm	32 mm+	21.5 mm	15 mm
Thickness	1.4 mm	1.4 mm	1.4 mm	1.4 mm	2.1 mm (exceptions possible)	2.1 mm	1.4 mm	1 mm
SPI mode	Optional	Optional	Optional	Required	Required	Required	Required	Optional
1 bit mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4 bit mode	No	No	Yes	?	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
8 bit mode	No	No	Yes	?	No	No	No	No
interrupts	No	No	No	No	No	Optional	No	No
Xfer clock	0–20 MHz	0–20 MHz	0–52 MHz	0–20 MHz?	0–25 MHz - 0–50 MHz	0–25 MHz	0–25 MHz?	0–25 MHz?
Max Transfer	20 Mbit/s	20 Mbit/s	416 Mbit/s	20 Mbit/s?	100 Mbit/s - 200 Mbit/s	100 Mbit/s	100 Mbit/s	100 Mbit/s
Max SPI Transfer	20 Mbit/s	20 Mbit/s	52 Mbit/s	20 Mbit/s	25 Mbit/s	25 Mbit/s	25 Mbit/s	25 Mbit/s
DRM	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	N/A	Yes	Yes
User encrypt	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Simplified Spec	Yes	Yes	No	Not yet?	Yes	Yes	No	No
Memb cost	$2500/yr (not required)				$2000/yr (General), $4500/yr (Executive)
Spec cost	$500		?	?	Member	Member	Member	Member
Host license	No	No	No	No	$1000/yr + membership cost
Mem card royalties	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
I/O card royalties	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1000/yr + membership cost	N/A	N/A
Open source compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes?	Yes?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Type	MMC	RS-MMC	MMC Plus	SecureMMC	SD	SDIO	miniSD	microSD

Table data compiled mostly from simplified versions of MMC and SDIO specifications and other data on SD card and MMC association web sites. Data for other card variations is interpolated.

Capacity limit in all SD/MMC formats appears to be 128 GB in LBA mode (28-bit sector address).