PCMCIA, the leading technology trade association for PC Card™ and ExpressCard® technology, today announced the newest release of the ExpressCard Standard 2.0, the latest version of the standard for high-performance expansion of notebook systems.
This version was updated to accommodate the faster speeds demanded by today's high-performance technologies.
CeBIT press conference at 4 pm, on Wed., March 4, in Press Rooms 108/109 with presentations and demonstrations by PCMCIA and its members.
The new ExpressCard Standard will support transfer rates ranging up to10 times faster than ExpressCard Standard 1.2, depending on the data protocol used. Some of the applications that benefit from the improved performance are:
E-Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) adapters for external hard drives;
High-performance streaming media/video adapters; and
High-performance storage modules such as solid-state drives (SSDs).
The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard will support the latest versions of the PCI Express and USB (SuperSpeed) specifications with transfer rates of up to 5Gbps.
The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard supports backward compatibility with previously released products.
BACKGROUND
ExpressCard technology offers a high-performance optional expansion capability that enables users to upgrade their Apple or PC notebooks with applications that were not originally included by the manufacturer or were not available at the time of purchase.
The Standard continues to support the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
Current ExpressCard "plug 'n' play" applications such as flash memory, WiFi, TV tuners, smart card readers, instrumentation, 3G, 1394A&B (Firewire) and SATA.
ExpressCard and PC Card slots are found in more than 95 percent of consumer notebook computers.
Brad Saunders, chairman of PCMCIA: "The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard brings a whole new level of performance to the notebook market. Users of applications such as streaming media, flash memory and large data transfers will see up to 10 times higher transfer rates using ExpressCard 2.0 Standard products. We expect to see these products in 2010."
Jeff Ravencraft, president and chairman, USB-IF: "The new SuperSpeed USB® will offer significant performance advancements for the next generation of consumer electronics, including notebook computers. ExpressCard developers can leverage the performance enhancements offered by both the USB and ExpressCard standards to create some exciting, innovative new products for the storage, multimedia and security industries."
Al Yanes, President and Chairman, PCI-SIG: "The PCI Express technology is an industry standard, high-performance, general-purpose serial I/O interconnect designed for use in enterprise, desktop, mobile, communications and embedded platforms. As PCI-SIG innovates this technology, PCI Express continues to address developer demands for I/O expansion, performance and scalability. Working together with PCMCIA, the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard helps these developers bring high-performance PCI Express technology to I/O modules for the notebook and other mobile applications."
Please contact Mary Hain to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes.
PCMCIA (www.pcmcia.org) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1989 to establish technical standards for PC Card and ExpressCard technology and to promote interchangeability among computer systems. Already a feature in almost every notebook and palmtop computer, PC Card and ExpressCard technologies empower users to configure systems and create unique, integrated solutions to meet their computing needs. Based in San Jose, California, the association has a growing membership of 150 companies worldwide. The PCMCIA also has a specification development and co-publishing relationship with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) covering PC Card and Smart Media technologies.
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