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Introduction to ExpressCard Technology
PCMCIA and ExpressCard Technology
PCMCIA, a consortium of leading technology companies, first introduced the ExpressCard Standard 1.0 in September 2003. It was designed to bring the many benefits of the PC Card into a new technology that offered a smaller size and higher performance. PCMCIA collaborated with the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) and USB Implementer's Forum (USB-IF) to ensure that that these interfaces integrated seamlessly with the specification. The ExpressCard Standard Release 1.1 was published in February 2006 and work on the Standard continues today. Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, IBM, Intel, Lexar Media, LG Electronics, Microsoft, SCM Microsystems, Texas Instruments and Toshiba are among those supporting development of the ExpressCard standard.
PCMCIA and PC Card Technology
PCMCIA was established in 1989 to develop standards for memory PC Cards (sometimes called PCMCIA cards) where ruggedness, low power, and small size were critical. By the year 2000, more than 95% of notebook computers featured the PC Card slot.
ExpressCard Technology's Relationship to PC Card Technology
While PC Card and ExpressCard technologies share a very similar user experience for your customers, the performance level increases realized by the ExpressCard interface required many changes such that the two technologies are not compatible. First, the move to high-speed serial from parallel interfaces reduced the signal count from 68 to 26. This allows for a much narrower connector on ExpressCard modules. Also, the high speed electrical signals used in the PCI Express and USB interfaces required a move from PC Card's pin and socket connector to the beam-on-blade connector found in ExpressCard technology.
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