The Technophobe's Guide To Sd Memory Cards

CF, SD, SDHC, Micro SD, MMC - Memory cards are used to boost the memory capacity of digital devices

, from digital cameras to mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players and video game consoles. SD (Secure Digital) and SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards are the most common type of memory card in terms of non-professional use, with a capacity of up to 4GB for SD cards and 32GB for SDHC cards. Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format which Panasonic, SanDisk, and Toshiba developed for use in portable devices.

They are based on the older MMC (Multi Media Card) format, although with a number of differences. For example, they are asymmetrically shaped so that they are not inserted the wrong way up, and are physically thicker than the old style of memory cards, comprising dimensions of 32 x 24 x 2.1 mm. As a further protective measure, the electrical contacts of SD cards are positioned beneath the card's surface to protect them from contact with a user's fingers. SD cards generally have transfer rates of between 80 and 160 MB/s.

Types of SD Card

Nothing technologically terrifying here, just a few simple definitions to remember! SD cards have a maximum capacity of 4GB, above that the inits "HC" are added to denote "High Capacity". So, SD cards range from 1GB to 4GB, with SDHC cards blazing ahead with a whopping 32GB memory.

Compatibility is the issue here, because whilst devices designed for SDHC cards (2.0 technology) are backwards compatible (meaning they work with both SD and SDHC cards) the same cannot be said for older devices that were designed before 2.0 technology, and therefore only operate with SD 1.0 and 1.1 technology. The most basic way to check is to look for the "SDHC" logo on a device (many original SD compatible devices didn't bother to include the logo "SD" due to the lack of similar competitors).

For those using an SD/SDHC card to take high-resolution photographs, speed can make a huge difference to the quality of the end result. For example, with slower cards, a camera's burst mode might only be able to take a few photos before its buffer fills up, leaving a tiresome wait for the user while files write to the card. The modern camera goes everywhere! Users capturing high numbers of hi-resolution action shots might find that higher speed SD/SDHC cards will boost the performance of their camera.

Most SD cards display a number on them - 2, 4, 6, or 10 - to indicate their 'class speed rating' which refers to the minimum write speed in MB/seconds. Sandisk's class 4 cards, for example, have transfer speeds of 15 MB/sec, their class 6 cards - 30 MB/sec. Most new devices are, again, backwards compatible, however a nice little warning tends to pop up on screen (including the devices optimum speed capability) when an incompatible card is inserted.

With the market flooded, online retailers like www.memorycardzoo.co.uk tend to be the best places to look for deals, seek advice (the telephone staff at Memory Card Zoo are unbelievably knowledgeable about all things digital!) and read impartial reviews.

by: Adam Smith

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