Pretec Electronics has developed a prototype MultiMediaCard memory card that is capable of faster data transfer than current cards. It unveiled the card in Taipei this week at the annual Computex trade show.
The card is based on version 4.0 of the MultiMediaCard specification, which describes cards supporting 1-bit, 4-bit, or 8-bit data transfer. The specification also allows for a faster clock speed, resulting in a theoretical increase in performance to 20 times that of current cards, or 52 megabits per second.
Hitting Higher Speeds
Pretec's new card can deliver a data read speed of 22.5 mbps and write speed of 18 mbps, says Jim Yu, senior product manager at Hsinchu-based Pretec. That's less than half the theoretical maximum speed because the company is employing a controller running at 26 MHz, which is half that of the maximum supported by the format.
Pretec hopes to develop faster cards when smaller and more cost effective 52-MHz controllers are available, Yu says.
The card also supports dual-voltage operation, which means it can run at either 3.3 volts or 1.8 volts. The lower voltage is expected to be adopted by companies making small handheld digital devices because a lower voltage means less power consumption resulting in longer battery life.
The company expects to produce sample cards in July and enter mass production by the end of the third quarter. Yu expects the new cards to cost 15 percent more than current cards of the same capacity at first, although he expects prices to come in line with those of current cards over time.
Card Reader
Pretec also unveiled a USB card reader that is compatible with the MMC version 4.0 format and other memory card formats including Compact Flash types 1 and 2, SmartMedia, SD (Secure Digital), MemoryStick, and MemoryStick Pro. The card reader supports up to 4-bit data transfer from the new MMC cards which means a theoretical data transfer speed of up to 26 mbps.
Version 4.0 of the MMC format was published by the MultiMediaCard Association in early February this year. Pretec says it will show the card and reader at the MMCA general meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Taipei on June 8 and 9.
Computex 2004 runs through Saturday.
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