PCMCIA announces update to ExpressCard® Standard.
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Press Release Summary:
ExpressCard Standard 2.0 complies with the PCI Express specification v2.0, which offers transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps. It will benefit SATA 2.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and storage devices, very high-performance streaming media and video adapters, and storage modules based on flash memory technologies, as well as SuperSpeed USB. The standard will support backward compatibility with products compliant with any previous versions.
Original Press Release:
PCMCIA Announces Plans to Update the ExpressCard® Standard
ExpressCard Standard 2.0 Will Offer Improved Transfer Rates Based on New Releases of the PCI Express(R) and USB(R) Standards
HANNOVER, Germany, March 5 / /-- PCMCIA, the leading technology trade association for PC Card(TM) and ExpressCard® technology, today announced that the ExpressCard Standard, currently at Release 1.2, is undergoing a significant update to accommodate the faster speeds increasingly demanded by today's high-performance mobile technologies.
ExpressCard technology (http://www.expresscard.org/) is the next-generation PC Card technology for high-performance expansion of desktop and mobile systems. ExpressCard and PC Card slots can be found on more than 95 percent of notebook computers.
The announcement was made at CeBIT, where PCMCIA is exhibiting at Hall 13 D34. A press conference showing these products will be held on Thursday, March, 6, in Room 18 of the Convention Hall.
PCMCIA members showing products at CeBIT are:
o BrainBoxes launches its ExpressCard-to-serial range, an extension of its current PCMCIA-to-serial range;
o Village Tronic (Hall 13 D34) introduces the ViDock Gfx, a high performance graphics docking station that allows the connections of up to two additional external displays to an ExpressCard equipped notebook;
o WIBU-SYSTEMS' (Hall 6 K46) announces the CmCard/E, offering the latest in CodeMeter(R) Digital Rights Management (DRM) for access protection and license management for digital products.
The new ExpressCard Standard 2.0 will support transfer rates ranging from two to 10 times faster than ExpressCard Standard 1.2, depending on the data protocol used. The ExpressCard Standard 2.0 will enable manufacturers to develop higher performance ExpressCard products for consumers. Some of the applications that will benefit from this improved performance include:
o Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) 2.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and various storage devices;
o Very high-performance streaming media and video adapters; and
o Very high-performance storage modules based on flash memory technologies, e.g. solid-state drive applications.
The ExpressCard Standard is based on the advanced serial I/O technologies, PCI Express and USB. The Standard is being updated to comply with the recent release of the PCI Express specification, Version 2.0, which offers transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, two times faster than its previous version. The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard will also support the new SuperSpeed USB, which is planned for release later this year as part of the USB 3.0 specification.
The new SuperSpeed USB standard will support speeds of up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB.
"We are inviting all ExpressCard product developers to join in our activities as we formalize the requirements of the new standard," said Brad Saunders, chairman, PCMCIA. "We hope to build on the solid foundation set by the ExpressCard 1.0 Standard and encourage developers to provide feedback and comment for improvements. This is a terrific opportunity for notebook and module developers to take advantage of the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard to create new, innovative consumer products that leverage these significant performance improvements."
The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard will support backward compatibility with products compliant with any previous versions of the Standard. Any compliant ExpressCard product will work in any ExpressCard slot, regardless of which version of the Standard the product complies with. A new compliance program will be phased in once the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard is released.
Current ExpressCard "plug 'n' play" applications include memory, local area network (LAN), wireless broadband (WWAN), WiFi, memory adapters, parallel adapters, serial adapters, TV tuners, smart card readers, instrumentation, 1394A&B adapters, serial ATA (SATA) adapters and USB adapters.
Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Lexar Media, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Sony, Texas Instruments and Toshiba are among those supporting development of the ExpressCard standard.
About PCMCIA
PCMCIA (http://www.pcmcia.org/) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1989 to establish technical standards for PC Card technology and to promote interchangeability among computer systems. Already a feature in almost every notebook and palmtop computer, PC Card technology empowers 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.
ExpressCard is a registered trademark of PCMCIA. PC Card is a trademark of PCMCIA. *All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.
Source: PCMCIA
CONTACT: Mary Hain, +1-925-926-0326, mary@hainpr.com, for PCMCIA
Web Site: http://www.expresscard.org/
http://www.pcmcia.org/
