PCMCIA stands for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. It is the acronym for the group that sets the industry wide standards for the PC card (earlier known as PCMCIA card) as well as express Cards. The association was made up of about 500 companies in 1989, at a time when many manufacturers were planning to make their own memory cards for the then new generation of portable computers. The founding members were about 25 in number, who after a series of meetings, agreed to work together to develop a standard that would make it possible for the industry to come up with cards that would be compatible with all computers. Perhaps oblivious of how the group would undergo a metamorphosis in the coming years, the founders settled on the long acronym, and some people, including its once chairman, John Reimer, have expressed a desire for a simpler name for the association. Among the heavy hitters currently in the association today would include IBM, Toshiba, AT&T, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and NCR. So far, the association has issued several standards, which specify both the software and the hardware necessary to make the PC card from any manufacturer compatible with any computer with a standard slot. The undying logic is to make it possible for the end users, who may not necessarily be conversant with technology, to use the products easily.
By framing the PCMCIA standards, the association effectively introduced a new standard bus for small computers. A device that complies with the standards can be attached to a desktop computer’s ISA, and likewise, any other standard bus may be attached to the pocket-sized computer if the device’s circuitry and components can be minimized sufficiently to fit into the PC card. There are three different types of PCMCIA cards, and although they may differ in the width, they all have the same rectangular size. The type 1 PC card is used to add extra memory, whether read-only memory (ROM) or random access memory (RAM) to the PC. The type 2 card, on the other hand, adds Internet modem or fax capabilities. The type 3 card, which is also usually the biggest, is large enough for portable disc players. Since its founding, the PCMCIA has been flexible in its approach to cards, as more multimedia applications on the PC has now become a reality. The cards have kept up by incorporating high-speed networking capabilities. And these days, PC cards are not limited to the computer anymore because devices such as the cable televisions, digital cameras, and even cars with satellite navigational systems as well as tracking systems have all benefited from PCMCIA technology.
The express card, which is one of the latest technologies from PCMCIA, is about half the size of the common PC card but has much broader capabilities and enhanced performance features that were previously not available. It can also be attached to a PC without necessarily unscrewing it or even rebooting it.
For more information on PCMCIA read What is PCMCIA?
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