Upgrade your laptop to high-speed USB 2.0 with a 4 port PCMCIA cardbus.
The PCMCIA bus on a laptop is restricted to providing 100ma per port which may not be sufficient for applications such as DVD burners and ADSL modems. However, this product comes with a mains power adapter which will enable the full 500ma to be provided to each port.
Mac OS 8.6 and above (USB v1.1 only)How to check your system specification
Older computers (generally pre-1997) will have legacy 16-bit pcmcia slots, which are not compatible with the 32-bit cardbus specification.
If you are using Windows, you need to find the ""Device Manager"" which can be found under ""Properties"" of ""My Computer"". There should be an entry for ""PCMCIA socket"" or ""PCMCIA adapter"". The text associated with this string should include the term ""Cardbus Controller"" which would indicate that it is 32-bit Cardbus compatible. If this term is missing, the pcmcia slot is one of the older legacy sort.
Information on Apple computers can be found at:-
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=24604
However we believe that the following are cardbus compatible:-
- PowerBook G3 Series
- PowerBook (Firewire)
- PowerBook G4
Back
PC Card standards Background
In 1985, the standardizing activity of PC card technology began with the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA). The organization was formed to promote memory cards, personal computers and other portable information products.
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) was founded in 1989 by a small group of companies that wanted to standardize memory cards for the classic reasons behind standardization - multiple sources, lower and shared risks, and larger markets. CardBay Ð Next generation of PC card standard PCMCIA in association with JEIDA has worldwide support from more than 500 member companies for its PC card and represents the culmination of various improvements to earlier releases of memory and I/O cards for PCs. The PC card standard encompasses both 16-bit PCMCIA cards and 32-bit CardBus cards for laptops/notebooks. This ensures backward compatibility in the PC card specification.
From the physical specification aspect, the PC Card standard defines a 68-pin interface between the peripheral card and the PC card socket (the PCMCIA slot typically found on the side of a laptop) into which it gets inserted. It also defines three standard PC card sizes, called Type I, Type II, and Type III. The difference between Type I, II, and III cards are the mechanical dimensions of the PCMCIA Card. All PCMCIA Cards measure the same length and width, roughly the size of a credit card. Where they differ is in thickness. Type I, the smallest form factor, often used for memory cards, measures 3.3mm in thickness. Type II, available for those peripherals requiring taller components such as LAN cards and modems, measures 5mm thick. Type III is the tallest form factor and measures 10.5 mm thick. Type III PCMCIa Cards can support small rotating disks and other tall components. Whereas, the electrical specification defines three basic classes of PC card: 16-bit PCMCIA cards, 32-bit CardBus PCMCIA cards, and newly defined CardBay PCMCIA cards.Defined are characteristics of each interface including power, signaling, configuration, and timing requirements.
CardBay is the next generation PCMCIA Card Standard being developed by the PCMCIA organization. The new CardBay PC Card standard incorporates the popular Universal Serial Bus (USB) into the PC Card format as the migration path for the most popular add-in card solutions. Just like CardBus and the original 16-bit PCMCIA Card standards, CardBay enables plug-in functions to become tightly integrated within a mobile device, such as a notebook/laptop computer or PDA. CardBay standard complements the existing PCI-based PC card technology by allowing the same connector to bring the popular USB serial interface into the PC card form factor. CardBay essentially substitutes USB for the existing PC card interface while retaining the CardBus physical connector and PC card format with USB specification supported. Potential uses of CardBay include USB-based advanced wired and wireless modems; security devices for fast secure encryption/decryption and authentication; and bulk memory devices, such as USB-based memory card-to-PC adapters for video cameras and media players. The desktop industry is moving towards lower and lower profiles, and are currently looking at the PCMCIA Card form factor for future adoption. Cardbus and Cardbay technology may soon be common place in the PC as well as in the Notebook/Laptop. CardBay uses will fall right in line with consumer desktop needs at home, as well as commercial uses at work. CardBay is also seen as the next enhancement for mobile markets and will reside along with the current 16 bit PCMCIA card and 32-bit CardBus card technologies. The goals of CardBay technology announced are as follows:
ò Retain ease of use and operating system plug and playcapabilities
ò Opens up a whole new market for USB-based product inmobile devices.
ò Maintain backward electrical and form-factor compatibilitywith 32 bits CardBus and 16 bit PC card technology
ò Provide a growth path for PCMCIA Card technology
ò Provide for easily porting desktop technology implementationsto mobile PC card implementation.
ò Open up doors for PCMCIA Card uses in the desktop environment as well as notebook/laptops
ò Build on the software and power management base ofUSB specification.USB Background
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification is a standardized peripheral connection developed by leading PC industry companies. USB makes plugging in new peripherals easy with plug and play, is nearly 100 times faster than the original serial port, and supports multiple device connectivity. Because of these benefits, USB is enjoying broad market acceptance today.
USB allows expandability of the PCs capabilities via an external port, eliminating the need for users or integrators to open the system chassis. Since USB supports multiple peripheral devices simultaneously, it allows users to run numerous devices such as printers, scanners, digital cameras and speakers from a single PC. USB also allows for automatic device detection and installation, making connectivity a true plug-and-play experience for end users. USBs quick proliferation as the replacement for the serial port and other PC ports for I/O devices such as digital joysticks, phones, scanners and digital cameras has accelerated the production and availability of such devices. Several hundred of these devices are in the marketplace today, with many more on their way. In addition, virtually every new PC today has one or more USB ports, quickly moving the installed base of USB-capable PCs to the range of hundreds of millions.
Hi-Speed USB v2.0
Hi-Speed USB extends the speed of the connection from 12 Mbps on Original USB up to 480 Mbps on Hi-Speed USB, providing an attachment point for next-generation peripherals which complement higher performance PCs and user applications. Hi-Speed USB is both forward and backward compatible with Original USB, resulting in a seamless transition process for the end user. In fact, Hi-Speed USB uses the same cables and connectors as Original USB. Hi-Speed USB offers a compelling opportunity for peripherals vendors to migrate their USB peripherals to higher performance, while still being able to sell the same peripherals into the huge installed base of USB-capable PCs. Hi-Speed USB is also expected to lead to the development of higher performance peripherals that will bring new applications to the PC.
Original USBs data rate of 12 Mbps is sufficient for many PC peripherals such as telephones, keyboards, mice, digital joysticks, floppy drives, digital speakers, and low-end printers. These peripherals will continue to operate with no change in Hi-Speed USB systems. The higher bandwidth of Hi-Speed USB will permit PC peripherals with more functionality, including higher resolution video conferencing cameras, next generation scanners and printers, fast storage units, and faster broadband Internet connections. It will make todays user applications more productive, such as taking the time to download a ""roll"" of digital photos from a few minutes on Original USB down to a few seconds on Hi-Speed USB. In addition, the higher bandwidth will support the most demanding PC user applications, such as digital image creation and interactive gaming, where multiple high-speed peripherals will be running simultaneously. The higher data rate of Hi-Speed USB will also open up the possibilities of new and exciting peripherals.
As with Original USB, Hi-Speed USB is expected to eventually be in industry chipsets. Once these chipsets reach high volume, it is expected that Hi-Speed USB will be about the same cost as USB is today. Because of this, Hi-Speed USB is expected to supercede Original USB, which is already a ubiquitous connector on PC systems today. Also like Original USB, Hi-Speed USB will satisfy the peripheral-interface needs of desktops, mobile systems and other classes of host platforms. To satisfy the needs of power-sensitive applications such as notebook computers, Hi-Speed USB will provide the same power-management mechanisms as Original USB to allow aggressive management of I/O power consumption. This is expected to allow Hi-Speed USB to find use even in demanding low-power systems.
Comparison of Hi-Speed USB v2.0 and 1394
I/O connectivity is being further advanced with the IEEE 1394 standard. Hi-Speed USB and 1394 primarily differ in terms of application focus. The Hi-Speed USB Promoter group expects Hi-Speed USB to be the preferred connection for most PC peripherals, whereas IEEE 1394s primary target is audio/visual consumer electronic devices such as digital camcorders, digital VCRs, DVDs, and digital televisions. Both Hi-Speed USB and 1394 are expected to co-exist on many consumer systems in the future.
Hi-Speed USB and 1394 differ in application focus because of continuous evolution of the current environment. Today, there is a large and rapidly increasing installed base of USB-capable PCs, and hundreds of USB peripherals in the marketplace that connect to the PC. It is a natural evolution to increase the speed of USB and provide an easy migration path for existing USB peripherals. In the A/V consumer electronics equipment industry, IEEE 1394 is on its way to becoming the dominant connector. Therefore, if a PC wants to connect to one of these devices, it needs an IEEE 1394 connection.
They also support different connection models. Hi-Speed USB continues to use a low cost host-centric connection model, which is the best solution for a PC connection to PC peripherals. The added capability of a peer-to-peer connection enabled by IEEE 1394, however, allows a PC to connect to a cluster of consumer electronics devices, such as one that might exist in the family room.
Powered USB v2.0 4-Port Notebook PCMCIA CardBus
/PCMCIA Cards/4-Port Powered USB 2.0 Notebook PCMCIA CardBus
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