A Quick Introduction to PCMCIA Cards
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association or PCMCIA is a combined standards-setting body and trade association. This non-profit organization consists of about 500 companies that develop inexpensive PCMCIA cards or PC cards for electronic devices. eBay has several of these cards for sale now.
What kind of PC cards exist?Youll find three types of PC cards, and they feature various thicknesses.
- Type I cards - These cards usually add to the RAM or ROM of a computer. They measure up to 3.3mm in thickness.
- Type II cards - These add functionality including a fax, LAN, modem, or SCSI port to the computer. They measure up to 5.5mm in thickness.
- Type III cards - These cards add storage to the device, such as portable disk drives. They measure up to 10.5mm in thickness.
The types of cards you can use in a device depends on the size of the PC card slot. A type III slot provides the most flexibility since it can use a type I, II, or III card. A type II slot can accommodate a type I or II card. A type I slot can only use a type I card.
What devices do PC cards add to a computer?Besides letting the user add storage, RAM, or ROM, these cards let you add peripherals that did not come with the computer. The most common of these include the following:
- A CD-ROM interface
- A mobile phone interface
- A docking station interface
- GPS (Global Positioning System) cards
- Joystick interface cards
- Parallel port interface
- Sound cards, input, and output
- Video capture and/or video teleconferencing cards
Use a PCMCIA card for a CAM service that is also known as "pay TV service," such as ESPN, Sky Sports, or TUTV to decode the transmissions. Newer televisions come with a PC card slot for a conditional access model (CAM) service. In the European Union (EU), all televisions larger than portable units must feature a PC card slot.