Compact Flash Memory Card

Compact Flash Memory Cards  - The toughest kids on the block!

The CF, or Compact Flash Memory Card as it is usually called, is one of the most common types of memory used in digital devices, most notably cameras. As the first of the small format flash memory types, for it was introduced in 1994, it has truly stood the test of time and is still widely supported by numerous consumer and commercial device manufacturers. The popular Compact flash memory cards  come in a variety of capacities and write speeds, as well as being available in two types, simply 'Type I' and 'Type II'. 

Most devices that have a Type II compact flash card slot will be able to accommodate the Type I compact memory card. However, devices that only have a Type I slot will be unable to have the slightly thicker Type II flash card inserted into them. 

A major benefit of the CF memory card is its sturdiness. Simply put, it is compact and tough. As with most other flash type memory cards, it has no moving parts and is therefore not prone to internal wear. The only possible exception to this are microdrives, which are miniature hard disks that are housed in a Type II card casing. Such drives do have moving parts and unless treated with the utmost care they may be prone to premature wear or breakage.

The major  manufacturers of compact flash are Crucial, Lexar, Viking, SimpleTech, SanDisk and Kingston. Some or all of these companies produce the compact flash cards with the following storage capacities.

Even higher capacity cards are now being introduced which means that the compact flash is a memory format that is bound to be with us way into the future.