A Brief Introduction to SD Cards

With the many types and brands of memory cards on the market, you may have heard of SD Cards as one of the most popular choices for data storage. These memory cards hold photos, videos, and other data files so you can store your favorite things in an easy, safe and relatively inexpensive way.

Size

The size of SD cards with standard capacity range up to 4 GB, while the extended capacity card family allows for storage from 32 GB to 2 TB. Users should be careful if they choose a 4 GB SDXC (extended capacity) card rather than a 4 GB SDSC (standard capacity), because not all electronic devices are compatible with the SDXC type of memory card.

Features

SD cards compare to MultiMediaCard (MMC) types, because the models are designed from them. The card is specially designed to be impossible to insert upside-down into a camera or card-reader, which is helpful to consumers who are new to using memory cards. This is a unique feature that was not found on MMC cards.

The microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC are similar-sized cards within the micro family that offer different capabilities. These SD cards are much smaller and thinner than the standard or mini size cards, but they can still hold a significant amount of photos and videos.

Speed

All SD cards are rated by a speed class system to give the public an idea of the card speeds for processing, storing, and accessing files. Class 2 cards have speeds around 2 MB/s, Class 4 perform at 4 MB/s, Class 6 run at 6 MB/s, and Class 10 – the fastest SD cards – can process at 10 MB/s. Note that these class speed ratings are not verified by independent agencies unrelated to the manufacturer. These classes are guidelines to judge how fast a card typically is when compared to other cards across the classes.

Enhancements

Some SD cards are unique in the way they perform and process data. SD Plus cards made by Sandisk come with the ability to plug directly into a USB port on a computer or device without a card-reader. These integrated USB connector cards are successful in the market due to their versatility and convenience.

Along with hardware connectivity enhancements, some SD cards also come with  internet connectivity capabilities. Eye-Fi, Inc. developed a card that is compatible with any digital camera SD slot and can send data on wireless networks through Wi-Fi connections like 802.11g and 802.11b. Other network connections are also compatible with the Wi-Fi SD cards.

If you want to know how much storage space is free on your card, there are also SD cards that can display free space. A-DATA released an SD card containing a digital display to indicate the amount of free space available to store photos and other data.

Pricing

SD Cards are relatively inexpensive compared to other forms of data storage and other brands or types of memory cards. You can find a memory card for a few dollars if you look in the right place. There is no need to spend hundreds or even 50 dollars on excessive storage you may not use. Evaluate your storage needs when finding an SD card that is right for your device.