Wikipedia

ExpressCard

ExpressCard,initially calledNEWCARD,[1]is an interface to connectperipheral devicesto acomputer,usually alaptop computer.The ExpressCardtechnical standardspecifies the design of slots built into the computer and ofexpansion cardsto insert in the slots. The cards containelectronic circuitsand sometimes connectors for external devices. The ExpressCard standard replaces thePC Card(also known as PCMCIA) standards.

ExpressCard
ExpressCard logo, combining a stylized hare with a thunderbolt
Year created2003
SupersedesPC Card
Superseded byThunderbolt(2011)
No.of devices1 per slot
Speed
  • 480 Mbit/s effective (USB 2 mode)
  • 1.6 Gbit/s effective (PCIe 1 mode)
  • 3.2 Gbit/s effective (PCIe 2 or USB 3 mode)
StyleSerial
Hotplugging interfaceYes
External interfaceYes

ExpressCards can connect a variety of devices to a computer includingmobile broadband modems(sometimes calledconnect cards),IEEE 1394(FireWire) connectors,USBconnectors,Ethernetnetwork ports,Serial ATAstorage devices,solid-state drives,external enclosures for desktop-sizePCI Expressgraphics cardsand other peripheral devices,wireless network interface controllers(NIC),TV tuner cards,Common Access Card(CAC) readers, andsound cards.

Standards

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Originally developed by thePersonal Computer Memory Card International Association(PCMCIA), the ExpressCard standard is maintained by theUSB Implementers Forum(USB-IF). The host device supportsPCI Express,USB 2.0(including Hi-Speed), andUSB 3.0(SuperSpeed)[2](ExpressCard 2.0 only) connectivity through the ExpressCard slot; cards can be designed to use any of these modes. The cards arehot-pluggable.The ExpressCard standard is anopen standardbyITU-Tdefinition, and can be obtained from the USB-IF website free of charge.[3]

USB-IF administers the ExpressCard Compliance Program, under which companies earn the right to obtain a license to use the ExpressCard logo on their compliant products.[4]

Form factors

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ExpressCards compared to the predecessorPC Card

The ExpressCard standard specifies two form factors,ExpressCard/34(34 millimetres (1.3 in) wide) andExpressCard/54(54 mm (2.1 in) wide, in an L-shape)—the connector is the same on both (34 mm wide). Standard cards are 75 mm (3.0 in) long (10.6 mm (0.42 in) shorter than CardBus) and 5 mm (0.20 in) thick, but may be thicker on sections that extend outside the standard form forantennas,sockets, etc. With its 75 mm standard length, the ExpressCard will protrude 5 mm over the holder's surface (e.g. laptop surface), whereas a variant with 70 mm length remains level with the surface.

Comparison to other standards

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Cardbus to ExpressCard Adapter

The older PC Cards came in 16-bit and the later 32-bitCardBusdesigns. The major benefit of the ExpressCard over the PC card is more bandwidth, due to the ExpressCard's direct connection to the system bus over a PCI Express ×1 lane and USB 2.0, while CardBus cards only interface with PCI. The ExpressCard has a maximum throughput of 2.5 Gbit/s through PCI Express and 480 Mbit/s through USB 2.0 dedicated for each slot, while all CardBus and PCI devices connected to a computer usually share a total 1.06 Gbit/s bandwidth.

The ExpressCard standard specifies voltages of either 1.5 V or 3.3 V; CardBus slots can use 3.3 V or 5.0 V. The ExpressCard FAQ claims lower cost, better scalability, and better integration with motherboard chipset technology than Cardbus. PCMCIA devices can be connected to an ExpressCard slot via an adapter.

When the PC Card was introduced, the only other way to connect peripherals to a laptop computer was viaRS-232andparallel portsof limited performance, so it was widely adopted for many peripherals. More recently, virtually all laptop equipment has 480 Mbit/s Hi-SpeedUSB 2.0ports, and most types of peripheral which formerly used a PC Card connection are available for USB or are built-in, making the ExpressCard less necessary than the PC Card was in its day. Many laptop computers do not have an ExpressCard slot.

Availability

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A mobile broadband modem integrated into ExpressCard 34
Sound Blaster X-FiXtreme Audio Notebook (ExpressCard/54)
An ExpressCard partially inserted in a laptop

An ExpressCard slot was commonly included on high-end laptops from the mid 2000s to the early 2010s:

  • Hewlett-Packardbegan shipping systems with ExpressCard in November 2004.[5]
  • Lenovointegrated the slot into their flagshipThinkPadT43 in May 2005.[6]
  • Dell Computeralso incorporates this in their Precision (the 17 in models have them exclusively, the 15 in Precisions have both express card and PCMCIA Card slots), Inspiron, Latitude (Latitude D-series have PCMCIA card slots. The D820/D830 have both ExpressCard and PCMCIA card slots. Latitude E-Series 6000 have ExpressCard|54 slots), Studio, Vostro and XPS Laptop product lines.[needs update]
  • Fujitsu-Siemensbegan shipping systems[7]with ExpressCard in mid-2005.
  • Apple Inc.included single ExpressCard/34 slots in everyMacBook Pronotebook computer from January 2006 through June 2009. At the June 8, 2009Apple Worldwide Developers Conferencethe company announced that the 15-inch and 13-inch MacBook Pro models would replace the ExpressCard slot with aSecure Digital cardslot, while retaining the ExpressCard slot on the 17-inch model. In June 2012 Apple discontinued the 17-inch model and no further Macbooks have offered an ExpressCard slot.
  • As of 2006,ASUShad also replaced the PC Card slot with an ExpressCard slot on many of its new models.
  • Sonyalso began shipping systems[8]with ExpressCard with its new laptop VGN-C, VGN-SZ, VGN-NS, VPC and FW product line.
  • TheAcer Aspirelaptop series also had a single ExpressCard/54 slot on most new models.
  • As of 2007,Panasonicincorporated ExpressCard/54 slots in all the fully rugged and semi-rugged models of theirToughbookbrand of laptop computers.
  • As of 2007,Gatewaynotebooks (ML3109 and later) also shipped with ExpressCard/54 interfaces.

Because of the lack of backward compatibility, some laptop manufacturers initially released models incorporating both CardBus (PCMCIA,PC Card) and ExpressCard slots. These included certain models ofAcer Aspire,Acer Extensa,Toshiba Satellite,Dell Latitudeand Precision, MSI S42x and LenovoThinkPad Z60m,R52, T60, R61 and T61.

In March 2005, the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) showed some of the first ExpressCard products at the CeBIT trade show inGermany.[9]A large number of ExpressCard devices were presented.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

In November 2006,Belkinannounced that it was launching the first ExpressCarddocking station,which uses the PCIe part of an ExpressCard connection to enable 1600x1200 video and the USB part to provide USB, audio and network ports.[21][22]This points to the ability for ExpressCard to allow more capable non-OEM docking stations for laptop computers.

In 2007, Sony introduced its Vaio TZ model, which incorporates ExpressCards. Also the Sony Vaio FZ and Vaio Z series have the ExpressCard/34 Slot integrated in them. Sony also uses the ExpressCard/34 form factor for the flash memory modules in itsXDCAM EX/SxSbasedcamcorders,making the copying of video data between these cameras and ExpressCard-equipped laptops easier. For this reason, Sony also offers a USB-based SxS reader for desktop computers.

TheToshiba SatelliteP and X 200/205 series of laptops and desktop replacements have an ExpressCard/34 slot since April 2007.[citation needed]In P200 series it's a /54 size not /34.[23]

Ever since PCMCIA disbanded in 2009, newer laptops from 2010 on more commonly do not include ExpressCard slots except for some business-oriented models (e.g. some Lenovo models use it for supporting a smart card reader).[24]For WWAN connectivity cards, either mini-PCIe slots or USB connected variants have become the preferred connection methods. For external desktop graphics card enclosures and other peripherals that interface with PCI Express,Thunderbolthas supplanted ExpressCard in that role due to its faster speed and ability to use multiple PCIe 2.0 lanes; the first and second Thunderbolt revisions offered 20 Gbit/s of maximum bandwidth with four PCIe 2.0 lanes while ExpressCard could only muster 5 Gbit/s maximum with one PCIe 2.0 lane.[25][26]

ExpressCard 2.0

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The ExpressCard 2.0 standard was introduced on March 4, 2009, at CeBIT in Hannover. It provides a singlePCIe 1.02.5 GT/s lane (optionally PCIe 2.0 with 5 GT/s) and a USB 3.0 "SuperSpeed" link with a raw transfer speed of 5 Gbit/s (effective transfer speed up to 400 MB/s).[27][28]It is forward and backward compatible with earlier ExpressCard modules and slots. USB 3.0 SuperSpeed compatibility is achieved by sharing the pins with the PCIe link. An inserted card signals which mode should be used.[29]

The standard failed to gain widespread use and some Taiwanese manufacturers discontinued it as early as 2011.[30][31]After the dissolution of the PCMCIA in 2010, the specification, associated documentation and licensing responsibilities were moved to theUSB Implementers Forum.The specifications were last revised in 2009, and removed from their website in 2018.[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"NEWCARD Reborn As 'ExpressCard'".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-11-20.Retrieved2009-02-25.
  2. ^"ExpressCard".USB.org. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-06-25.Retrieved2013-05-09.
  3. ^"ExpressCard_specs".USB.org. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-08-14.Retrieved2013-05-09.
  4. ^"ExpressCard Compliance".USB.org.Retrieved2013-05-09.
  5. ^Cheng, Cisco."HP Pavilion zd8000 (Iss. 21 2004)".PC Magazine.
  6. ^"Lenovo - ThinkPad T Series Popular Models page - United States".Archived fromthe originalon 2006-02-09.Retrieved2006-02-09.
  7. ^http:// fujitsu-siemens /home/products/notebooks/amilo_m_3438_4438.html
  8. ^"Sony Online Store - Sony Laptops, Computers, TVs, Cameras, Camcorders, Walkman MP3 Players and more".Sonystyle.Retrieved2013-05-09.
  9. ^"CeBIT: Faster ExpressCards on tap for PC expansion media".
  10. ^"XGI at CeBIT 2005 Hanover Computer Fair!".
  11. ^"Trade Show Information".
  12. ^"XGI A Shining Spotlight at CeBIT 2005 Hanover Computer Fair!".
  13. ^"TechPowerUp CeBIT 2005 - Day 1".
  14. ^"TechPowerUp CeBIT 2005 - Day 2".
  15. ^"NVIDIA Expands GPU Technology Lead with the Introduction of Two New GeForce 6 Series GPUs".
  16. ^"SiS to show new products at CeBIT 2005".
  17. ^"XGI at CeBIT 2005 Hanover Computer Fair!".
  18. ^"VIA Technology Showcase at CeBIT 2005".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-08-27.Retrieved2014-05-27.
  19. ^"CeBIT Hannover 2005 (Part 1) New Motherboards at ECS".
  20. ^"New ATI and SiS Chipsets, NEC Dual-Layer DVD, More ATI news from CeBIT 2005".
  21. ^"Press Room | Belkin USA Site".Belkin. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-12.Retrieved2013-05-09.
  22. ^"Belkin: High Speed Docking Station".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-03-05.Retrieved2007-03-09.
  23. ^"Manuals - Dynabook".
  24. ^Piltch, Avram (2016-09-26)."13 Disappearing Laptop Ports and How to Get Them Back".LaptopMag.Retrieved2020-05-22.
  25. ^Ricchizzi, Nino (2014-03-01)."Review External Graphics Cards for Laptops".Notebookcheck.Retrieved2020-05-22.
  26. ^"Expresscard 2.0 eGPUs - pros, cons and candidate notebooks".eGPU.io.2017-02-18.Retrieved2020-05-22.
  27. ^"PCI Express 3.0 Frequently Asked Questions".PCI-SIG. Archived fromthe originalon 1 February 2014.Retrieved18 February2010.
  28. ^ExpressCard 2.0 FAQArchived2009-12-29 at theWayback Machine(pdf) at ExpressCard.org, accessed 2009-12-04.
  29. ^"ExpressCard 2.0 Standard at usb.org".Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2018-08-26.Retrieved2012-12-09.
  30. ^ExpressCard 2.0Archived2009-03-06 at theWayback Machine
  31. ^"ExpressCard Format to be Discontinued".April 2011.
  32. ^"USB.org - ExpressCard_specs".usb.org.Archived fromthe originalon 17 March 2018.Retrieved11 January2022.
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