Pc Card (Pcmcia) Socket; 32-Bit Cardbus Support - Asus T9A User Manual

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PC Card (PCMCIA) Socket

The Notebook PC has one PC Card (or sometimes referred to as PCMCIA) sockets located behind a
hinged cover to allow expansion just like a desktop computer expansion slot. This allows you to custom-
ize your Notebook PC to meet a wide range of application needs. The socket can interface with two type
I/II or one type III PC card. PC cards are about the size of a few stacked credit cards and have a 68-pin
connector at one end. The PC Card standard accommodates a number of function, communication, and
data storage expansion options. PC cards come in memory/flash cards, fax/modems, networking adapt-
ers, SCSI adapters, MPEG I/II decoder cards, and even wireless modem or LAN cards. The Notebook PC
supports PCMCIA 2.1, and 32bit CardBus standards.
The three different PC Card standards actually have different thicknesses. Type I cards are 3.3mm,
Type II cards are 5mm, and Type III cards are 10.5mm thick. Type I and Type II cards can be used in a
single socket.
TIP: A PCMCIA MPEG I / II decoder card is recommended for slower Notebook PCs
that experience frame skips during DVD playback. It is also great for the power user
who wishes to work while watching a DVD movie.

32-bit CardBus Support

CardBus support allows PC Cards and their hosts to use 32-bit bus mastering and operate at speeds of
up to 33MHz, transferring data in burst modes comparable with PCI's 132MB/sec. By comparison, the
standard 16-bit PC Card bus can handle only 20MB/sec. Since the Notebook PC is equipped with
CardBus broader and faster data pathway, it can handle bandwidth-hungry operations, such as 100Mbps
Fast Ethernet, Fast SCSI peripherals, and ISDN-based video conference. The CardBus peripherals
support plug and play.
The CardBus socket is backward-compatible with 16-bit PC Cards serving at 5 volts operation while
CardBus operates at 3.3 volts to reduce power consumption.
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Using the Notebook PC
PC Card
Eject Buttons
PC Card
Sockets