Express Cards – What are they & why are there two sizes (34mm & 54mm)
If you’ve purchased a new laptop PC lately you’ll probably have noticed a new looking slot on the side of it. This is the Express card slot.
ExpressCard technology has been designed to deliver high-performance (they support faster data transfer with lower power consumption) and allow modular expansion to your laptop. If for example you’ve purchased a laptop without a Firewire port but you then find you need Firewire to transfer video from your Camcorder you can add Firewire capabilities with a Firewire Express card.
There are two standard formats of ExpressCard modules:
- 34mm ExpressCards (size:34mm x 75mm)
- 54mm ExpressCards (size: 54mm x 75mm)
Both sizes are 5mm thick, the same as the PCMCIA cards they replace. Both sizes of card use the same connector interface – so the “business end” which actually connects internally inside the laptop is 34mm wide whichever size express card your laptop supports. This is possible because the larger 54mm Express cards are manufactured in an “L” shape with what looks like the corner cut out to enable the interface end to connect internally.
Why two different sizes? Well, it’s to give the system manufacturers greater flexibility than in the past. While 34mm Express Cards are better suited to smaller systems, the slightly wider 54mm Express Cards can support applications that would not physically fit into the a narrower 34mm Express Card. Examples include Compact Flash readers, and 1.8-inch disk drives both of which are wider than 34mm.
Additionally the 54mm Express cards give a little more room for on-board components which in turn reduces the amount of heat generated – sounds incredible but the slight larger card does allow for the heat to be dissipated more efficiently which can be important for some high performance applications
After a slow start there are now lots of Express Cards on the market to allow you to upgrade your Laptop and these include:
- eSATA Express Cards
- Firewire 400 Express Cards
- Firwire 800 Express Cards
- USB 2.0 Express Cards
- Solid Storage Express Cards (up to 32GB of storage)
- Serial Port Express Card
- Parallel Port Express Cards
- CF Card Readers
USBNow carry a wide range of express cards and are always happy to offer any advice and guidance if you have a particular requirement.
About the Author
Phil is part of the team at USBNow. Launched in 2002 USBNow specializes in all things USB related. If you are looking for helpful advice on your USB related problems or you’re interested in the latest USB products be sure to check us out at http://www.usbnow.co.uk
Parallel Port PCMCIA Express Card Bus Adapter for Laptop Notebook from Dinodirect.com
|
|
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG 802.11b/g Wireless Network Adapter $14.00 INTEL (WM3B2200BGMWXF) An embedded 802.11 b/g Mini PCI Type 3B adapter operating in the 2.4 GHz spectru… |
|
|
Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N USB Adapter $29.99 Linksys AE1200 IEEE 802.11n USB – Wi-Fi Adapter… |
|
|
StarTech.com 2-Port Flush Mount ExpressCard 54mm SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Card Adapter (ECUSB3S254F) $34.20 STARTECH.COM 2 PORT FLUSH MOUNT EXPRESSCARD 54MM SUPERSPEED USB 3.0 CARD ADAPTER2 PORT FLUSH MOUNT EXPRESSCARD 54MM SUPERSPEED USB 3.0 CARD ADAPTER Manufacturer : STARTECH.COM UPC : 065030843577… |
|
|
Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader (LRW300URBNA) $42.00 The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader is a professional-level, portable USB reader that leverages SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology to deliver blazing-fast transfer speeds from card to computer, with a USB interface speed up to 500MB/s (reads up to 5 times faster than USB 2.0). It lets you leverage the performance capabilities of the latest UDMA CompactFlash (CF) and SD, SDHC, SDXC, and SD U… |
|
|
New – Belkin N Wireless ExpressCard Adapter – N06712 $80.99 General Information Manufacturer/Supplier: Belkin International, Inc Manufacturer Part Number: F5D8073 Brand Name: Belkin Product Model: F5D8073 Product Name: N Wireless ExpressCard Adapter Marketing Information: The N Wireless Express Card connects your notebook computer to a wireless network for greater range and faster speeds. The N1 Wireless Router exchanges documents, shares resources, and di… |
|
|
USB-EXP USB to USB Mode ExpressCard Host Adapter for 3G AirCard ExpressCard AT&T Cingular Sprint Verizon Kyocera Marlin Novatel Sierra Wireless $9.95 NOTE: The DEVICE WILL NOT WORK WITH any ExpressCard using the PCI Express (PCIe) portion of the ExpressCard standard. This is the majority of ExpressCards that do any other than the devices discussed above. Any real host adapter for SATA, FireWire, Ethernet, USB 2.0, etc. WILL NOT WORK WITH the EXP-USB USB 2.0 to USB 2.0 Mode ExpressCard 34 / 54 Host Adapter. The EXP-USB USB 2.0 to USB 2.0 Mode Ex… |
|
|
KR2 Mobile Router $149.99 Make your wireless network completely mobile with the Kyocera KR2 Mobile Router. With its portability, flexibility, and easy setup, creating your own hotspot – anywhere – has never been easier…. |
|
|
TL-WN861N IEEE 802.11n (draft) – Wi-Fi Adapter $24.95 The TL-WN861N Wireless N Mini PCI Adapter complies with IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, and IEEE 802.11b standards. Wireless transmission rates can reach up to 300Mbps. The Mini PCI card adopts 2*2 MIMO technology providing even better wireless performance, transmission rates, stability and coverage. At the same time, CCA technology automatically avoids channel conflicts using its channel selection fe… |