Flash-memory Professional Photo

Evgenie Rudometov

Among the wide nomenclature of cards of the flash-memory released by company Apacer, models MMCplus 290Х and SD 150Х series Professional Photo are selected. The upper representatives of the given series differ not only considerable size, but also high high-speed parametres

Among various variants of the nonvolatile memory the flash-memory uses escalating popularity. Presented by miniature cards of various form factors and standards it is well entered in the architecture of modern transportable arrangements among which in the market digital photos and videocameras, phones and smart phones, a handheld computer and subnotebooks are widely presented, portable audio and video equipment. Absence in a construction of moving mechanical units provide energoekonomichnost and high dependability of an information storage in the conditions of vibrations and shock loads. The given features promote fast implantation and growth of popularity of this type of memory.

Estimating advantages of cards of the flash-memory, it is necessary to mark, that the greatest distribution was received by models of standards Secure Digital Card (SD) and MultiMedia Card (MMC) which size is now in a band of 16 Mb – 4 Gbytes. Thanks to a rapid progress in the field of the solid-state technologies, providing growth of size and, as consequence, reduction of price of storage of unit of the information, popularity of the upper models of the specified band increases. So, for example, more recently cards in size of 256 and 512 Kbytes used the greatest demand . Now their place is occupied step-by-step with models 1 and 2 Gbytes which retail price often appears below 50 US dollars.

Now in the market is present the models concerning the upper band of size and released by different manufacturers. As an example of cards MMC and SD it is possible to result models Apacer MMCplus 290X and Apacer SD 150X in size of 2 Gbytes (2 Gbytes =   2 000 000 000 byte, unit of speed 1X correspond 150 Kb\ss). Both specified models concern series Professional Photo that speaks about their orientation to the market of professional digital photoarrangements. However this circumstance does not limit area of usage of the given cards of the flash-memory only to photoengineering, and the specified models can successfully be applied with other transportable arrangements, for example, from a handheld computer, MP3 - and videoplayers. The unique requirement to similar arrangements — support of appropriate standards and specifications. Here it is necessary to underline, that support of cards in size in one and less gigabyte usually does not call in users of problems, and here possibility of usage of more capacious models SD/MMC demands specifications from manufacturers and sellers. However, it is necessary to mark, that with the newest arrangements of problems, as a rule, there are no not only in case of application SD/MMC in size of 2 Gbytes, but even 4 Gbytes.

Appearance of models Apacer MMCplus 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes is presented on fig. 1, and the parametres declared by the manufacturer, — in table 1.

Fig. 1. Flash-memory Apacer MMCplus cards 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes

Table 1. Key parametres Apacer MMCplus 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes

As follows from the characteristics resulted in the table, the specified models possess not only considerable size and compactness, but also considerable high-speed parametres. However, despite high authority of the known manufacturer — companies Apacer (Apacer Technology Inc.), it was interesting to estimate parametres by means of special test routines, using the accessible computer equipment. Considering orientation of cards of flash-memory SD/MMC to sector of transportable arrangements, their operation is expedient for estimating together with the transportable systems added corresponding maps-readers.

As the test computer notebook Fujitsu Siemens Amilo M1420 (the processor — Intel of Pentium M 735 with kernel Dothan and clock rate of 1,7 GHz, a chip set — Intel 855GME + ICH4M, the built in videoadapter — ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 PRO c 128 Mb RAM, dynamic storage — 512 Mb DDR333, HDD — 80 Gbytes) and maps-readers Transcend Multi-Card Reader TS-RD13S (a Fig. 2) has been used         .

Fig. 2. Components of test system

And if the notebook possessing rather high efficiency and high-speed interface ports, most likely does not call questions the choice of the second arrangement demands explanations. The matter is that, as have shown numerous researches, estimations of parametres SD/MMC strongly depend on type used maps-readers. On it, by the way, it was already repeatedly informed in a number of articles, the devoted maps-readers.

In the course of testing SD/MMCplus different variants have been tried. The best results have been received from maps-readers Transcend Multi-Card Reader TS-RD13S. The given model supports modern specifications, than favourably differs from competing models of similar arrangements and provides high results. Considering possible understating of high-speed parametres by underlying hardware, for saving of objectivity of an estimation standard model SD — Transcend SD 80X 1 Gbyte has been used  . Here, by the way, it is necessary to pay attention, that the manufacturer of maps-readers and a standard card same — Transcend. This circumstance removes suspicion in primary support of maps-readers of the tested cards released by company Apacer.

Results of testing of cards of flash-memory Apacer MMCplus 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes are presented on fig. 2 – fig. 3 and in table 2. Here high-speed parametres of standard model Transcend SD 80X 1 Gbyte, received on the same test equipment are resulted .

Fig. 3. The schedule of linear reading Apacer MMCplus 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes

Table 2. Results of testing of cards SD/MMC

Fig. 4. Results of performance of test WinBench  99/Disk Transfer Rate

The resulted results of testing testify that flash-memory Apacer MMCplus cards 290X 2 Gbytes and Apacer SD 150X 2 Gbytes are really characterised not only the big information capacity, but a data transfer high speed. Thus high-speed parametres of the selected cards SD/MMCplus released by company Apacer, predictably, have appeared essentially above similar characteristics of the standard model made Transcend. The difference in productivity practically corresponds to the declared coefficients.

However, estimating the results received in the course of testing, it is necessary to remember, that the high-speed potential of cards of the flash-memory manages to be realised in a maximum degree only by means of usage of the appropriate means supporting necessary standards and the specifications. Therefore before to buy the liked variants of cards of the flash-memory and model of arrangements using them it is expedient to consult for experts.

Flash-memory MMCplus units 290X 2 Gbytes and SD 150X 2 Gbytes have been given by the European representation of company ApacerTechnology Inc.