Memory Stick

A memory stick (English for memory stick ) is a digital storage medium for data. There is a separate standard from Sony and was introduced in 1998. There are variants Memory Stick ( MS), Memory Stick Duo ( MSD), Memory Stick PRO ( MSP), Memory Stick PRO Duo ( MSPD ) - partly also the suffix high-speed carry (HS) - Memory Stick Micro ( M2) distinguished. Some flash drives are equipped with the MagicGate copyright protection; these memory cards are specially marked with a corresponding logo.

Memory Sticks home entertainment system application in the range of Sony in the area. To use many Sony camcorder Memory Sticks for storing image and video files. With the aid of a memory card reader, data can be transferred to the PC. Furthermore, memory sticks are used in digital cameras, PDAs, MP3 players, Sony -Ericsson mobile phones, in Vaio notebooks, the Sony Reader, used in the PlayStation Portable and the robot dog Aibo. For other manufacturers, Memory Sticks are not widespread, however. In addition to Sony memory sticks are also produced by SanDisk and Lexar.

Type overview

• Memory Stick - Memory up to 128 MB.
• Memory Stick Select - like memory stick, however, capacity 2 x 128 MB.
• Memory Stick PRO - like memory stick, but capacity from 128 MB. Storage capacity to 32 GB.
• Memory Stick Duo - smaller version of the classic memory stick.
• Memory Stick PRO Duo - smaller version of the Memory Stick PRO. Currently up to 32 GB.
• Memory Stick PRO -HG Duo - faster version of the Memory Stick PRO Duo. Currently up to 32 GB.
• Memory Stick Micro ( M2) - the smallest version of the Memory Stick. Currently up to 16 GB.

Memory Stick and Memory Stick Select

A memory stick stores the data with the help of flash storage. The maximum write speed of 14.4 Mbit / s ( 1.8 MB / s). The maximum read speed is 19.6 Mbit / s (2.5 MB / s). Memory Sticks have the dimensions of 50.0 mm (W ) × 21.5 mm ( H) × 2.8 mm (T). The stick has an integrated controller and has a storage capacity of 4-128 MB.

To increase the memory size of the Memory Stick Select was introduced, which has a maximum size of 256 MB. It contains two 128 MB memory blocks, you can switch between them using a switch back and forth. In essence, the Memory Stick Select is a combination of several separate memory sticks, which are housed on the size of a normal Memory Stick. This variant is not very popular, but it enables older devices that support Memory Stick, resorting to a relatively large storage capacity. They are still being manufactured by Lexar.

Memory Stick PRO

The Memory Stick PRO is available with up to 32GB of storage capacity. A Memory Stick PRO has the same dimensions as a normal memory stick and fits into its slot, but is this not compatible. Read and write devices require different controller to address the normal or the Pro version. Since older devices only have one controller, it is theoretically possible to make these devices suitable for the Pro version. However, it would then no longer possible to appeal to the regular version. For this reason, current devices have two controllers and can appeal to both versions. There are some older Vaio laptops as the GRX416 but also ( software-only ) firmware updates for the built-in memory stick reader that make the device Memory Stick Pro- able without losing the memory stick skills. Solely the higher speed of the Pro version will not retrofitted.

A Memory Stick PRO has four lines, each operated with a 40-MHz bus. The theoretical maximum transfer rate is thus at 160 Mbit / s (20 MB / s); this value is hardly achieved in practice, 2 MB / s are probably realistic. The maximum write speed is 15 Mbit / s

The high-speed version of the MS PRO is expected to reach 10 MB / s and is to be expected with higher capacities, SanDisk, there is also an Extreme III variant that is specified with 18 MB / s and thus would have to be even faster than the Sony high-speed version.

Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo

When the Memory Stick came on the market, its main competitors were CompactFlash and SmartMedia. As the Memory Stick was smaller, the devices could be built more compact. Since the size of the memory media of reduced competition, more and more, for example, MultiMediaCard and SD Memory Card, Sony in 2002 brought a scaled down version of their memory sticks on the market, the Memory Stick Duo. He is about two-thirds as large as the normal memory stick and has dimensions of 31.0 mm (W ) × 20.0 mm ( H) × 1.6 mm (T). About an adapter it is possible to use Memory Stick Duo in normal Memory Stick slots. The adapter is often bundled with Sony's Memory Stick Duo cards, even with mobile phones and other devices. Only the Sony 's own Playstation Portable comes with a Duo stick without adapter. Likewise, it is also supplied with SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo with.

Even when Memory Stick Duo, there are the standard and Pro version. Both have the same transfer rates as their big brothers. The Pro version is mostly used only as a capacity of 256 MB, Sony Ericsson puts certain mobile phones as well as a 64 MB version at. Also in the game console PlayStation Portable ( PSP) can Duo memory cards are used.

The variant of the Memory Stick PRO Duo with the suffix 'High Speed' had a theoretical data transfer rate of 20 MB / s ( 160 Mbit / s) and should have a maximum write speed of 10 MB / s reach (80 Mbit / s), while only 1,875 MB / s ( 15Mbit / s) were guaranteed for continuous writing, as required for video recording. In the sales capacity of 256 MB to 2 GB arrived.

Memory Stick PRO -HG

With the introduction of the Memory Stick PRO -HG product line expanded the Sony Memory Stick PRO format for models with very high data rates (up to 30 megabytes per second ( 240 Mbit / s) ). Memory Stick PRO -HG memory cards have the same dimension as "Memory Stick Duo " and " PRO Duo." They are fully backwards compatible with devices that have been developed for the Duo devices, but behave - if they are operated in this - like normal Duo models (read and write speeds of up to 13 megabytes per second ( 104 Mbit / s) ). Developed the PRO -HG models has been mainly to allow a liquid Describe when used in HD video cameras.

Memory Stick Micro ( M2)

In collaboration with SanDisk, Sony introduced in 2006 before a new member of the Memory Stick family, the Memory Stick Micro. He is with the dimensions of 12.5 mm (W ) × 15 mm (L) × 1.2 mm (T ) is about one quarter the size of Memory Stick Duo. Unlike its big brothers, there is only one variant of it, the electrical specifications match those of the Memory Stick PRO. It can also manage up to 32 GB of memory. It has a 11 -pin connector and can be operated at 1.8 volts and 3.3 volts. As with the Memory Stick Duo, it is also possible to use the Memory Stick Micro via an adapter in slots for Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo. Currently (December 2009 ), the maximum available storage capacity 32 GB. The Memory Stick Micro is primarily used in the produced from 2006 to 2009 mobile phones from Sony Ericsson ( for example, C905, K810i, F305, C902, G900, K550i, K610i, K800i, W660i, W890i, Z550i ) use.

Mark2 certification

Since 2008, Memory Sticks are available, which are provided with the Mark2 logo, this indicates that the Memory Stick is suitable for high- speed recording devices ( AVCHD).

Fakes

As with many electronic products are memory sticks significantly targeted by piracy. The fake memory cards are often so well imitated that they can only be identified by experts as fakes. Often, however, they are considerably slower, and support certain technologies such as MagicGate not.

Brand

The name "Memory Stick" is a not yet fully registered community trademark number 004021598, which was filed on September 1, 2004 by Sony.

The future

Sony has announced at CES 2010 in Las Vegas with an announcement the end of the Memory Stick. Meanwhile, Sony offers its own SD cards which are always significantly cheaper than memory sticks with the same capacity, which further handicapped among others the success of the Sony format.