New CFast Specification Revision 1.0 by CompactFlash Association

The CompactFlash Association (CFA) announces that the new CFast specification revision 1.0 is available to be downloaded from the CFA website.

The first CFast cards were demonstrated at the Flash Memory Summit in August.

Mr. Shigeto Kanda of Canon and the CFA chairman of the board said: "The development of a CompactFlash card with a SATA interface will maintain the dominance of CompactFlash in the non-consumer (embedded systems, single board computers, data recorder, etc.) markets as well as promote its use in other applications such as professional digital SLR cameras, professional video cameras and mini-notebooks. Having the SATA interface will be a significant step for CompactFlash."

The current CompactFlash PATA (parallel ATA) interface provides up to a 133MB/second interface data rate. The SATA interface will provide interface data rates up to 3Gb/sec as well as compatibility with the SATA disk drive interfaces that are increasingly being used.

CompactFlash card slots are in digital cameras/video cameras and other electronic platforms including embedded systems, single board computers, data recorders, heart monitors, defibrillators, slot machines, etc.

CompactFlash cards are currently available up to 48GB with sustained data rates of 45MB/sec. and provide the dominant SSD flash storage solution for embedded systems, single board computers, the new multi-mega pixel DSLR cameras and other devices.

The CF+ & CompactFlash and CFast standards ensure that today’s and tomorrow’s embedded systems, single board computers, the new multi-mega pixel DSLR cameras and other devices will be compatible with faster and even higher capacity CF and CFast cards, as they become available.

In addition to CompactFlash data storage cards, there are CF cards that provide I/O capability. VGA, Ethernet, modem, serial, parallel, digital phone, GSM, Bluetooth, Ethernet wireless, wand & laser barcode scanners, finger print scanners, TV and GPS CF+ cards are all available.

To download the CompactFlash Specification Revision 4.1 (for $100) and CFast Specification Revision 1.0 (for $100)