Memory Stick
Encyclopedia
Memory Stick is a removable flash
memory card
format, launched by Sony
in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks. In addition to the original Memory Stick, this family includes the Memory Stick PRO, a revision that allows greater maximum storage capacity and faster file transfer speeds; Memory Stick Duo, a small-form-factor version of the Memory Stick (including the PRO Duo); and the even smaller Memory Stick Micro (M2). In December 2006 Sony added the Memory Stick PRO-HG, a high speed variant of the PRO to be used in high-definition video
and still cameras. Memory Stick cards can be used in Sony XDCAM EX camcorder
s via the MEAD-SD01 adapter.
, and a sub-version, Memory Stick Select allowed two banks of 128 MB selectable by a slider switch, essentially two cards squeezed into one. The largest capacity Memory Sticks currently available is 32GB
. According to Sony, the Memory Stick PRO has a maximum theoretical size of 2TB
.
, it appears that Sony is beginning to combine support for SD
/SDHC and Memory Stick formats in their products. All digital cameras and camcorders announced by Sony at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show can use SD
and SDHC cards as well as Memory Sticks. Furthermore, Sony is releasing its own line of SD cards. Many claim this development as the end of the format war between Memory Stick and SD card. But Sony has not abandoned the format, in fact it will continue development of the format for the foreseeable future. A prime example is the development of WiFi transfers through a special Memory Stick Pro-Duo which is still in development.
use Memory Sticks for storing image files. With a Memory Stick-capable Memory card reader
a user can copy the pictures taken with the Sony digital camera to a computer. Sony typically includes Memory Stick reader hardware in its first party consumer electronics, such as digital cameras, digital music players, PDAs
, cellular phones
, the VAIO
line of laptop computers, and the PlayStation Portable
.
A special Memory Stick can be inserted in the hindquarters of Sony's AIBO
robot pet, to enable the use of Aiboware—software intended for use on AIBOs. The Sticks include a copy protection mechanism used by the robot, allowing users to write programs. These are referred to as programmable or programming. Only 8 MB and 16 MB versions are available.
In response to the storage limitations of the original Memory Stick, Sony introduced the Memory Stick Select. The Memory Stick Select was two separate 128 MB partitions which the user could switch between using a (physical) switch on the card. This solution was fairly unpopular, but it did give users of older Memory Stick devices more capacity. Its size was still the same as the original Memory Stick.
, would be the longer-lasting solution to the space problem. Most devices that use the original Memory Sticks support both the original and PRO sticks since both formats have identical form factors. Some readers that were not compatible could be upgraded to Memory Stick PRO support via a firmware
update. Memory Stick PROs have a marginally higher transfer speed and a maximum theoretical capacity of 32 GB, although it appears capacities higher than 4 GB are only available in the PRO Duo form factor. High Speed Memory Stick PROs are available, and newer devices support this High Speed mode, allowing for faster file transfers. All Memory Stick PROs larger than 1 GB support this High Speed mode, and High Speed Memory Stick Pros are backwards-compatible with devices that don't support the High Speed mode. High capacity memory sticks such as the 4 GB versions are expensive compared to other types of flash memory such as SD cards and CompactFlash. Maximum available capacity is 1 GB.
. It is slightly smaller than the competing Secure Digital
(SD) format and roughly two thirds the length of the standard Memory Stick form factor, but costs more. Memory Stick Duos are available with the same features as the larger standard Memory Stick, available with and without High Speed mode, and with and without MagicGate
support. The Memory Stick PRO Duo has replaced the Memory Stick Duo due to its 128MB size limitation, but has kept the same form factor as the Duo.
A simple adapter allows Memory Stick Duo to be used in devices designed to accept the original Memory Stick form factor.
The Memory Stick PRO Duo (MSPD) quickly replaced the Memory Stick Duo due to the Duo's size limitation of 128 MB and slow transfer speed. Memory Stick PRO Duos are available in all the same variants as the larger Memory Stick PRO, with and without High Speed mode, and with and without MagicGate support.
In March 2008, Sony released a 16 GB version of the Memory Stick PRO Duo. Sony released a 32 GB version on August 21, 2009. In 2009 Sony and SanDisk also announced the joint development of an expanded Memory Stick PRO format tentatively named "Memory Stick PRO Format for Extended High Capacity" that would extend capacity to a theoretical maximum of 2 terabyte
s. Sony has since finalized the format and released its specification under the new name, Memory Stick XC.
, announced the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo. While only serial and 4-bit parallel interfaces are supported in the Memory Stick PRO format, an 8-bit parallel interface was added to the Memory Stick PRO-HG format. Also, the maximum interface clock frequency was increased from 40 MHz to 60 MHz. With these enhancements, a theoretical transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s (60 Mbyte/s) is achieved, which is three times faster than the Memory Stick PRO format.
In a joint venture with SanDisk
, Sony released a new Memory Stick format on February 6, 2006. The Memory Stick Micro (M2) measures 15 × 12.5 × 1.2 mm (roughly one-quarter the size of the Duo) with 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities available. The format has a theoretical limit of 32 GB and maximum transfer speed of 160 Mbit/s. However, as with the PRO Duo format, it has been expanded through the XC series as Memory Stick XC Micro and Memory Stick XC-HG Micro, both with the theoretical maximum capacity of 2 TB.
The M2 comes with an adapter, much like the Duo Sticks, to ensure physical compatibility with Memory Stick PRO devices. However, not all devices with a PRO slot are compatible with the M2/Adapter combination, as the firmware of older devices don't support the higher capacity of some M2 cards. One example is certain Sony CLIÉ PDA
s which don't support cards larger than 2 GB.
Sony announced on June 1, 2009 that M2 support in Sony Ericsson
phones would be dropped in favor of microSD.
and Sony announced the Memory Stick XC format (tentatively named "Memory Stick Format Series for Extended High Capacity" at the time).
The Memory Stick XC has a maximum 2 TB capacity, 64 times larger than that of the Memory Stick PRO which is limited to 32 GB. XC series has the same form factors as PRO series, and supports MagicGate content protection technology as well as Access Control function as PRO series does. XC series uses exFAT
file system, while PRO series uses FAT12/16/32. A maximum transfer speed of 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s) is achieved through 8-bit parallel data transfer.
recording products or other faster Memory Stick enabled devices by providing appropriate minimum write performance.
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
format, launched by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks. In addition to the original Memory Stick, this family includes the Memory Stick PRO, a revision that allows greater maximum storage capacity and faster file transfer speeds; Memory Stick Duo, a small-form-factor version of the Memory Stick (including the PRO Duo); and the even smaller Memory Stick Micro (M2). In December 2006 Sony added the Memory Stick PRO-HG, a high speed variant of the PRO to be used in high-definition video
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
and still cameras. Memory Stick cards can be used in Sony XDCAM EX camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
s via the MEAD-SD01 adapter.
History
The original memory stick was launched in October 1998, was available in sizes up to 128MBMegabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
, and a sub-version, Memory Stick Select allowed two banks of 128 MB selectable by a slider switch, essentially two cards squeezed into one. The largest capacity Memory Sticks currently available is 32GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
. According to Sony, the Memory Stick PRO has a maximum theoretical size of 2TB
Terabyte
The terabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix tera means 1012 in the International System of Units , and therefore 1 terabyte is , or 1 trillion bytes, or 1000 gigabytes. 1 terabyte in binary prefixes is 0.9095 tebibytes, or 931.32 gibibytes...
.
, it appears that Sony is beginning to combine support for SD
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
/SDHC and Memory Stick formats in their products. All digital cameras and camcorders announced by Sony at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show can use SD
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
and SDHC cards as well as Memory Sticks. Furthermore, Sony is releasing its own line of SD cards. Many claim this development as the end of the format war between Memory Stick and SD card. But Sony has not abandoned the format, in fact it will continue development of the format for the foreseeable future. A prime example is the development of WiFi transfers through a special Memory Stick Pro-Duo which is still in development.
Applications
Typically, Memory Sticks are used as storage media for a portable device, in a form that can easily be removed for access by a personal computer. For example, Sony digital compact camerasDigital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
use Memory Sticks for storing image files. With a Memory Stick-capable Memory card reader
Memory card reader
A memory card reader is a device, typically having a USB interface, for accessing the data on a memory card such as a CompactFlash , Secure Digital or MultiMediaCard...
a user can copy the pictures taken with the Sony digital camera to a computer. Sony typically includes Memory Stick reader hardware in its first party consumer electronics, such as digital cameras, digital music players, PDAs
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
, cellular phones
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, the VAIO
VAIO
VAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
line of laptop computers, and the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
A special Memory Stick can be inserted in the hindquarters of Sony's AIBO
AIBO
AIBO was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony...
robot pet, to enable the use of Aiboware—software intended for use on AIBOs. The Sticks include a copy protection mechanism used by the robot, allowing users to write programs. These are referred to as programmable or programming. Only 8 MB and 16 MB versions are available.
Formats and form factors
Memory Sticks include a wide range of actual formats, including three different form factors.Memory Stick
The original Memory Stick is approximately the size and thickness of a stick of chewing gum. It was available in sizes from 4 MB to 128 MB. The original Memory Stick is no longer manufactured.Memory Stick Select
Memory Stick PRO
The Memory Stick PRO, introduced in 2003 as a joint effort between Sony and SanDiskSanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
, would be the longer-lasting solution to the space problem. Most devices that use the original Memory Sticks support both the original and PRO sticks since both formats have identical form factors. Some readers that were not compatible could be upgraded to Memory Stick PRO support via a firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
update. Memory Stick PROs have a marginally higher transfer speed and a maximum theoretical capacity of 32 GB, although it appears capacities higher than 4 GB are only available in the PRO Duo form factor. High Speed Memory Stick PROs are available, and newer devices support this High Speed mode, allowing for faster file transfers. All Memory Stick PROs larger than 1 GB support this High Speed mode, and High Speed Memory Stick Pros are backwards-compatible with devices that don't support the High Speed mode. High capacity memory sticks such as the 4 GB versions are expensive compared to other types of flash memory such as SD cards and CompactFlash. Maximum available capacity is 1 GB.
Memory Stick Duo
The Memory Stick Duo was developed in response to Sony's need for a smaller flash memory card for pocket-sized digital cameras, cell phones and the PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. It is slightly smaller than the competing Secure Digital
Secure Digital
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
(SD) format and roughly two thirds the length of the standard Memory Stick form factor, but costs more. Memory Stick Duos are available with the same features as the larger standard Memory Stick, available with and without High Speed mode, and with and without MagicGate
MagicGate
MagicGate is a copy-protection technology introduced by Sony in 1999 as part of the Secure Digital Music Initiative . It works by encrypting the content on the device and using MagicGate chips in both the storage device and the reader to enforce control over how files are copied.MagicGate...
support. The Memory Stick PRO Duo has replaced the Memory Stick Duo due to its 128MB size limitation, but has kept the same form factor as the Duo.
Memory Stick PRO Duo
In March 2008, Sony released a 16 GB version of the Memory Stick PRO Duo. Sony released a 32 GB version on August 21, 2009. In 2009 Sony and SanDisk also announced the joint development of an expanded Memory Stick PRO format tentatively named "Memory Stick PRO Format for Extended High Capacity" that would extend capacity to a theoretical maximum of 2 terabyte
Terabyte
The terabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix tera means 1012 in the International System of Units , and therefore 1 terabyte is , or 1 trillion bytes, or 1000 gigabytes. 1 terabyte in binary prefixes is 0.9095 tebibytes, or 931.32 gibibytes...
s. Sony has since finalized the format and released its specification under the new name, Memory Stick XC.
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
On December 11, 2006, Sony, together with SanDiskSanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
, announced the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo. While only serial and 4-bit parallel interfaces are supported in the Memory Stick PRO format, an 8-bit parallel interface was added to the Memory Stick PRO-HG format. Also, the maximum interface clock frequency was increased from 40 MHz to 60 MHz. With these enhancements, a theoretical transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s (60 Mbyte/s) is achieved, which is three times faster than the Memory Stick PRO format.
Memory Stick Micro (M2)
SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
, Sony released a new Memory Stick format on February 6, 2006. The Memory Stick Micro (M2) measures 15 × 12.5 × 1.2 mm (roughly one-quarter the size of the Duo) with 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities available. The format has a theoretical limit of 32 GB and maximum transfer speed of 160 Mbit/s. However, as with the PRO Duo format, it has been expanded through the XC series as Memory Stick XC Micro and Memory Stick XC-HG Micro, both with the theoretical maximum capacity of 2 TB.
The M2 comes with an adapter, much like the Duo Sticks, to ensure physical compatibility with Memory Stick PRO devices. However, not all devices with a PRO slot are compatible with the M2/Adapter combination, as the firmware of older devices don't support the higher capacity of some M2 cards. One example is certain Sony CLIÉ PDA
PDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
s which don't support cards larger than 2 GB.
Sony announced on June 1, 2009 that M2 support in Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
phones would be dropped in favor of microSD.
Memory Stick XC
On January 7, 2009, SanDiskSanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
and Sony announced the Memory Stick XC format (tentatively named "Memory Stick Format Series for Extended High Capacity" at the time).
The Memory Stick XC has a maximum 2 TB capacity, 64 times larger than that of the Memory Stick PRO which is limited to 32 GB. XC series has the same form factors as PRO series, and supports MagicGate content protection technology as well as Access Control function as PRO series does. XC series uses exFAT
ExFAT
exFAT is a proprietary, patent-pending file system designed especially for USB flash drives. Developed by Microsoft, it is supported in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 with update KB955704, Windows Embedded CE 6.0, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows...
file system, while PRO series uses FAT12/16/32. A maximum transfer speed of 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s) is achieved through 8-bit parallel data transfer.
Mark 2 Certification
As of early 2008, Mark 2-certified versions of the Memory Stick PRO Duo became available. The Mark 2 designation indicates the Memory Stick is suitable for use with AVCHDAVCHD
AVCHD is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video....
recording products or other faster Memory Stick enabled devices by providing appropriate minimum write performance.
See also
- CompactFlash Card
- Comparison of memory cardsComparison of memory cardsThis table provides summary of comparison of various flash memory cards, .- Common information :-Physical details:Note that a memory card's dimensions are determined while holding the card with contact pins upwards. The length of cards is often greater than their width...
- Format warFormat warA format war describes competition between mutually incompatible proprietary formats that compete for the same market, typically for data storage devices and recording formats for electronic media. It is often characterized by political and financial influence on content publishers by the...
- MultiMediaCardMultiMediaCardThe MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard. Unveiled in 1997 by Siemens AG and SanDisk, it is based on Toshiba's NAND-based flash memory, and is therefore much smaller than earlier systems based on Intel NOR-based memory such as CompactFlash. MMC is about the size of a postage...
- SD Card
- SmartMedia Card
- SxSSxSSxS is a flash memory standard compliant to the Sony and Sandisk-created ExpressCard standard. According to Sandisk and Sony, the cards have transfer rates of 800 Mbit/s and burst transfer rate of up to 2.5 Gbit/s...
- xD Picture Card
External links
- Sony's official One Stop Site for Formats, with some specifications of the electrical interface.
- Memory stick products at Sony Singapore.
- SanDisk and Sony develop “Memory Stick Micro” (M2) format – SanDisk/Sony press release, September 30, 2005.
- SanDisk and Sony announce "Memory Stick Pro-HG" (HG) format – December 1, 2006.
- Complete Memory Stick® Media Compatibility Information for Sony® Digital Cameras Sony eSupport July 2011.