Express card explaind

Express Card Explained

Express Card, initially called NEW CARD, is an interface to connect peripheral devices to a computer, usually a laptop computer. The Express Card technical standard specifies the design of slots built into the computer and of expansion cards to insert in the slots. The cards contain electronic circuits and sometimes connectors for external devices. The Express Card standard replaces the PC Card (also known as PCMCIA) standards.

In March 2005, the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) showed some of the first Express Card products at the CeBIT trade show in Germany.^[10] A large number of Express Card devices were presented.

Express Cards can connect a variety of devices to a computer including mobile broadband modems (sometimes called connect cards), IEEE 1394 (Fire Wire) connectors, USB connectors, Ethernet network ports, Serial ATA storage devices, solid-state drives, external enclosures for desktop-size PCI Express graphics cards and other peripheral devices, wireless network interface controllers (NIC), TV tuner cards, Common Access Card (CAC) readers, and sound cards.

Originally developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), the Express Card standard is maintained by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). The host device supports PCI Express, USB 2.0 (including Hi-Speed), and USB 3.0 (Super Speed)(Express Card 2.0 only) connectivity through the Express Card slot; cards can be designed to use any of these modes. The cards are hot-plug gable. The Express Card standard is an open standard by ITU-T definition, and can be obtained from the USB-IF website free of charge.

USB-IF administers the Express Card Compliance Program, under which companies earn the right to obtain a license to use the Express Card logo on their compliant products.

Availability

Ever since PCMCIA disbanded in 2009, newer laptops from 2010 on more commonly do not include Express Card slots except for some business-oriented models (e.g. some Lenovo models use it for supporting a smart card reader). For WWAN connectivity cards, either mini-PCIe slots or USB connected variants have become the preferred connection methods.