Asus A1B A1/Z1 Series User Manual - Page 48

PC Card PCMCIA Sockets

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4. Using the Notebook PC PC Card (PCMCIA) Sockets The Notebook PC has two PC Card (or sometimes referred to as PCMCIA) sockets located behind a hinged cover to allow expansion just like desktop computer expansion slots. This allows you to customize your Notebook PC to meet a wide range of application needs. The sockets can interface with two Type I or Type II PC cards or one Type III PC card. PC cards are about the size of a few stacked credit cards and have a 68-pin connector at one end. The PC Card standard accommodates a number of function, communication, and data storage expansion options. PC cards come in memory/flash cards, fax/modems, networking adapters, SCSI adapters, MPEG I/II decoder cards, and even wireless modem or LAN cards. The Notebook PC supports PCMCIA 2.1, and 32bit CardBus standards. The three different PC Cards actually have different thicknesses. Type I cards are 3.3mm, Type II cards are 5mm, and Type III cards are 10.5mm thick. Type I and Type II cards can be used in either the lower or upper socket. Type III cards take up both sockets and must be inserted from the lower socket. TIP: A PCMCIA MPEG I / II decoder card is recommended for slower Notebook PCs that experience frame skips during DVD playback. It is also great for the power user who wishes to work while watching a DVD movie. Upper Socket Lower Socket Eject Button Upper Socket Supports: Type I, Type II, CardBus Eject Button Lower Socket Supports: Type I, Type II, Type III, CardBus 32-bit CardBus Support CardBus support allows PC Cards and their hosts to use 32-bit bus mastering and operate at speeds of up to 33MHz, transferring data in burst modes comparable with PCI's 132MB/sec. By comparison, the standard 16-bit PC Card bus can handle only 20MB/sec. Since the Notebook PC is equipped with CardBus broader and faster data pathway, it can handle bandwidth-hungry operations, such as 100Mbps Fast Ethernet, Fast SCSI peripherals, and ISDN-based video conference. The CardBus peripherals support plug and play. The CardBus socket is backward-compatible with 16-bit PC Cards serving at 5 volts operation while CardBus operates at 3.3 volts to reduce power consumption. 48

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48
4. Using the Notebook PC
32-bit CardBus Support
CardBus support allows PC Cards and their hosts to use 32-bit bus mastering and operate at speeds of
up to 33MHz, transferring data in burst modes comparable with PCI’s 132MB/sec. By comparison, the
standard 16-bit PC Card bus can handle only 20MB/sec. Since the Notebook PC is equipped with
CardBus broader and faster data pathway, it can handle bandwidth-hungry operations, such as 100Mbps
Fast Ethernet, Fast SCSI peripherals, and ISDN-based video conference. The CardBus peripherals
support plug and play.
The CardBus socket is backward-compatible with 16-bit PC Cards serving at 5 volts operation while
CardBus operates at 3.3 volts to reduce power consumption.
PC Card (PCMCIA) Sockets
The Notebook PC has two PC Card (or sometimes referred to as PCMCIA) sockets located behind a
hinged cover to allow expansion just like desktop computer expansion slots. This allows you to customize
your Notebook PC to meet a wide range of application needs. The sockets can interface with two Type I or
Type II PC cards or one Type III PC card. PC cards are about the size of a few stacked credit cards and
have a 68-pin connector at one end. The PC Card standard accommodates a number of function, commu-
nication, and data storage expansion options. PC cards come in memory/flash cards, fax/modems, net-
working adapters, SCSI adapters, MPEG I/II decoder cards, and even wireless modem or LAN cards. The
Notebook PC supports PCMCIA 2.1, and 32bit CardBus standards.
The three different PC Cards actually have different thicknesses. Type I cards are 3.3mm, Type II cards
are 5mm, and Type III cards are 10.5mm thick. Type I and Type II cards can be used in either the lower
or upper socket. Type III cards take up both sockets and must be inserted from the lower socket.
TIP: A PCMCIA MPEG I / II decoder card is recommended for slower Notebook PCs
that experience frame skips during DVD playback. It is also great for the power user
who wishes to work while watching a DVD movie.
Upper Socket Supports:
Type I, Type II, CardBus
Lower Socket Supports:
Type I, Type II, Type III,
CardBus
Eject Button
Eject Button
Upper Socket
Lower Socket