Asus S82A S86A S82/S86 User Manual (English version) - Page 44

4. Using the Notebook PC PC Cards (PCMCIA) (Optional) 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, 32bit CardBus, and Zoomed Video (ZV) 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. Eject Button Upper Socket Eject Button Lower Socket Upper Socket Supports: Type I, Type II, CardBus, Zoomed Video Lower Socket Supports: Type I, Type II, Type III NOTE: Use the upper socket first. Using the lower socket requires that you remove the PC card bay door when using a PC card with external cabling or extensions protruding out of the Notebook PC. 32-bit CardBus & Zoomed Video Port 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. As part of the Notebook PC's advanced architecture, the Zoomed Video specification provides for full frame-rate video display channel for applications like MPEG decoders for movies and games, TV tuners, live video input, video capturing, and video conferencing. The Zoomed Video (ZV) Port allows video data on a PC Card to be transferred directly into the VGA frame buffer, bypassing the CPU and PCI system bus. It can promise a high quality real-time full-motion video playback without holding back the CPU and system bus performance. 44