Opens way to dedicated portable PC slot for widely used memory cards

Tokyo--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has developed the first host-controller LSI that supports integration of dedicated SD memory card and SmartMedia^TM slots in portable PCs. The new LSI opens the way to greatly increased application of two of the most popular and widely used memory cards in the fastest growing segment of the PC market.

The new LSI, "TC6371AF," provides and interface between the SD memory card and SmartMeida^TM and the 32-bit PCI system bus found in today's portable computers. It adds to its versatility with support for CLKRUN and the PCI Power Management Specification, which conforms with the Power Management Event and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface.

Memory cards are stepping into the limelight as essential removable storage devices for a wide range of digital products. The SD memory card is the latest innovation in this increasingly important product area, and offers the highest degree of data security and copyright protection yet achieved. The SD card supports the SDMI-compliant Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) developed by IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., and its full compliance with the SD Audio format specified by the SD Association* guarantees compatibility with similarly compliant audio players.

SmartMedia has emerged as a cost-efficient, solid-state storage medium that has found wide application in portable digital devices, particularly digital still cameras. Constant upgrades in capacity assure that SmartMedia^TM paces product advances, and promote its continued popularity as a versatile, easy-to-handle, easy-to-use storage device.

Toshiba developed the underlying flash memory technology used in both memory cards, and has led the way in promoting their use and positioning them as industry standards. Development of the new LSI further extends the company's support for the cards and will enhance their use as bridge media that can be used both in portable PCs and other digital products.

Sampling of the new LSI starts today and mass production will commence at the end of the year.

Specifications

*SD Association: Established on February 1, 2000 to promote the SD memory card by Matsushita Electric Industrial co., Ltd., SanDisk Corporation and Toshiba. More than 100 companies, including leading manufacturers and content providers in audio and video, digital imaging, PCs and the Internet, have already joined the SD Association.