What Is a PCMCIA Card?

Personal computer card, also called PCMCIA card, is a network card specially designed for notebook computers, using the notebook's PCMCIA interface. ^[1]

The PCMCIA (also known as personal computer card) interface provides portable computers with the ability to connect to any type of device. In addition to the network interface card, the PCMCIA slot can also plug in devices such as modem cards, expansion hard disk cards, or read-only optical disk cards. In addition, some laptop-specific wireless LAN cards also use PCMCIA slots. ^[1]

At present, PCMCIA cards have three types: Type I, Type II, and Type III. Their length and width are 85.6 × 54mm, but they differ in thickness.

Type I is the earliest PC card with a thickness of 3.3mm. It is mainly used for

(1) PCMCIA card-wired LAN card and wireless LAN card

Wired network cards in PCMCIA cards on the market are more common. But with the rapid development of wireless networks, PCMCIA wireless network cards have gradually occupied the market. For a laptop without a wireless network, it is more convenient and cost-effective to buy a PCMCIA wireless network card to build a wireless network than to build a wired network.

(2) Hard disk PCMCIA card

With the PCMCIA card, a second 2.5-inch laptop hard disk can be extended for a notebook computer. This is a good way to expand the storage capacity, but only if the PCMCIA card with a Type III interface must be supported.

(3) PCMCIA card reader

For the hard disk PCMCIA card, although it has the characteristics of large capacity, its applicability is poor. If you also need digital equipment, it is more convenient to use a PCMCIA reader card.

(4) PCMCIA wireless internet card

With the development of mobile communication, notebook computers can also connect to various mobile communication networks through wireless network cards. Currently, it mainly supports CDMA and GPRS Internet access.

(5) Short-distance data transmission PCMCIA card (Bluetooth and infrared transmission function)

PCMCIA card with integrated functions such as Bluetooth or infrared transmission. ^[2]