Compact Flash (CF) has been available since 1998. This standard has its own memory controller and has in addition to the flash memory also its own firmware.
Compact Flash is based on the PCMCIA memory cards with ATA interface. Therefore, the cards can be used with a simple adaptor in a PCMCIA slot and as disk replacement.
The I/O mode is also integrated in Compact Flash. This mode allows to fit mobile devices with interface extensions such as WLAN or Bluetooth adaptors.

The writing and reading speeds of Compact Flash are indicated with X as a multiple of 150 kbytes/sec as known from CD drives. Fast CF cards are only worhtwhile in digital cameras to guarantee fast image storage. A fast CF card which is operated on an IDE bus switches automatically to the True-IDE mode, which corresponds to the "slow" PIO Mode's of the hard disk.

Differences between the following types:
CF Type I (WxHxD) 42.8 mm x 36.4 mm x 3.3 mm
CF Type II (WxHxD) 42.8 mm x 36.4 mm x 5.0 mm
CF Type II + (WxHxD) 42.8 mm x 36.4 mm x 5.0 mm

CF Type I is upward compatible with all other types, and thus also fits in CF Type II / II + slots.

The type CF Type II + applies to the IBM Microdrive, which has an 1-inch glass substrate disk. This one revolves between 3600-4500 rpm (depending on the version). Disadvantage of the Microdrives is, along with the high power consumption of up to 1000mA amount, the sensitivity of the medium.

General technical data on Compact Flash cards:

Realized Capacities: 4MB to 64GB
Speeds: Read: 4 to about 40MB / s
Writing: 2 to approximately 38MB / s
File systems: FAT16 to 2GB, FAT32 from 2GB
Operating voltage: 3.3 or 5 volts
Operating temperature range: 0 ° C to 60 ° C.
Resting/Storage temperature range: -40 ° C to 85 ° C.
Shock resistance: 2000G (at Microdrive <400G)
Writing cycles: 10,000, according to specification,> 1Mio.           

According to manufacturers

Advantages:                 
- great compatibility of various sizes Cards
- Integrated fast parallel interface
- Integrated ATA interface
- Integrated I / O mode

Disadvantage: somewhat higher power consumption as compared   to other memory cards

CF memory cards orderable at Memory Solution GmbH.