Chapter 11: Expansion Cards^227
The PCMCIA has developed standards for three PC Card slot sizes (and the devices
that fit them):
Type I This slot and card is 3.3mm (about one-eighth of an inch) thick. It is used
to add additional DRAM and flash memory. Type I slots are commonly used on
very small computers, such as palmtops. PCMCIA has now developed a new
smaller form factor called the Miniature Card that is 73 percent smaller than the
Type I PC Card. The Miniature Card, which is just under 1.5 inches square, is being
used in palmtop computers and the new smart phones, among other devices.
Type II This slot is 5mm (about one-fifth of an inch) thick. Type II cards are
mostly I/O cards, such as modems and network interface cards (NICs). Figure 11-8
shows a Type II PC Card network adapter with its dongle connector. The dongle
connects into a slot port on the end of the card and serves as an adapter for the
RJ-45 connector on the network cable.
Type III Type III slots are 10.5mm (just under a half-inch) thick. They are
used for adding hard drives, multifunction modems and NICs, and 802.11
wireless network transceivers (Figure 11-9).Figure 11-7. PC Cards provide expansion capabilities to portable computers