Sony Memory Stick vs. MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Comparing 2 standards across 13 specifications. 13 key differences identified.
Memory Stick is a proprietary removable solid-state flash memory card format introduced by Sony in 1998. Evolving across standard, PRO (expanded capacity), Duo (compact form factor), PRO-HG Duo (60 MB/s high-speed), and Micro M2 variants, it featured Sony's MagicGate hardware DRM copy protection across Cyber-shot cameras, Handycam camcorders, VAIO laptops, and the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
MultiMediaCard (MMC) is a solid-state memory card standard introduced in 1997 by Siemens and SanDisk based on a 7-pin serial bus. Evolving into RS-MMC and MMCmobile, it formed the physical and protocol foundation of both the SD card and JEDEC eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard), the ubiquitous internal storage standard for mobile devices, smart TVs, and single-board computers.
Specification Comparison Table
13 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Operating Voltages
|
2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (Dual-voltage M2) | 3.3V (standard) / 1.8V (dual voltage / eMMC) |
|
Proprietary Standard
|
Sony Corporation (with SanDisk for PRO formats) | — |
|
Standard Memory Stick Size
|
50.0 mm × 21.5 mm × 2.8 mm (10-pin interface) | — |
|
Memory Stick Duo Size
|
31.0 mm × 20.0 mm × 1.6 mm (10-pin interface) | — |
|
Memory Stick Micro (M2) Size
|
15.0 mm × 12.5 mm × 1.2 mm (11-pin interface) | — |
|
Key Format Generations
|
Original (up to 128MB), PRO (up to 32GB), PRO-HG Duo (8-bit parallel, up to 60 MB/s), Micro M2 | — |
|
Hardware DRM Security
|
MagicGate (Cryptographic copy protection for ATRAC3 audio / secure media) | — |
|
Governing Standards Bodies
|
— | MMCA (historically) / JEDEC (eMMC Standard JESD84-B51A) |
|
Introduction Year
|
— | 1997 (Siemens & SanDisk) |
|
Physical Dimensions (Full MMC)
|
— | 32.0 mm × 24.0 mm × 1.4 mm (7-pin interface) |
|
Reduced Size Formats
|
— | RS-MMC (24.0 × 18.0 × 1.4 mm), MMCmobile (dual voltage), MMCmicro (14.0 × 12.0 × 1.1 mm) |
|
Embedded Evolution
|
— | eMMC (eMMC 4.5, 5.0, 5.1 delivering up to 400 MB/s via 8-bit parallel bus in BGA packaging) |
|
Bus Widths
|
— | 1-bit (legacy MMC), 4-bit (MMC Plus), 8-bit (eMMC HS400) |