CompactFlash vs. microSD
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
CompactFlash (CF) is the pioneering solid-state removable memory card standard introduced by SanDisk in 1994 and maintained by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). Based on a 50-pin Parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) interface, it dominated professional DSLR photography and industrial computing for two decades, scaling through CF+ specifications up to UDMA 7 (167 MB/s).
microSD (originally developed as TransFlash / T-Flash by SanDisk in 2004 and ratified by the SD Association in 2005) is the ultra-compact form factor of the Secure Digital family. Measuring 15.0 × 11.0 × 1.0 mm (approximately 20% the size of a standard SD card), it is the universal removable storage medium for smartphones, action cameras, drones, and handheld gaming consoles.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
CompactFlash Association (CFA) | SD Association (SDA) |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
36.4 mm × 42.8 mm × 3.3 mm (Type I) / 5.0 mm (Type II) | 15.0 mm × 11.0 mm × 1.0 mm (Weight: ~0.25 g) |
|
Operating Voltages
|
Dual voltage: 3.3V (low power) or 5.0V (legacy standard) | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (UHS-I signal) |
|
Introduction Year
|
1994 (SanDisk) | — |
|
Physical Connector Form Factor
|
50-pin female socket receptacle (2 rows of 25 pins on 1.27 mm pitch) | — |
|
Interface Protocol
|
Parallel ATA (PATA) / True IDE Mode / PCMCIA Memory Mode | — |
|
Max Bus Speed Tier
|
UDMA 7 (167 MB/s @ 133 MHz PATA clock in CF 6.0) | — |
|
Video Performance Guarantee
|
VPG-20 (20 MB/s) / VPG-65 (65 MB/s sustained write for Full HD / 4K) | — |
|
Original Name
|
— | TransFlash (TF Card / T-Flash by SanDisk, 2004) |
|
Pin Configurations
|
— | 8 pins (UHS-I / Legacy) / 16 pins (UHS-II dual-row) |
|
Capacity Standards
|
— | microSD (≤2GB), microSDHC (4–32GB), microSDXC (64GB–2TB), microSDUC (up to 128TB) |
|
Passive Adapter Compatibility
|
— | Electrically identical to full-size SD (100% pin-compatible via passive sleeve adapter) |