CFast vs. MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
CFast is a high-speed solid-state memory card standard developed by the CompactFlash Association (CFA) based on the Serial ATA (SATA) bus. Introduced with CFast 1.0 (SATA-II 3 Gbps) and refined in CFast 2.0 (SATA-III 6 Gbps), it delivers data throughput up to 550–600 MB/s in a rugged 24-pin form factor, widely adopted in professional cinema cameras (ARRI, Blackmagic, Canon).
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
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
CompactFlash Association (CFA) | — |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
36.4 mm × 42.8 mm × 3.6 mm | — |
|
Bus Interface / Protocol
|
Serial ATA (SATA 3.0 / 6 Gbps in CFast 2.0) | — |
|
Physical Connector Form Factor
|
24-pin keyed interface (7-pin SATA signal + 17-pin SATA power & control) | — |
|
Peak Data Throughput
|
Up to 550–600 MB/s (SATA-III physical ceiling) | — |
|
Nominal Operating Voltage
|
3.3V nominal | — |
|
Video Performance Guarantee
|
VPG-130 (130 MB/s minimum sustained write for 4K ProRes/RAW) | — |
|
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) |
|
Operating Voltages
|
— | 3.3V (standard) / 1.8V (dual voltage / eMMC) |