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What is CardBus?
CardBus is the new 32-bit version of the PCMCIA Interface. The slot on the Notebook
looks the same as the older 16-bit slot, but it's what's is inside that counts.
In Desktop computers we have ISA bus (8 or 16-bit slots) and PCI (32-bit slots).
You can think of standard PCMCIA as the ISA bus, and CardBus as the PCI bus
for notebooks.
A 16-bit PCMCIA card will work in a notebook with CardBus support.
This is because
the Card Services interface is also defined for 16-bit PC
Cards, this allows the same
Card Services client to be used to manage both
CardBus and non-CardBus PC Cards.
However, most CardBus cards will not work
in non-CardBus or 16-bit slots.
Why Card Bus?
The CardBus interface
enables many new PC Card applications and provides a means
for the enhancement
of current PCMCIA product offerings. It introduces several
important new capabilities
and functions to PC Card applications, and is compatible
with all-new features
and capabilities that were introduced with the new PC Card Standard.
CardBus
features and capabilities include 32-bits of address and data,
33
MHz operation and Busmaster operation.
How do I know if I
have CardBus support on my Notebook?
The easiest way to check for CardBus
support is to check your user's manual.
You can also check your System's
Device Manager. To get to Device Manager, open
"Control Panel",
then double click on "System", select the "Device Manager"
tab,
then Double Click on "PCMCIA Socket", below this you should
see the "CardBus Controller" listed.
If CardBus controller is not
listed, then you either do not have CardBus support or it is not enabled.
We have found that the Texas Instrument Cardbus Controller is the most compatible
with our CardBus USS Port. Over 95% of all notebooks use the Texas Instruments
CardBus controller.
On some notebooks the CardBus feature must be enabled
from the system bios,
If you are familiar with making changes to the system
bios you may be able to make
this change by yourself. If you are unfamiliar
with making changes to the system bios,
please contact the notebook manufacturer
for assistance. However, once CardBus is enabled
in the bios, then the device
manager will be updated to display the CardBus controller.
Note: Every notebook
is different. Please consult your owners manual.
Conclusion
CardBus is the next generation, high-performance 32-bit/bus master interface from
PCMCIA.
It provides the opportunity for migration of most high performance
functions
now available only on desktop and larger systems to CardBus cards
for use
in the mobile environment.
New functions developed for CardBus
may also be used in 32-bit desktop systems,
if they are equipped with CardBus
sockets.
While CardBus is derived from PCI, it may be implemented on any 32-bit
system that
provides functionality similar to that provided by PCI. Although
it is not the same as
PCI in all respects, the signaling protocols are identical.
CardBus is an extension of current PC Card software capabilities. All CardBus
sockets
must be able to accept and operate PC Card not utilizing CardBus within
the
capabilities of the system. Since all CardBus sockets also support non-CardBus
cards,
the initiative for implementation lies with the system developers.
Once CardBus sockets are available on 32-bit systems, CardBus cards will be developed
to take
advantage of the performance provided by the 32-bit system.