ExpressCard slot
The ExpressCard slot is a PC Card slot, that is not backwards compatible with the 32-bit CardBus or 16-bit PCMCIA standard. On some models, this slot can be determined by an "X" on the blue eject button, differentiated from the concave "O" on the PC Card eject button.
There are 2 physical formfactors, ExpressCard/54 and ExpressCard/34. The numbers refer to the width of the ExpressCard in milimeters.
Electronically ExpressCards can be implemented as either PCI-Express or USB.
ExpressCard/54 slots can accept ExpressCard/34 cards, but not the other way around.
- Wikipedia article on PC card (PCMCIA, CardBus)
- Wikipedia article on ExpressCard
- ExpressCard resources and news
Linux support
ExpressCard adapters are handled either by the Linux PCI subsystem as hotplug PCI-Express adapters, or by the USB subsystem (depending on the adapter card).
02-01-2009 The SanDisk ExpressCard Adapter Model SDAD0-109 P/N 20-90-03107 (has hopping white rabbit logo against a purple label) is detected as a USB CD-ROM drive in BIOS and can boot every USB supported LIVE CD we've ever tested or as virtual CD for SLAX derivatives. Windows kernels will detect the adapter as removable USB drive. This adapter is compatible with SD, SDHC, Multimedia, MMCPlus, MemoryStickDuo, MemoryStickDuoPro, MemoryStickDuoPro-Hg-Duo. It also works error free with mini-SD cards and their adapters.
Models featuring this Technology
ExpressCard/54
- R51e, R52, R60, R61, R61i, R500
- SL300, SL400, SL400c, SL500, SL500c
- T43, T43p, T60, T60p, T61, T61p, T400, T500
- Z60m, Z61m
- W500, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds
- X200, X200s, X200 Tablet, X201, X201i, X201s, X201 Tablet, X220, X230
ExpressCard/34
