CompuServe Messages

Before anyone rushes out to buy PCMCIA cards, I'd like to point one thing out — there are 3 different sizes of the things: 3mm, 5mm and 10mm. The PCMCIA 1.0 standard called for 5-volt, 3 mm cards. The PCMCIA 2.0 standard changes to voltage to 3-volts and introduces full-sized (5mm) and double-wide (10 mm) cards. PCMCIA (if I am not mistaken) first boots in a 5-volt mode and checks the card. If it is a 5-volt card it continues, but if not, it changes to 3-volt power then continues (thus allowing old cards to work with new machines). The card's edge connector is 3 mm on all cards, so 3 mm cards will *fit* in 5 mm and 10 mm slots. (Whether they work or not depends on the manufacturer.) The 5 mm and 10 mm sizes were to give enough room for standard (RJ-11,thinnet, etc.) connectors to be put on. I don't know what size the slots on the A600 and A1200 are, but I'd check before buying an ethernet card (probably 10 mm) and finding out there is only a 5 mm slot on the A1200/A600. Byte magazine's latest issue has a nice article on PCMCIA (including outlining the standards, pin-outs, size specs, etc. -Chas