Memory card
electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information
A memory card is an electronic data storage device used for storing digital information, typically using flash memory. These are commonly used in digital portable electronic devices, such as digital cameras as well as in many early games consoles such as the Neo Geo. They allow adding memory to such devices using a card in a socket instead of protruding USB flash drives. Memory cards are also widely used in action cameras, drones, e-readers, handheld game consoles, dashcams, and some smartphones, though many modern phones have phased out expandable storage in favor of internal storage.
Common types of flash memory card include SD cards (including microSD), Sony's Memory Stick and CompactFlash. As of 2024, SD cards are the most common type of memory cards.
History
The basis for memory card technology is flash memory. It was invented by Fujio Masuoka at Toshiba in 1980 and commercialized by Toshiba in 1987.
The development of memory cards was driven in the 1980s by the need for an alternative to floppy disk drives that had lower power consumption, had less weight and occupied less volume in laptops. Some were also marketed as a lower cost alternative to ROM cartridges.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Memory card” as electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q183731. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2024, 1980 and 1987.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Memory card”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Memory card primary sources, Memory card archive and Memory research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Memory card” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.