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Frequently Asked Questions
General
Product
Licensing
Membership
Other
General
- What is the SD Association?
- The SD Association is a global ecosystem of technology companies setting
industry-leading memory card storage standards that simplify the use of
consumer electronics and wireless communication products for millions of
people everyday. SD Association was formed in January 2000 by Panasonic
Corporation SanDisk Corporation and Toshiba Corporation. Today, the
Association is made up of more than 1,100 member companies involved in the
design, development, manufacture or sale of products or services using SD
technology. The small, postage stamp-sized removable memory cards are used
by some 400 global brands across dozens of product categories and found in
more than 7,000 models.
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- What is the function of the SD Association?
- The SD Association establishes the technical and specification standards
for SD memory card applications, continuously promotes SD technology as the
de-facto industry standard, and encourages the development of digital A/V,
wireless communication, and digital networking products that utilize the
many unique benefits of SD technology.
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- How can the SD Association help me?
- By becoming a SD Association member, you receive the latest information
on SD technology allowing you to build products and solutions that conform
to the standard and avoid potential compatibility issues. You also may
participate in SD Association activities to help advance the future of SD
technology.
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- What are the benefits of SD technology?
- SD technology is the de-facto standard for mobile phones, digital
cameras, audio players, personal computers, printers, car navigation
systems, electronic books, and many other consumer electronic devices. Many
SD standards are available in a variety of capacities and speed classes:
SDHC, miniSD and microSD. SD technology delivers high-performance products
that simplify how millions of consumers capture and enjoy video, photos, and
sounds every day. With SD products, consumers have the ultimate flexibility
and convenience to store and share digital contents anytime and
anywhere.
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- Other memory card technologies exist in the market
today. How does SD compare?
- SD technology is the de-facto industry standard across multiple market
segments, including mobile phone, digital imaging, audio players and
computer/consumer electronics.
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Product
- What specifications have been developed by SD
Association?
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SD Association standards and specifications include:
- Standard Memory Cards (up to 2GB): SD, miniSD, microSD
- High-Capacity Memory Cards (above 2GB, 32GB and less): SDHC, miniSDHC,
microSDHC
- SDIO (incl. miniSDIO) cards
- SD Application Specifications
- Host Controllers
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- In what types of products is SD technology used?
- SD technology is the de-facto standard for mobile phones, digital
cameras, audio players, personal computers, printers, car navigation
systems, electronic books, and many other consumer electronic devices as
well as some B-to-B solutions.
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- How are the SD specifications developed?
- The SD Association Technical Steering Committee is made up of working
groups focused on the development of next generation specifications. All
members are allowed to participate in technical working groups but only
Executive members are allowed to vote on the specifications.
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- How can my company obtain the SD specification?
- You company may have access to the complete specification by becoming a
member of SDA.
If your company is in the R&D stages and requires the complete
specification, it is available without membership by providing a signed
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
and payment of designated fees to the association for one year.
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- Does SD Association have a product certification
program? How do you get certified?
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The SD Association offers a self-certification program to its members. The
compliance committee recommends using the approved Test Specification which
is made available to members on the members site.
Test tools for SD memory cards are provided by TESTMETRIX VTE2100 and International Microsystems M7800
A test tool for SD host devices based on the approved Test Specification is
provided by Format Verification Lab of Panasonic at http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/fvl/en/index.html.
Test tools for SD memory cards are provided the following two companies.
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Licensing
- Does my company need to obtain a license to use the
SD card logo?
- Yes, the SD Association logo is trademarked. The license required to use
the logo for SD host and ancillary products is the HALA license. The license required to
use the logo for SD cards is the LAMS license.
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- Does my company need to obtain a license to sell SD
cards?
- Yes, the license required is the LAMS license. Your company also must
sign a CLA Agreement with the SD-3C, LLC.
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- Does my company need to obtain a license to sell a
product that hosts the SD card?
- Yes, the license required to use the logo is the HALA license.
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- How does my company obtain a License?
- License agreements and instructions are located on the SD Association
Web site at http://www.sdcard.org/developers/join/licensing/.
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Membership
- What is the structure of the alliance?
- The SD Association has two levels of membership - Executive and
General.
Executive members may attend all meetings and are entitled to vote on all SD
Association related matters, receive all publications of the corporation and
serve on the Board of Directors. The annual fee to join at the Executive membership level is $4500 per
year.
General members may attend all meetings and receive all publications of the
organization.
The annual fee to join at the General membership
level is $2000 per year.
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- How can my company become a member?
- Fill out the online form, fax the signed
application to the SD Association office, and pay the first year of
membership.
Applicants are also required to read and agree to all of the principles,
policies and procedures as set forth in the SD Association's By-laws,
Antitrust Guidelines and Intellectual Property Policy.
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- What is the duration of the membership?
- Membership in the SD Association is yearly. Annual member dues are
automatically billed to the member company unless the member officially
resigns from membership in writing to the SD Association office at least 30
days prior to renewal date.
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Other
- How can I get more information on the Association?
- Please contact the SD Association office at help@sdcard.org
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