CFexpress
{{short description|Memory card format}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
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{{Advert|date=April 2023}}
{{Prose|date=April 2023}}
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{{Infobox storage medium
| name = CFexpress
| logo = CFexpress logo.svg
| logo_size = 180px
| image = Biwin_CFexpress_Type_A_and_Type_B_cards_at_Computex_2025.jpg
| alt = A smaller rectangular memory card (left) next to a larger rectangular memory card (right)
| image_size = 300px
| image_caption = CFexpress Type A (left) and Type B (right) cards
| type = Memory card
| encoding =
| capacity =
| blocksize =
| read =
| write =
| standard = CFexpress standard
| owner = CompactFlash Association
| manufacturer =
| use =
| dimensions = {{unindented description list|wrap=
; Type A
: {{Convert|20.0|*|28.0|*|2.8|mm|in|abbr=on}}
; Type B
: {{Convert|38.5|*|29.8|*|3.8|mm|in|abbr=on}}
; Type C
: {{Convert|54.0|*|74.0|*|4.8|mm|in|abbr=on}}
}}
| weight =
| extended_from = XQD card
| extended_to =
| released = 2017
| discontinued =
}}
CFexpress is a standard for removable media cards by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). The standard uses the NVM Express protocol over a PCIe interface. 3 different form factors are available, with 1 to 4 PCI-E lanes available.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-07 |title=CFA 5.1 Press Release |url=http://www.compactflash.org/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_family_pr_160907.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221005313/http://www.compactflash.org/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_family_pr_160907.pdf |archivedate=2016-12-21 |access-date=2025-04-12}}
History
On 7 September 2016, the CompactFlash Association announced the CFexpress standard, with specifications based on the PCI Express interface and NVM Express protocol.
On 18 April 2017 the CompactFlash Association published the CFexpress 1.0 specification.{{Cite web |date=2017-04-18 |title=CFexpress 1.0 Press Release |url=http://www.compactflash.org/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_1_0_press_release_2017417.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212031455/www.compactflash.org/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_1_0_press_release_2017417.pdf |archivedate=2017-12-12 |access-date=2025-04-12}} Version 1.0 will use the XQD form-factor (38.5 mm × 29.8 mm × 3.8 mm) with two PCIe 3.0 lanes for speeds up to 2 GB/s. NVMe 1.2 is used for low-latency access, low overhead and highly parallel access.
On 13 June 2017, Delkin introduced the first CFexpress cards based on the CFexpress 1.0 specification.{{Cite news|url=https://www.delkin.com/products/industrial-cfexpress/|title=Industrial CFexpress 1.0 and Industrial CFX 1.0 Cards|work=Delkin Industrial|access-date=2017-06-29|language=en-US}}
The CFexpress 2.0 standard was announced on 28 February 2019. It features two new card formats - a more compact Type A with one lane, and a larger Type C with four lanes. Existing cards designated as Type B. The NVM Express protocol was upgraded to 1.3.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-01 |title=The CompactFlash Association Announces CFexpress® 2.0 Specification |url=https://cofa.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_2_0_press_release_20190228.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519103658/https://cofa.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/cfapress/cfexpress_2_0_press_release_20190228.pdf |archive-date=2023-05-19 |access-date=2025-04-12 |language=en}}
The CFexpress 4.0 standard was announced on 28 August 2023. CFexpress 4.0 supports up to four PCIe 4.0 lanes, at 2 GB/s per lane - twice as fast as CFexpress 2.0. The NVM Express protocol was upgraded to 1.4c.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-28 |title=2023-08-21 CFexpress 4.0 Press Release - FINAL CLEAN |url=https://compactflash.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-21_CFexpress_4.0_Press_Release.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405090210/https://compactflash.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-21_CFexpress_4.0_Press_Release.pdf |archive-date=2025-04-05 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=CompactFlash Association |publisher=The CompactFlash Association |language=en}}
Comparison
| class="wikitable"
!Standard !Version !Launched !Bus !Speed (full-duplex) |
| rowspan="3" |CFexpress
|1.0 |2017 Q2 |PCIe 3.0 x2 |2.0 GB/s |
| 2.0
|2019 Q1 |{{unbulleted list|PCIe 3.0 x1|PCIe 3.0 x2|PCIe 3.0 x4}} |{{unbulleted list|1.0 GB/s (Type A)|2.0 GB/s (Type B)|4.0 GB/s (Type C)}} |
| 4.0
|2023 Q3 |{{unbulleted list|PCIe 4.0 x1|PCIe 4.0 x2|PCIe 4.0 x4}} |{{unbulleted list|2.0 GB/s (Type A)|4.0 GB/s (Type B)|8.0 GB/s (Type C)}} |
| rowspan="5" |SD
|3.0 |2010 Q2 |UHS-I |0.1 GB/s |
| 4.0
|2011 Q1 |UHS-II |0.3 GB/s |
| 6.0
|2017 Q1 |UHS-III |0.6 GB/s |
| 7.0
|2018 Q2 |PCIe 3.0 x1 |1.0 GB/s |
| 8.0
|2020 Q2 |PCIe 4.0 x2 |4.0 GB/s |
| rowspan="2" |UFS Card
|1.0 |2016 Q2 |UFS 2.0 |0.6 GB/s |
| 2.0
|2018 Q4 |UFS 3.0 |1.2 GB/s |
| rowspan="2" |CFast
|1.0 |2008 Q3 |SATA-300 |0.3 GB/s |
| 2.0
|2012 Q3 |SATA-600 |0.6 GB/s |
| rowspan="2" |XQD
|1.0 |2011 Q4 |PCIe 2.0 x1 |0.5 GB/s |
| 2.0
|2014 Q1 |PCIe 2.0 x2 |1.0 GB/s |
Form factors
CFexpress supports the following card sizes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdrinfo.com/d7/content/cfexpress-20-specification-introduces-two-new-form-factors|title=CFexpress 2.0 Specification Introduces two New Form Factors|language=en|access-date=2020-08-23}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Form !Dimensions !PCIe | ||
| A | 20.0 × 28.0 × 2.8 | 1 |
| B | 38.5 × 29.8 × 3.8 | 2 |
| C | 54.0 × 74.0 × 4.8 | 4 |
The larger form factors have more electrical contacts, allowing more PCIe lanes to be used.
Type A is similar in size to an SD card. As of 2023, Sony is the only camera manufacturer that has adopted CFexpress Type A, using it in some of its Sony α cameras. All Sony CFexpress slots also support UHS-II SD cards.{{Cite web|url=https://petapixel.com/memory-cards/|title=A Complete Guide to Memory Cards|last=Williams|first=Matt|website=PetaPixel|date=December 11, 2023|access-date=May 9, 2025}}
Type B is the most popular CFexpress form factor, and is used by several camera manufacturers, including Canon, DJI, Nikon, Panasonic, and Red. It has the same size and contacts as an XQD card, allowing a single card slot to accept both XQD and CFexpress Type B cards. Some older cameras with XQD slots have received firmware updates to allow use of a CFexpress Type B card in its XQD slot.
As of 2023, no devices have implemented CFexpress Type C, and neither cards nor cameras are available.
File:CFexpress Reader Card Type A.jpg|A Sony CFexpress Type A reader and card
File:Panasonic CFEXPRESS CARD 128 GB & SAMSUNG SD CARD PRO PLUS 256 GB (2021 EDITION) FRONT.jpg|CFexpress Type B (left) next to an SD card (right)
File:Delkin Power 256GB CFexpress Type B card.jpg|A CFexpress Type B card with contacts visible
File:CFexpress Type B and SD slots on Nikon Z8 1.jpg|CFexpress Type B and SD slots on a Nikon Z8 camera
See also
Notes
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{Memory Cards}}
Category:Computer-related introductions in 2016