SyChip Exhibiting New Low Power Wi-Fi SD Card

SyChip has developed a new, low power Wi-Fi SD card. SyChip is the company that created the original Wi-Fi SD card that is being offered now by companies like SanDisk.

This card will be most significant to Palm OS users. SanDisk said last month that, though it was intending to release in the coming months a Palm OS driver for the first-generation Wi-Fi SD card, many Palm powered models don't provide enough power to their SD port to use it. SyChip's new card has been specifically designed for devices of this nature.

Still, any handheld or smart phone user unhappy with the heavy battery drain from the current card can benefit from the new one.

The next-generation card, called the SyChip 6065SD, can be used in SPI, 1-bit, and 4-bit SD transfer modes for speeds of up to 100 megabits (Mb/s) per second. Improved utilities and drivers will allow this card to roam seamlessly among multiple 802.11b Wireless Network access points without losing a connection. It will also have the ability to operate in peer-to-peer mode (without an access point) to share data directly with other wireless handhelds.

SanDisk says there will be drivers for Pocket PCs and Palm OS 5.2 and higher.

SyChip will not be selling the card directly but through accessory partners and major OEMs, including SanDisk and Socket Communications. It is not known at this time when it will be on the market or what it will cost.

SyChip is demonstrating the 6065SD at the Consumer Electronics Show, going on now in Las Vegas.

More Coming from SyChip

SyChip said in December it has plans to create SD cards that offer more than one function.

It now has a prototype of an SD card that offers both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking. SyChip is also working on an SD card that has Wi-Fi and some memory, though the company hasn't said how much.

It is not known when either of these cards will be on the market or at what prices.

Related Links

• SyChip Developing More Multi-Function SD Cards
• SanDisk Explains Delay of Palm OS Wi-Fi SD Card
• Brighthand Reviews the Original SanDisk SD Wi-Fi Card