View source for XD-Picture Card

{{short description|Memory card format}}
{{infobox media
| title = xD-Picture Card
| logo = XD-Picture Card Logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| image = XD card 16M Fujifilm front.png
| caption = A 16&nbsp;MB xD-Picture Card from [[Fujifilm]]
| encoding = 
| type = [[Memory card]]
| capacity = 16 MB to 2 GB
| owner = [[Olympus (company)|Olympus]], [[Fujifilm]]
| use = [[Digital cameras]], voice recorders
| manufacturer = [[Toshiba]], [[Samsung]]
| dimensions = {{Cvt|20|xx|25|xx|1.78|mm}}
| weight = {{cvt|2.8|g}}
| released = July 2002
| discontinued = 2009
}}

'''xD-Picture Card''' is an obsolete [[flash memory card]] format, developed jointly by [[Olympus company|Olympus]] and [[Fujifilm]] in 2002 as a proprietary alternative to existing formats. It was primarily used in [[digital cameras]] produced by Olympus and Fujifilm, and was also adopted by [[Kodak]] in some models. xD cards were available in capacities ranging from 16&nbsp;[[megabyte|MB]]{{efn|reference=one megabyte (1&nbsp;MB) is equal to one million bytes (1000<sup>2</sup> B)}} to 2&nbsp;[[gigabyte|GB]].{{efn|reference=one gigabyte (1&nbsp;GB) is equal to one billion bytes (1000<sup>3</sup> B)}}<ref>[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050310005180/en/SanDisk-Introduces-Gigabyte-xD-Picture-Card-New-High-Megapixel SanDisk Introduces One Gigabyte xD-Picture Card; New High-Megapixel Olympus and Fuji Cameras Spark Demand for High-Capacity xD-Picture Cards]</ref> While their file transfer speeds were good by 2002 standards, by the late 2000s they offered less capacity, were slower, and were more expensive than SD cards. The format was phased out in 2009, when Fujifilm and Olympus transitioned to the more widely supported [[SD card]] format.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.diyphotography.net/memory-cards-past-present-future-need-know-different-card-formats/|title = Memory cards past, present and future – What you need to know about the different card formats|date = 7 December 2017}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Fujifilm and Olympus XD cards.jpg|left|thumb|FujiFilm and Olympus branded xD cards]]
The cards were developed by [[Olympus company|Olympus]] and [[Fujifilm]], and introduced into the market in July 2002. [[Toshiba|Toshiba Corporation]] and [[Samsung Electronics]] manufactured the cards for Olympus and Fujifilm. xD cards were sold under other [[brand]]s, including [[Kodak]], [[SanDisk]], [[PNY Technologies|PNY]], and [[Lexar]], but were not branded with the respective companies' logos, except for Kodak. The name of the card was "inspired by" the phrase "eXtreme digital".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date= |title=xD-Picture Card |url=http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/digital/accessories/xdcard/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008010317/http://www.fujifilm.co.uk/digital/accessories/xdcard/ |archive-date=2008-10-08 |access-date=2025-10-08 |website=FujiFilm.co.uk }}</ref> xD cards competed primarily with [[Secure Digital]] (SD) cards, [[CompactFlash]] (CF), and [[Sony]]'s [[Memory Stick]]. On its launch, some people anticipated that xD cards would become the new standard memory card format.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Knight |first=Daniel |date=2002-08-02 |title=xD-Picture Cards |url=https://lowendmac.com/2002/xd-picture-cards/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Low End Mac |language=en-US}}</ref> Because of its higher cost and limited usage in products other than digital cameras, xD lost ground to SD, which is broadly used by cellular phones, personal computers, digital audio players and many other digital cameras.

Olympus included a bundled adaptor (MASD-1) with their cameras which allowed the use of microSD cards beginning with the FE-360 and FE-370 in August 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympus announces FE-370 & FE-360 |url=https://www.dpreview.com/articles/1809246536/oly-fe360-fe370 |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=DPReview}}</ref> These adaptors were included with, and are only compatible with, Olympus cameras released between August 2008 and August 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Compatibility table for Media Card ( FE-Series ) - OLYMPUS Digital Camera |url=https://support.jp.omsystem.com/en/support/imsg/digicamera/compati/media/di000374e_fe.html |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=support.jp.omsystem.com}}</ref> Fuji did not release any such adaptor for use with their cameras, however they did release cameras which were compatible with both xD and SD cards, such as the FinePix Z10fd.<ref>[https://dl.fujifilm-x.com/support/manual/z/finepix_z10fd_manual_01.pdf FujiFilm FinePix Z10fd camera instruction manual]</ref> The MASD-1 adaptor only physically fits in compatible Olympus cameras. Forcing the adapter into an incompatible camera can damage the XD card slot. Some compatible cameras must have their [[firmware]] upgraded to version 1.1 or above in order to use the adaptor. Only [[Sandisk|SanDisk]] and Toshiba microSD cards from 256 MB to 8 GB in capacity were officially supported.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2009-01-13 |title=Compatible microSD / microSDHC Card Tables |url=https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/448319.pdf |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Olympus Digital Imaging}}</ref>

[[File:Sticker on box of Olympus FE-370 showing compatability with new Olympus MASD-1 XD-to-microSD attachment.jpg|thumb|left|Sticker on an Olympus [[Olympus FE Series|FE-370]] box showing the camera is compatible with xD cards and the included microSD adapter. Olympus abandoned this approach, as well as the xD card format, one year later]]
Olympus began to move away from the xD format with the mid-2009<ref name='ep1_announcement' /> announcement of the [[Olympus E-P1|E-P1]] camera, which supported only [[Secure Digital]] memory cards.<ref name="olympusamerica.com">{{cite web|author=Olympus America Inc. – CCS Department |url=http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1461&page=specs |title=Archived Products &gt E-P1 |publisher=Olympusamerica.com |access-date=2011-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222202105/http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1461&page=specs |archive-date=December 22, 2010 | quote= Memory: SD Memory Card(SDHC compatible) [xD cards are not included in entry]}}</ref> Higher-end DSLR cameras such as the E-3 and E-5 among others continued to use [[CompactFlash]] cards as well. The last Fujifilm camera which accepted xD cards was the [[Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR]] which was announced in February 2009. This camera also accepted SD cards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fujifilm introduces F200EXR with Super CCD EXR |url=https://www.dpreview.com/articles/4923997750/fujifilmfinepixf200exr |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=DPReview}}</ref> The final Olympus cameras to use xD-Picture Cards were the FE-5020, FE-4010, FE-4000, FE-46 and FE-26, which were all released in August 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympus FE-4010 Reviews & Specs - DCViews.com |url=https://www.dcviews.com/_olympus/fe4010.htm |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=www.dcviews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympus announces FE-5020, FE-4000, FE-46 and FE-26 |url=https://www.dpreview.com/articles/1413057802/olyfeseries |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=DPReview}}</ref> xD cards were discontinued around the same time; [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] ''Best Sellers in xD-Picture Cards'' reports no products offered with a ''Date First Available'' since 4 August 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Sellers: Best xD-Picture Cards |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/15874191/ |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]}}</ref><ref>{{ASIN|B0000YVEHE}}</ref> The abandonment of the xD-Picture Card format and changeover to the SD card format was not officially acknowledged by Olympus or FujiFilm.

== Types ==
Four types of xD cards were produced over the format's lifetime. The first type had no type designation printed on the card but were retrospectively called Standard or Type S cards once other variants entered the market. Type M cards used [[multi-level cell]] technology to boost capacity at the expense of speed.<ref name=":0" /> Type H (high speed) cards had the fastest write speeds of any xD card but were discontinued in 2008 due to high manufacturing costs.<ref>{{cite web |date=2008-01-23 |title=Faster xD Picture Cards launched: Digital Photography Review |url=http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012301olympusxd.asp |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Dpreview.com}}</ref> The final type, M+ (which stood for enhanced type M) was introduced one year before Olympus and Fujifilm abandoned the format.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Molenaar |first=Edwin |date=2025-06-25 |title=Comprehensive Guide to xD-Picture Cards and Compatible Cameras |url=https://vintagelens.nl/2025/06/48036/ |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=Vintagelens |language=en-US}}</ref> There were plans to make xD-Card drives of up to 8 GB capacity,<ref name=":2" /> however this was never achieved.
[[File:XD cards made in Korea (left) and Japan (right).jpg|thumb|xD cards were either made in Korea by Samsung (left) or in Japan by Toshiba (right)]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+xD-Picture Card Types and Specifications<ref name=":0" />
!Designation
!Capacity
!Write speed
!Read speed
!Release date
|-
|Standard (not labelled)
|16-512 MB
|16 & 32 MB: 1.5 MB/s
64 - 512 MB: 3 MB/s
|5 MB/s
|2002
|-
|Type M
|256 MB-2 GB
|2.5 MB/s
|4 MB/s
|Feb 2005<ref name="Steve 2005-02">{{cite web |date=2005-02-15 |title=Olympus 1 GiB xD |url=http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/olympus_02152005_1gbxd_pr.html |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Steves-digicams.com}}</ref>
|-
|Type H
|256 MB-2 GB
|4 MB/s
|5 MB/s
|Nov 2005<ref name="Steve 2005-11">{{cite web |date=2005-11-28 |title=Olympus Type H xD |url=http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/olympus_11282005_typeh-xd_pr.html |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Steves-digicams.com}}</ref>
|-
|Type M+
|1 & 2 GB
|3.75 MB/s
|6 MB/s
|April 2008<ref name="Press Release">{{cite web |date=2008-01-22 |title=Olympus Introduces New High-Speed xD-Picture Card For Digital Cameras |url=http://www.olympuspresspass.com/press_pass_cut/opp_press_details.asp?pressNo=578 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220024015/http://www.olympuspresspass.com/press_pass_cut/opp_press_details.asp?pressNo=578 |archive-date=2009-02-20 |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Olympus Press Pass}}</ref>
|}Olympus claimed that its xD cards supported special "picture effects" when used in some Olympus cameras, though these software features are not intrinsically hardware-dependent. Type H and M+ cards however, are required in later models to capture 640×480 video at 30 [[Frame rate|FPS]].<ref name=":1" /> Due to changes in the cards' storage architecture, later Type M and H cards may have compatibility issues with some older cameras (especially video recording). Compatibility lists are available for Olympus<ref>{{cite web |title=FE-Series : xD Compatibility Chart |url=http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_xdcompatibility.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629200507/http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_xdcompatibility.asp |archive-date=2011-06-29 |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Olympus America}}</ref> and Fujifilm cameras.<ref>{{cite web |title=Card Adapter |url=http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital/accessories/card/index.html#compati |access-date=2011-07-05 |publisher=Fujifilm Global}}</ref> 

== Comparison with rival formats ==
=== Advantages ===
* Physically smaller than Secure Digital and Memory Stick cards<ref name=":2" /> (but not later derivatives such as the [[microSD]] and [[Memory Stick Micro]]).
* Faster read and write speeds than SD cards available at launch in 2002 (but not later iterations like SDHC, SDXC or SDUC cards).<ref name=":3" />

=== Disadvantages ===
* Card format is [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] to Fujifilm and Olympus, just as the Memory Stick format is to Sony.<ref name=":4" /> No public documentation was available (see below for [[reverse-engineering]] results). In contrast, the CompactFlash format is described by completely open and free specifications.<ref>[https://resources.winsystems.com/datasheets/cflash-g-xxxm-i-ds.pdf CF card datasheet]</ref>
* Has not kept up with the transfer speeds of newer SD card revisions post-2002.<ref name=":3" />
* being directly derived from the [[SmartMedia]] card, the xD card has no [[wear leveling]], [[Bad sector|bad block]] management, and error detection controllers. These functions must be performed by the device into which the xD card is inserted.<ref name=":5" />
* Generally more expensive than other memory card types. {{as of|2009|9}}, 2&nbsp;GB (2000&nbsp;MB) xD cards' retail prices were approximately three times those of same-capacity SD cards.
* Small maximum capacity relative to other memory card formats.<ref name=":3" />
* Less widely supported by camera, card reader, and accessory manufacturers than SD cards.<ref name=":3" />
[[File:XD cards, the MASD-1 microSD card attachment and a microSD card.jpg|thumb|xD cards sold by FujiFilm and Olympus on either side of the Olympus MASD-1 xD to microSD adapter card (microSD card below for scale)]]
== Specifications ==
Detailed specifications are tightly controlled by Olympus and Fujifilm, which charge licensing fees and royalties and require [[non-disclosure agreements]] in exchange for the technical information required to produce xD-compatible devices.<ref name=":4">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070703131155/http://www.xd-picture.com/obtain/index.html How to obtain xD-Picture Card License]}}</ref>

The memory format used is not well-documented. It is difficult to study it directly, since most camera devices and most [[USB]] [[card reader]]s do not provide direct access to the flash memory. Since the cards are controller-less, cameras and card readers must perform [[wear leveling]] and error detection. They normally hide the portion of the memory which stores this information (among other things) from higher level access.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=http://www.elinux.org/JuiceBox_UMDCart |title=JuiceBox UMDCart |publisher=eLinux.org |date=2011-04-11 |access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref>

=== Reverse engineering ===
[[File:XD card 16M Fujifilm back.jpg|thumb|upright|The back of an xD card, showing the 18 pins]]
[[File:XD Card to USB adapter with cards.jpg|thumb|upright|USB xD card reader]]
However, a few models of xD card readers based on the Alauda chip ''do'' allow direct access (bypassing the above mechanisms) to an xD card's flash memory. These readers have been [[reverse-engineer]]ed and [[Linux]] [[device driver|driver]]s have been produced by the Alauda Project,<ref name="AlaudaProject-XD-HomePage">{{cite web |title=Alauda Linux Driver Development |url=https://alauda.sourceforge.net/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage |website=AlaudaProject |publisher=[[SourceForge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924231401/http://alauda.sourceforge.net/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage |archive-date=2010-09-24 |quote=Project complete: merged into upstream Linux kernel. |url-status=dead}}</ref> which has documented the on-chip data structures of the xD card. According to this information, xD card headers are similar to those used by SmartMedia, and include chip manufacturer information.<ref name="AlaudaProject-XD-Media-Specification">{{cite web |title=XD Media Specification |url=https://alauda.sourceforge.net/wikka.php?wakka=XdMedia |website=AlaudaProject |publisher=[[SourceForge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925201651/http://alauda.sourceforge.net/wikka.php?wakka=XdMedia |archive-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Raw hardware ===

At the raw hardware level, an xD card is simply an ordinary [[NAND flash]] [[integrated circuit]] in an unusual package. Comparing the pinout of a 18-pin to the pinout of a NAND flash chip in a standard [[Thin small-outline package|TSOP]] package,<ref name="pinout"/> there is very close correspondence between the active pins of the two devices.<ref name="pinout">{{cite web|url=http://pinouts.ru/Memory/xd_card_pinout.shtml |title=xD card pinout |publisher=Pinouts.ru |access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150206212550/http://trcdatarecovery.com/docs/NandDesignGuide.pdf NAND Design Guide]}}</ref>  xD cards share this characteristic with the older [[SmartMedia]] cards, which are also basically raw NAND flash chips, albeit in a larger package.

xD and SmartMedia cards can be used by hobbyists as a convenient source of NAND flash memory chips for custom projects. For example, the [[Mattel]] [[Juice Box]] [[Portable media player|PMP]] can be booted into Linux using a modified cartridge containing an xD card with a boot image written on it. Additionally, SmartMedia and xD card readers can be used to read the data from NAND flash chips in electronic devices, by soldering leads between the chip and the card reader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://brandonu.googlepages.com/camcorderhack |title=xD NAND Flash Reader |publisher=Brandonu.googlepages.com |access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/05/05/read-embedded-flash-chips/ |title=Read Embedded Flash Chips |publisher=Uchobby.com |date=2007-05-05 |access-date=2011-07-05}}</ref>

== Panoramic mode ==
Some Olympus cameras offer camera-based [[panoramic]] processing. In those cameras that support both xD and [[CompactFlash]] cards, panoramic processing only works with images stored on the xD card, if installed. Newer Olympus cameras have neither xD cards nor this restriction.

Unsubtantiated reports claim that some cameras such as the E-450 only support panoramic processing when using Olympus branded xD cards.  The model numbers have not been documented. In this case, there appears to be a workaround: it appears that the card manufacturer information is simply stored in the flash memory, in the Card Information Structure.<ref name="AlaudaProject-XD-HomePage"/><ref name="AlaudaProject-XD-Media-Specification"/> Thus, it is possible to alter another brand of xD card to present itself as Olympus xD card by accessing the raw flash memory. This can be done by using a hacked [[device driver]] for a USB card reader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/roberthaus/pan/ |title=Olympus Panorama Header  |publisher=Robert Haus |date=2007-12-09 |access-date=2011-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027054358/http://geocities.com/roberthaus/pan/ |archive-date=October 27, 2009  |quote=Restore the panorama feature on Olympus smartmedia, with a hex editor, a Zio USB smartmedia reader, the smprep.exe program that is installed with it, and Windows 98/ME/2000.}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Comparison of memory cards]]
* [[Format war]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name='ep1_announcement'>{{cite web|title=Introduction of OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens system camera|publisher=Olympus Corporation|date=16 June 2009|url=https://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2009a/nr090616ep1e.html|archive-date=16 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416084724/https://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2009a/nr090616ep1e.html|quote=June 16, 2009 [..] Olympus [..] is pleased to announce the OLYMPUS PEN E-P1}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725000245/http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php?title=XD-Picture_Card XD-Picture Card Connector Pinout] allpinouts.org, 2011-07-25
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100924231401/http://alauda.sourceforge.net/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage Alauda XD-Picture Card Linux Driver Development]

{{Memory Cards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xd-Picture Card}}
[[Category:Solid-state computer storage media]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2002]]
[[Category:Discontinued media formats]]