CompactFlash Memory Card Product Manual
SanDisk CompactFlash Memory Card Product Manual © 1999 SANDISK CORPORATION 73
Table 6-5 Features Supported
Feature Operation
01H Enable 8 bit data transfer.
55H Disable Read Look Ahead.
66H Disable Power on Reset (POR) establishment of defaults at Soft Reset.
69H Accepted for backward compatibility with the SDP Series but has no impact on the CF Memory Card.
81H Disable 8 bit data transfer.
96H Accepted for backward compatibility with the SDP Series but has no impact on the CF Memory Card.
9AH Set the host current source capability. Allows tradeoff between current drawn and read/write speed.
BBH 4 bytes of data apply on Read/Write Long commands.
CCH Enable Power on Reset (POR) establishment of defaults at Soft Reset.
Features 01H and 81H are used to enable and clear
8 bit data transfer mode. If the 01H feature com-
mand is issued, all data transfers will occur on the
low order D7-D0 data bus and the IOIS16 signal
will not be asserted for data register accesses.
Features 55H and BBH are the default features
for the CompactFlash Memory Card; thus, the
host does not have to issue this command with
these features unless it is necessary for
compatibility reasons.
The 9AH Feature is a CompactFlash Memory
Card unique option that provides a mechanism for
the host system to adjust how much current t h e
CompactFlash Card will use. The CompactFlash
Card reduces the current it draws by reducing its
operating frequency. This has the impact of also
reducing the performance of the CompactFlash
Card. The default for the CompactFlash Card
after a power on reset is to operate at the highest
performance and therefore the highest current
mode. However after a power on, t h e
CompactFlash Card will not draw more than its
minimum current as long as the host does not issue
any command which reads or writes to the flash
memory. This allows the host to issue the Set
Features command to set the desired power level
without exceeding the minimum requirement of
the CompactFlash Card.
To reduce the current the CompactFlash Memory
Card draws, the host issues the Set Features
command with the Feature register set to 9AH and
the Sector Count register (Config) set to a current
value which is equal to 4 mA times the value in
the Sector Count register. When this is done, t he
controller will utilize a look-up table to program
the controllerÕs frequency, microprocessorÕs speed
and flash clocks with an optimum value to
provide the highest performance without
exceeding the hostÕs current limit. For example, i f
a host can supply 75 mA of current to t he
CompactFlash Card, the Sector Count register
would be set to 75 divided by 4 (rounded down) or a
value of 18. The CompactFlash Card would then
automatically reduce its clock frequencies so that
it will not draw more than 75 mA (average, a t
nominal Vcc and room temperature) of current. I f
the host always wanted to operate at the lowest
possible current the Sector Count value should be
set to 1. The CompactFlash Card will then
operate at the lowest possible current (and also
the lowest performance).
At the completion of this command, the controller
will update the Cylinder Low register with the
controllerÕs minimum valid current value (i.e. the
minimum current with which the CompactFlash
Memory Card can operate) and the Cylinder High
register with the maximum current it will use (i.e.
the maximum current the CompactFlash Card
will draw at the highest performance level). The
controller will use its minimum value for any
Sector Count value which is less than its minimum
value. For example, if the Sector Count is set to 4
which is equivalent to 16 mA, the controller will
operate at the lowest possible power point but
will not reject the command. Similarly the
controller will use its maximum value for any
Sector Count value which is more than the
maximum current it can use.
There is no error associated with the 9AH feature.
Features 66H and CCH can be used to enable and
disable whether the Power On Reset (POR)
Defaults will be set when a soft reset occurs. The
default setting is to revert to the POR defaults
when a soft reset occurs. POR defaults the number
of heads and sectors along with 16 bit data
transfers and the read/write multiple block count.