PCMCIA

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association), international trade association of computer parts manufacturers and software developers, founded in 1989 to set standards for some computer expansion devices. The PCMCIA is responsible for standardizing devices called PC cards or PCMCIA cards, which are covered circuit boards (see Integrated Circuit) to be attached to a computer. PC cards are usually about the size of a credit card and about 3 to 10 mm (about 0.1 to 0.4 in) thick. A computer designed to accept PC cards has slots in the outside case to accommodate the cards. With the increasing demand for smaller and lighter computers, more and more devices are being made to fit on PC cards, including RAM (random access memory), modems, and hard disk drives.