SDXC Memory Cards are the latest SD memory card standard. SDXC stands for "Secure Digital eXtended Capacity" The new SDXC format increases storage capacity from 64 GB up to 2 TB. It utilises the exFAT file system, enabling it to cope with large amounts of data. The speeds standards for most SDXC cards is known as UHS class. UHS-I transfers data at up to 104 MB per second and up to 312 MB per second for UHS-II.

The Extended capacity of SDXC allows the user to store more video and pictures, or any other type of data, all on a single memory card, this removes the need to keep upgrading digital cameras and camcorders as more capacity is required.

Some important notes on SDXC cards:
- SDXC memory cards can only be used with SDXC devices.
- SDXC devices are backwards compatible and can use SD and SDHC as well as SDXC memory cards.

If an SDXC memory card is inserted into a computer or device that does not support the SDXC standard, you may be prompted by a message asking you to format the card. It is important you do not format the SDXC memory card in a non-compatible device because it will erase the data on the SDXC memory card and format the card for a different file system, making it incompatible with SDXC devices. Should you require to format an SDXC card, you can normally format it by using your SDXC device or by using the SD Formatter 3.0. Click here:  http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/formatter_3/eula
 

A new SD format has been announced! The new format will be called SDXC (an abbreviation of Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) which will allow up to 2TB of storage on one card. The New SDXC Card will execute read and write speeds to 104MB/s this year, with the possibility to achieve up to 300MB/s in the future.

The SD association are introducing the new format cards in order to make HD content a lot easier to handle and make large volumes of professional-quality HD video and high resolution pictures easier to capture smoothly.

Also read and write speeds are set to increase on the currently available SD formats (SDHC and Embedded SD) SDXC Cards will turn mobile phones into HD multi-media centres allowing years of photo collections and weeks of HD video to be stored.

The new extended capacity cards will use Microsoft’s exFAT file system as opposed to the currently used FAT16 and FAT32 file systems.

Shigeto Kanda, general manager at Canon said “SDXC is a large-capacity card that can store more than 4,000 RAW images, which is the uncompressed mode professionals use, and 17,000 of the fine-mode most consumers use. That capacity, combined with the exFAT file system, increases movie recording time and reduces starting time to improve photo-capturing opportunities,”

With the introduction of this new format it may not be long before we see 64GB iPhones and flash based MP3 players being released. The 64GB SDXC card is set for release in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the current largest SDHC card which is at 32GB.