Smartconnect Flash Card Adapter

A multi-flash-card reader comprising:

• a plurality of connectors (62, 64, 66, 68) each having a respective slot adapted to removably receive a flash memory card;
• characterised by comprising a converter chip (40) connected to the connectors and adapted to convert signals from a flash-memory card currently inserted in one of said connectors to read data from the flash-memory card;
• the converter chip having an interface (100) for outputting data read from the flash-memory card;
• the plurality of connectors comprising at least first and second connectors (64;62), the first connector (62) having a parallel data bus and control signals for parallel data transfer from a type of flash-memory card providing parallel data access in which a parallel data bus and an address bus are used to access data, hereafter referred to as a parallel card (16), and the second connector (64) having at
• least one serial data pin and a clock pin for controlling serial data transfer from a type of flash-memory card, hereafter referred to as a serial card (28), in which one or more data lines are each clocked in synchronization with a clock signal so that one bit or one word of data is transferred for each clock;
• wherein the converter chip is adapted to control clocked data transfer for serial cards and parallel data bus transfer for parallel cards, whereby multiple types of flash-memory card can be read by the multiflash-card reader using the converter chip;
• the converter chip further comprising a shifter (98) connected to data and clock signals (DATA;
• CLK)
• from the second connector and adapted to clock in one bit of data for each clock pulse when the serial card (28) is of a first type providing bit by bit data access and to clock in one word of data for each clock pulse when the serial card (26) is of a second type providing word by word data access.