Semiconductor memory card

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory card includes a first pin group which includes a plurality of pins arranged in a line at an end portion on a side of an inserting direction into a connector and part of which is used both in a first and second modes; and a second pin group which includes a plurality of pins including at least two pin pairs for differential signal, is arranged so that a ground is positioned on both sides of each of the pin pairs for differential signal, and is used only in the second mode. In the second mode, among the respective pins configuring the first pin group, any of adjacent two pins are changed to a pin pair for differential clock signal, and a function of remaining pins of the first pin group is stopped.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor memory card that includes a semiconductor memory that is mounted on one surface of a substrate and a controller that is mounted on the other surface of the substrate and controls the semiconductor memory, and is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode in which data is transferred at a higher speed than the first mode, comprising:
 a first pin group which includes a plurality of pins arranged in a line at an end portion on a one side of an inserting direction into a connector the semiconductor memory card, which functions as four data pins, one command pin, one power source pin, one clock pin, and two ground pins in the first mode, and part of which is used both in the first and second modes; and 
 a second pin group which includes a plurality of pins including at least two pin pairs for differential signal, is arranged in a line at a portion between a center of the semiconductor memory card and the other side of the semiconductor memory card so that a ground is positioned on both sides of each of the pin pairs for differential signal, and is used only in the second mode, wherein 
 in the second mode, among the respective pins configuring the first pin group, any of adjacent two out of ones that function as the data pins, the command pin, and the clock pin in the first mode pins are changed assigned to different function from that of the first mode as a pin pair for differential clock signal to function as the pin pair for differential clock signal, and a function of remaining pins of the first pin group is stopped invalidated. 
 
     
     
       2. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first pin group is arranged in a first direction, and  
 the second pin group is arranged in approximately same the first direction as the first pin group at a position that is near a center in of the inserting direction and near an end on an opposite side of the inserting direction semiconductor memory card. 
 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 2 , wherein the second pin group is arranged to be divided into a plurality of rows in the inserting first direction. 
     
     
       4. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pin group and the second pin group are arranged to sandwich a region on the substrate in which the controller is mounted. 
     
     
       5. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the pins forming the second pin group is arranged without being offset in a second direction perpendicular to the inserting first direction with respect to the pins forming the first pin group. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein the second pin group is arranged in a direction different from the first pin group. 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein the second pin group is arranged in approximately same direction as the first pin group adjacently to the first pin group. 
     
     
       8. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 7 , further comprising an upper case and a lower case that accommodates the substrate, wherein
 the lower case includes a thin portion in a region facing a region in which the first and second pin groups are formed, and   the first and second pin groups are exposed outside the upper case and the lower case via an opening provided in the thin portion.   
     
     
       9. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 8 , wherein there is provided one said thin portion commonly to all of the pins of the first and second pin groups. 
     
     
       10. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the pins forming the second pin group is arranged adjacently in the inserting direction with respect to the pins forming the first pin group, and the thin portion is formed commonly to a plurality of pins adjacent in the inserting direction. 
     
     
       11. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein an area of each of the pins forming the second pin group is smaller than an area of each of the pins forming the first pin group. 
     
     
       12. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein wires that connect respective pins for differential signal of the second pin group and the controller are formed on the substrate to have approximately equal length. 
     
     
       13. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein wires that connect respective pins for differential signal of the second pin group and the controller are formed approximately in parallel on the substrate for each of the pin pairs. 
     
     
       14. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein wires that connect respective pins for differential signal of the second pin group and the controller have approximately equal length and are formed approximately in parallel on the substrate for each of the pin pairs. 
     
     
       15. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein each wire that connects each of the four data pins of the first pin group and the controller, a wire that connects the clock pin and the controller, and a wire that connects the command pin and the controller are formed on the substrate to have approximately equal length. 
     
     
       16. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , further comprising a case that accommodates the substrate, wherein
 an outer shape of a side surface of the case is different from a case of a semiconductor memory card exclusively for the first mode at least at one part. 
 
     
     
       17. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 16 , wherein the case includes a notch for distinguishing from the case of the semiconductor memory card exclusively for the first mode. 
     
     
       18. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a pin in the first pin group has a larger area than a pin of same function of the semiconductor memory card exclusively for the first mode. 
     
     
       19. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor memory is a NAND-type flash memory. 
     
     
       20. A memory card comprising:
 a substrate having a front edge, a back edge, the front edge being an edge arranged on a side of an inserting direction into a connector, the back edge being an edge arranged on an opposite side of the front edge;   a memory mounted on the substrate, the memory including NAND memory which is capable of storing data;   a controller mounted on the substrate, the controller controlling the NAND memory in the memory with a first mode operation and a second mode operation, the second mode operation being able to transfer data at a higher speed than the first mode operation, the controller having a first terminals and a second terminals;   a first pin group which includes a plurality of first pins arranged near the front edge of the substrate and which is coupled to the first terminals of the controller, the plurality of first pins functioning as four data pins, one command pin, one power source pin, one clock pin, and two ground pins in the first mode operation, part of the plurality of first pins being used both in the first operation and second mode operation;   a second pin group which includes a plurality of second pins positioned to be apart from the first pin group in the inserting direction and which is coupled to the second terminals of the controller, the plurality of second pins functioning as a first pin pair for a first differential data signal, a second pin pair for a second differential data signal, one source pin and at least two ground pins, the first pin pair and the second pin pair being positioned between the two ground pins, the plurality of second pins being used in the second mode operation;   an exterior case housing the substrate, the exterior case covering the memory and the controller, the exterior case exposing the plurality of first pins and the plurality of second pins;   a first resistive element positioned between the part of the plurality of first pins of the first pin group and the first terminals of the controller; and   a second resistive element positioned between part of the plurality of second pins of the second pin group and the second terminals of the controller.    
     
     
       21. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 in the second mode, among the first pins, adjacent two pins are assigned to different function from that of the first mode as a pin pairs for differential clock signal and to invalidate remaining pins of the first pins.    
     
     
       22. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the second pin group is arranged at a position that is offset from a central portion in the inserting direction.    
     
     
       23. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the second pin group is arranged to be divided into a plurality of rows.    
     
     
       24. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the first resistive element and the second resistive element are arranged on a side of the memory card to avoid a central portion thereof.    
     
     
       25. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 each of the second pins is arranged so as not to offset in a direction perpendicular to the inserting direction with respect to the first pins in a staggered manner.    
     
     
       26. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the first resistive element and the second resistive element respectively include a plurality of resistors.    
     
     
       27. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 an area of the second pins arranged is smaller than an area of the first pins arranged.    
     
     
       28. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the second terminals respectively coupled to the first pin pair and the second pin pair via the second wires, each of the second wires has approximately equal length.    
     
     
       29. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the second terminals respectively coupled to the second pin pair and the second pin pair via the second wires, each of the second wires are arranged approximately in parallel on the substrate for each of the pin pairs.    
     
     
       30. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the controller is mounted between the front edge and a central portion of the substrate in the inserting direction.    
     
     
       31. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the first terminals respectively coupled to the first pins via first wires, each of the first wires has approximately equal length.    
     
     
       32. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein,
 when seen through from a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the substrate, a side edge of the exterior case has an outer shape that indicates the exterior case is compatible with the second mode operation.    
     
     
       33. The semiconductor memory card according to  claim 32 , wherein
 the exterior case has a notch as the outer shape.    
     
     
       34. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 at least one of first pins has an expanded portion that indicates the exterior case is compatible with the second mode operation.    
     
     
       35. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the memory has a first memory and a second memory, each includes a NAND-type flash memory.    
     
     
       36. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 date transfer speed of the first mode is 20 Mbyte/sec, and   date transfer speed of the second mode is 300 Mbyte/sec.    
     
     
       37. The memory card according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the plurality of second pins are arranged along the inserting direction.