Compact Flash Interface
Compact flash is essentially just a miniaturized ATA interface, for use on devices that use flash memory storage. No interfacing chips or circuitry are required, other than to directly adapt the smaller CF socket onto the larger ATA connector.
The ATA connector specification does not include pins for supplying power to a CF device, so power is inserted into the connector from a separate source.
CF devices can be designated as master or slave on an ATA interface, though since most CF devices offer only a single socket, it is not necessary to offer this selection to end users.
Although CF can be hot pluggable with additional design methods, by default when wired directly to an ATA interface, it is not intended to be hot-pluggable.
Read more about this topic: Parallel ATA
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