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Overview:
The first automated copying station worldwide can be used to copy
data to large quantities of memory cards. Mobile memory media is now
playing a key
role in the distribution of software, games and music.
Press release:
Based on their existing CopyStation technology,
altec ComputerSysteme has developed the first automated CopyStation for
mobile memory
media worldwide.
Due to the very high throughput which can be achieved, the Robo
CopyStation opens up completely new possibilities for distributing software,
games and music for mobile phones, PDAs and mobile gaming consoles.
All major market analyses predict a growing number of variants and
a rapidly increasing quantity of mobile electronic gadgets which
are pre-loaded with software
and data by the manufacturer. To an increasing extent, games, maps
for
navigation systems, software, catalogs and price
lists, timetables,
ring tones and music will be copied onto memory cards.
Due to the large production quantities, the Robo CopyStation is
an ideal solution for manufacturers of smart phones, mobile gaming
consoles,
navigation
systems and PDAs. Other providers of content on memory media
can also benefit from a significant cost reduction
per copied memory card.
In addition to the widely used Flash memory technology, a new
storage media is the so-called OTP card (One Time Programmable),
which
can only be written
to once like EEPROMs. They feature a very low media price per
kilobyte. The altec CopyStations are already
compatible with this new type
of media.
An optional software tool is available from
altec which encodes the data individually for each card during copying according
to the card
ID number.
This technology can be used to ensure that a program or game
can only be started
from the original memory card. This provides
an effective copy protection mechanism.
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The Robo CopyStation works in the following way: Blank memory cards are fed
into the machine using so-called card trays. The robot
arm picks up 10 cards at a time using suction pads and
put them into recesses which are provided
with contacts.
Each row of cards is held against the contacts using pressure
arms. The contact pads are connected to the built-in copying unit.
The copying
unit then copies identical data
images to 20 or 40 memory cards simultaneously.
The Robo CopyStation is operated using a touch screen which is mounted
on a swivel arm.
The currently achievable write speed is about
2 MB/sec. per card. At this data rate and with
64 MB memory cards, less than 1.5 minutes are required
to
transport the cards and to write the data image. If the Robo CopyStation
is fitted with contact pads for 40 cards, this corresponds to
a throughput of 2000 cards per hour.
The contact pads are currently designed for SD Cards and MultiMediaCards.
RS-MMC, miniSD and TransFlash cards can also be handled using
an adapter. altec plans to provide contact pads for other card types
in the near future.
The standard Robo CopyStation has a flexible design which can
be easily adapted to existing automatic transport systems for
memory card trays. Stand-alone
models
with built-in paternoster storage systems for the supply and
removal
of the memory card trays are being developed.
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