Multifunction card

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A multi-I/O card from 1993, manufactured by GoldStar Goldstar IDE Plus V3 005.jpg
A multi-I/O card from 1993, manufactured by GoldStar

A multifunction card, also known as a multifunction board, is a type of expansion card for personal computers (PCs) that combines the functions of multiple single-purpose cards in order to free up expansion slots for use with other cards. A multifunction card may combine the functionality of, for example, a random-access memory (RAM) card, a real-time clock (RTC) card, and a game port. [1] : 51 

A multi-I/O card is a type of multifunction card that specifically combines the functions of cards dedicated to input/output (I/O), including serial, parallel, floppy, and hard disk controller cards. [2]

History

Multifunction cards had their heyday in the 1980s, especially with the rise of the IBM Personal Computer, which initially required several dedicated expansion cards for basic functionality (such as outputting video and controlling the disk drives), leaving few vacant slots for the user to install additional cards. [1] : 51  [3] Multifunction cards were also popular among Apple II users. [4]

The most popular of the early multifunction cards was AST Research's SixPak for the IBM PC, [5] : 25  which combined a serial card, parallel printer card, a RTC card, and a 384-KB-maximum RAM card. [3] The SixPak proved so popular that it spawned a cottage industry unto itself of so-called "SixPak clones", which closely mimicked its design and capabilities. [6] : 27 

With desktop computers, multifunction card became increasingly obsolete as the functionality of these cards began to be integrated into the motherboards of PCs, a trend that started in the late 1980s and solidified by the early 2000s. [7] [8] [9] With laptops and subnotebooks, the multifunction card concept persisted for several more years with PC Cards; many laptops had only one or two slots for such cards, leading to many manufacturers developing multifunction PC Cards that, for example, combined modem cards with memory-expansion cards. [10] : 115 

References

  1. 1 2 Longley, Dennis; Michael Shain (1985). Expanding and Networking Microcomputers: Most Comprehensive Guide for Apple II and IBM Personal Computers. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 51–65. ISBN   9781349076253 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Hastings, Bryan; Dan Miller (September 1993). "486 PCs with the Works". PC World. Vol. 11, no. 9. IDG Communications. pp. 102 et seq. – via Gale.
  3. 1 2 Staff writer (November 14, 1983). "Multifunction cards for IBM PCs". InfoWorld. Vol. 5, no. 46. IDG Publications. pp. 76–77 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Maremaa, Tom (June 24, 1985). "Boards Add Life to Apple II". InfoWorld. Vol. 7, no. 25. IDG Publications. pp. 39–40 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Welch, Mark J. (August 25, 1986). "Multifunction Boards". InfoWorld. Vol. 8, no. 34. IDG Publications. pp. 25–31 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Welch, Mark J. (January 27, 1986). "Interest Grows in Generic Computers". InfoWorld. Vol. 8, no. 4. IDG Publications. pp. 24–27 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Cummings, Steve (February 16, 1988). "All the Rules Have Changed". PC Week. Vol. 5, no. 7. Ziff-Davis. pp. S9 et seq. – via Gale.
  8. ↑ Blackford, John (June 1995). "PC Boards go Multifunctional". Computer Shopper. Vol. 15, no. 6. SX2 Media Labs. pp. 50 et seq. – via Gale.
  9. ↑ Mueller, Scott (2004). Upgrading and Repairing PCs. Que. p. 1194. ISBN   9780789729743 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ Imdad-Haque, Faisal (1996). Inside PC Card: CardBus and PCMCIA Design. Newnes. pp. 115–131. ISBN   9780080534732 – via Google Books.
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