What is the maximum capacity of original Secure Digital (SD) cards?

Original Secure Digital (SD) cards have a maximum capacity of 2 GB. This specification is due to the original SD card standard established in 1999, which focused on creating a compact format for storage that could support up to 2 GB of data.

As technology advanced, higher capacity cards were developed, introducing the SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) standard, which allowed for capacities beyond 2 GB, ranging from 4 GB to 32 GB. The later SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) standard further expanded the potential capacity to 2 TB. However, when it comes to the original SD card format, the 2 GB limit is a defining characteristic.

Understanding this distinction is essential for recognizing the limitations of original SD cards compared to their successors in the SD card family. This knowledge is useful for scenarios where compatibility with older devices is a concern, especially since many legacy devices only support those original SD cards.