CFast

CFast is a storage card standard developed by the CompactFlash Association for the CompactFlash form factor that uses a Serial ATA (SATA) interface rather than the traditional parallel ATA used by earlier CompactFlash cards. The goal was to provide higher data transfer rates while preserving backward compatibility with the physical CF card footprint and its connector.

A CFast card contains NAND flash memory, plus an onboard controller that translates between the SATA host interface and the flash memory operations. The enclosure retains the familiar CompactFlash outline (the same approximate size as CF Type I/II), allowing CFast to slot into devices designed for CF media when a CFast-capable host controller is present. The interface presents a SATA command set to the host, enabling standard storage operation at the device level.

CFast was marketed for professional workflows that demand high sustained write performance and low latency, such as high-definition and 4K video capture, broadcast equipment, and other industrial applications. Actual speeds depend on the card edition (for example, later revisions offered higher throughput) and the host system’s realization of the interface.

In the years since its introduction, market momentum shifted toward newer standards such as CFexpress, which uses PCIe and NVMe interfaces. As a result, CFast adoption has waned in consumer devices, though some professional cameras and equipment still use or support CFast cards for legacy workflows.

Related standards include CFexpress, CompactFlash, and SATA-based storage interfaces.