The Secure Digital (SD) memory card has passed the CompactFlash card to take the top position in market share among memory cards, according to the most recent sales data available from The NPD Group.

The analyst firm said SD memory captured the number one position with 30% of the U.S. flash memory market in October against 28.8% for the CompactFlash Card. In third place was Memory Stick, with a 22% market share.

A total of 1,524 products, including many handhelds and smartphones, carrying 134 brand names, currently use the SD Memory Card. Back in July, IDC projected in a report that SD would take the lead this year. IDC also projects SD will rise to a 50.0% market share in 2005, and gain a 56.6% share in 2007.

Back in May, The NPD Groud found that SD memry had overtaken Memory Stck to become the number two selling flash memory for the first time in its three year existence.

And in March , the SD Card Association introduced the miniSD Card to address the market's demand for ultra-small media to enable ultra-small devices, such as next generation mobile phones. MiniSD, based on existing SD Memory Card architecture, is a thumbnail-sized card, as opposed to postage stammped-sized for regular SD memory. The miniSD Card can operate with existing products through an adaptor.