I know I'll take some flak for this approach but, thought I'd try the "eaasy" route first and just ask here in case anyone knows...
I have several projects mulling around that seem to end up needing some data stored in non-volatile digital memory and it seems like a fairly simple and practical resolution is to use a flash memory module like the SD card.
Are there users here who have "figured" this out and have the basic knowledge to share? That is, the pinouts for the contacts, the required voltages and currents for programming the card and reading the data, timing diagrams for read/write cycles, etc.
I guess I should also note that the desired method is to manually (or semi-automatically) program the card rather than interface it to a Pentium or PIC or some other involved process. Case in point:
One project is to make a home entertainment center remote control for sight impaired people. The idea is large, well-lighted buttins and the ability for non0technical users to be able to program it. The idea for programming is to save the code produced by the factory-supplied remote for the equipment (TV, VCR, DVD, amplifier, etc.) in the oversized remote. Programming would involve setting the big remote to the program mode and then pressing the buttons while simultaneously pressing the corresponding button on the "factory" remote to program the code (which would be stored on the SD card). Once programmed, the big remote would be set for normal operation and the buttons on it would do the work.
I'm also thinking about an altimeter with only one moving part (a bellows which would directly drive a digitizer). The device would also have a temperature sensor. The programming would simply involve subjecting the altimeter to a "programmed" sequence or pressures and temperatures while measuring and saving the output data. Thus, the altimeter would need no "calibration", just the abiltiy to repeat the same digital code for the same temperature/pressure conditions with the data on the flash memory doing the correction to acutal altitude (code conversion). Of couse, there would still be the need for setting the current barametric presssure correction but, that's another issue.
And, the list of projects that can use a simple SD card programmer go on and on and on....
I have several projects mulling around that seem to end up needing some data stored in non-volatile digital memory and it seems like a fairly simple and practical resolution is to use a flash memory module like the SD card.
Are there users here who have "figured" this out and have the basic knowledge to share? That is, the pinouts for the contacts, the required voltages and currents for programming the card and reading the data, timing diagrams for read/write cycles, etc.
I guess I should also note that the desired method is to manually (or semi-automatically) program the card rather than interface it to a Pentium or PIC or some other involved process. Case in point:
One project is to make a home entertainment center remote control for sight impaired people. The idea is large, well-lighted buttins and the ability for non0technical users to be able to program it. The idea for programming is to save the code produced by the factory-supplied remote for the equipment (TV, VCR, DVD, amplifier, etc.) in the oversized remote. Programming would involve setting the big remote to the program mode and then pressing the buttons while simultaneously pressing the corresponding button on the "factory" remote to program the code (which would be stored on the SD card). Once programmed, the big remote would be set for normal operation and the buttons on it would do the work.
I'm also thinking about an altimeter with only one moving part (a bellows which would directly drive a digitizer). The device would also have a temperature sensor. The programming would simply involve subjecting the altimeter to a "programmed" sequence or pressures and temperatures while measuring and saving the output data. Thus, the altimeter would need no "calibration", just the abiltiy to repeat the same digital code for the same temperature/pressure conditions with the data on the flash memory doing the correction to acutal altitude (code conversion). Of couse, there would still be the need for setting the current barametric presssure correction but, that's another issue.
And, the list of projects that can use a simple SD card programmer go on and on and on....