SDCard+SPI blues

[UTMonkey]

Dear All,

This websites policy on foul language prohibits me from telling you all exactly how I feel at this present time, i'll just take a deep breath an start typing...

A few weeks ago I started on a PIC+SPI+SDCard project, I got all the bits together, purchased some SanDisk 1GB SDCards cheap (ebay).

I put it all on the breadboard and tried to reset the card using the CMD0, the result was 0xC0 every time.

I decided to port the circuit to strip board and tried the same reset sequence and got 0xC0.

I have added\removed pullups. Swapped and changed 74xx245 with 74HCT125's and vice versa.

As a last resort to remove any possibility of program+hardware error decided to buy the logic shifter and SDCard daughter boards from FutureLec (took 7 days to get here in the UK from Bangkok!).

I wire it all up again, yep you guessed it 0xC0!

It then occurs to me to steal the SD Card from my wifes camera (512mb), guess what I get? 0x01 - great!

So whats the difference between my 1GB SanDisk card and a cheapy (the name escapes me) 512mb card apart from size?

Regards

Mark

p.s. Thanks to those who answered my questions in the past weeks.

 

[bacterozoid]

The size of the SD card is going to change the location of certain things like FATs and the root directory, depending on how much space various other elements need.

I'm not sure that initializing your card should make use of any of that, though. Have you tried your 1GB cards in your computer to see if they work? I've used 1GB/512MB cards in an AVR project with no problems between the two.

 

[duffy]

I had the same problem. Turns out these newer high capacity SD cards use a slightly different format because of a change in the speed.

The foul language policy prohibits me from telling you how I feel about it, too.

 

[AtomSoft]

heh this is funny. Can you post code that you are using. Maybe you missed something or typo somewhere.

 

[AtomSoft]

I had the same problem. Turns out these newer high capacity SD cards use a slightly different format because of a change in the speed.

The foul language policy prohibits me from telling you how I feel about it, too.

1GB is not a higer capacity card .


I CANT WAIT FOR THIS:

**broken link removed**

 

[Wp100]

Hi UTM,

Noticed you said you imported bits from FutureLec - can I ask how much they charged for delivery and if you had to pay anything to the carrier or post office for import duties / vat etc ?

Have always wanted to order some stuff from them but have heard stories of carriers / PO demanding their own extra handling charges before letting you have the goods.

thanks

Wp

 

[UTMonkey]

Hi WP100,

I took the standard delivery option on the website - the price of the good plus postage came to about 60 dollars.

Took 7 days and I didnt get any hassle about extra payments or VAT etc.

I was a little nervous about the issues surrounding reliability and I was prepared to wait 2 weeks before I contact them about my order. But it all appears to have ended well.

Regards

 

[DirtyLude]

I guess your cheapies do not handle SPI interface, just the direct card read used by camera's and such. Even if it was SDHC, you would still get an 0x01 return from CMD0.

I CANT WAIT FOR THIS:

**broken link removed**

Why? Is your current 32GB cards not holding enough info for you?

Anybody know if SDXC is going to keep the SPI interface, or are we going to have to implement a more complex direct interface to access them?

 

[AtomSoft]

Think about it a 2TB SD card. The small Form Factor and Large Capacity would make computing GREAT! I mean i can store anything on one of those. Imagine the data that can be saved on 10 of them. Data Acquisition is also important and having enough space is always a issue. It says you could store about 100 HD movies on a SDXC:

"A 2 TB SDXC memory card could store an estimated 100 HD movies or 480 hours of HD recording ..."

Imagine Space Exploration as a subject of interest. Imagine the image quality you can store on these cards. If you place 20 cards to store data @ 2TB max thats 40TB or 9600 HOURS of HD Quality VIDEO. Thats a lot of data. I might not need it but i can imagine only using 1 SDXC to store all my data or run a entire OS off of it and have many bairbone PCs or a LAPTOP run off 1 2tb card. You can off a 32 gb but come on be realistic 32gb is nothing now 100 gb is nothing. I am using about 1 TB now and im low on space.

So to you question:
"Why? Is your current 32GB cards not holding enough info for you?"

No.

I though the SPI bus was a SD standard meaning all SD Cards regardless of size(capacity) would use the SD Protocol and SPI.

 

[Salgat]

Think about it a 2TB SD card. The small Form Factor and Large Capacity would make computing GREAT! I mean i can store anything on one of those. Imagine the data that can be saved on 10 of them. Data Acquisition is also important and having enough space is always a issue. It says you could store about 100 HD movies on a SDXC:

"A 2 TB SDXC memory card could store an estimated 100 HD movies or 480 hours of HD recording ..."

Imagine Space Exploration as a subject of interest. Imagine the image quality you can store on these cards. If you place 20 cards to store data @ 2TB max thats 40TB or 9600 HOURS of HD Quality VIDEO. Thats a lot of data. I might not need it but i can imagine only using 1 SDXC to store all my data or run a entire OS off of it and have many bairbone PCs or a LAPTOP run off 1 2tb card. You can off a 32 gb but come on be realistic 32gb is nothing now 100 gb is nothing. I am using about 1 TB now and im low on space.

So to you question:
"Why? Is your current 32GB cards not holding enough info for you?"

No.

I though the SPI bus was a SD standard meaning all SD Cards regardless of size(capacity) would use the SD Protocol and SPI.

This kind of technology is inevitable, regardless of the form it's in, I'm surprised to see anyone getting so worked up over it.

 

[AtomSoft]

Heh if it wasnt special then no one would want it. When the Playstation 3 or XBOX 360 came out there was lines wrapped around the block just like the iPhone but that tech was inevitable also but that doesnt mean one shouldnt get worked up about it.

 

[DirtyLude]

Because the format is approved, doesn't mean they are going to release 2TB cards. It just means they can.

The SPI protocol is just an add on to allow smaller microcontroller access to the card. It's a simplified access command structure and it's much slower than the SD access modes. The SD access modes are what these cards are usually accessed with.

I would think they would keep the SPI mode, but that's no a given. Technically MicroSD cards do not have to support SPI mode, it's optional for them, but the ones I've used all do.

 

[Wp100]

I took the standard delivery option on the website - the price of the good plus postage came to about 60 dollars.

Took 7 days and I didnt get any hassle about extra payments or VAT etc.

Thanks , will feel a lot better knowing that.

Wp

 

[UTMonkey]

heh this is funny. Can you post code that you are using. Maybe you missed something or typo somewhere.

Thanks for the offer Jason, but I have just purchased a cheapy 1GB SD card and inserted it into the circuit and it works fine.

That means that there is an issue with my 1GB SanDisk, thing is I bought 4 of them from eBay and all of them do the same - but all work if I plug them into my laptop.

I suppose to really get to the bottom of this one I should make myself a member of the SD Card Association, cheap for $2000 (yeah right!).

I think I will just avoid all Sandisk stuff (or eBay SDCards!).

Regards

Mark

 

[AtomSoft]

I have about 3 2GB SD Cards 2 from different companies and they all work on my PC but only one works on my SD Card Pic thingy. And that one is from:

SanDisk but its a MicroSD and im using a TransFlash adapter

The others are:

1 (2GB) SanDisk SD
1 (2GB) PQ1 (i think lol)

It has to do with the way its formatted tho. Well... my issue with it at least.

With the MicroSD card i get a Volume name and a bunch of other things. But when i use the other i get no info.

 

[DirtyLude]

I think I will just avoid all Sandisk stuff (or eBay SDCards!).

I would say, those are most assuredly cheap knockoffs. The flash memory worlds has a lot of fakes of name brand cards. Even retail outlets sell them.