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Poor Man's SD Card Socket — Parallax Forums

Poor Man's SD Card Socket

ClemensClemens Posts: 236
edited 2009-06-18 03:34 in Propeller 1
Hmmm, not sure if it's worth posting, but at least it should be good for a laugh... :-D

Behold my Poor Man's SD Card Socket made from Paper Clips.
Now, isn't it amazing what one can do with these things... ...henceforward call me McGuyver!
The Clips are kept apart by the wire bridges·only, no glue was applied.
And it works perfectly, I just watched Bagger's stunning Video Demo.
Cheers.

Clemens
pm_sd1.jpg
800 x 600 - 109K
pm_sd2.jpg
800 x 600 - 108K
pm_sd3.jpg
800 x 600 - 43K

Comments

  • CJCJ Posts: 470
    edited 2007-07-14 21:10
    Nice!

    now to build it into a module on some perfboard

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  • DufferDuffer Posts: 374
    edited 2007-07-14 21:40
    Very clever! Reduce, reuse, recycle and (my favorite) repurpose. And I see that you didn't skimp, but went right for the fancy (ball-end) clips. Very classy!

    I think that I read somewhere (Book of Odds?) that the chances of a paperclip actually being used to clip paper are only 1 in 2. HALF are being repurposed.
  • BTXBTX Posts: 674
    edited 2007-07-14 21:46
    You did it, It works, no dubts ...you're Mc Giver !!
    Good !!
    Just only let me to comment something about this....
    Each time, you'll have data transfers, like in this case from SD to propeller, try to maintain wires as short as possible, also, try to put a .1uF capacitor ...near the SD power pin. You'll have better results (or more speed available).

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    Regards.

    Alberto.
  • HarleyHarley Posts: 997
    edited 2007-07-14 21:51
    Thanks, Clemons, for sharing.

    I've never seen paper clips with those ends. I see one is clipped off else possibly wouldn't insert into the solderless breadboard.

    Not the highest conductivity, but for low current apps beyond adequate.

    What keeps them from shorting any? Or is the SD module not hot-pluggable?

    Must have made some sort of jig for the bends. I'd not be able to make two the same otherwise.

    Interesting on 'repurposing'. Hadn't run across that info. The pics provide good example on 'how to'.

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    h.a.s. designn
  • Graham StablerGraham Stabler Posts: 2,510
    edited 2007-07-14 23:11
    Yeah you could make drum sticks for mice with those paper clips.

    Graham
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2007-07-15 01:27
    Clemens, you are one mad bugger, it's a good laugh but it works. When I first prototyped SD cards the sockets weren't easy to get hold of so dumb me, I just used a card edge connector like the ones that get pushed onto the gold pcb fingers. It worked but it is nowhere near as memorable as yours although it was infinitely easier. hop.gif

    With your attitude you could re-purpose the Propeller into goodness knows what, maybe the QFP pack could have the legs bent down and it could be turned into an ant prison.

    *Peter*
  • OzStampOzStamp Posts: 377
    edited 2007-07-15 01:44
    Hi All

    Clemens is a bit like our OZZIE bushtucker man "LES".. good for a laugh..but very hands on..
    Well executed... Clemens.

    Cheers from Australia

    Ronald Nollet
  • ClemensClemens Posts: 236
    edited 2007-07-16 13:33
    Thank you all for your kind replies.

    @ Alberto
    Thanks, I'll make these Changes.

    @ Graham
    Actually I did this once, but the ungrateful furballs preferred to learn to play the piano. It's more "mouselike" they say... ;-)

    Cheers,

    Clemens
  • RinksCustomsRinksCustoms Posts: 531
    edited 2007-07-16 16:49
    now that's being rescourcefull!

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  • crgwbrcrgwbr Posts: 614
    edited 2007-07-16 17:37
    very nice

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  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-08-18 02:01
    Idle speculation: Radio shack is selling a 1G microSD with two adaptors (for $20, I think). It does seem like the adaptors -- one sd card size, one mini sd size, could be soldered right onto a prop board. Seems like you get two chances to get it right without hosing the flash car

    Post Edited (Fred Hawkins) : 8/18/2007 5:28:11 PM GMT
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-08-18 17:28
    ps. that Radio Shack sale ends today, Saturday Aug 18th. Your milage may vary.
  • ClemensClemens Posts: 236
    edited 2007-08-18 18:17
    You' re right Fred, these adapters are a convenient (and inexpensive) way to get (Micro/Mini) SD-Card access. Actually our systems administrator did just that to hook up a mini-sd to one of his (non-propeller) projects.
    (Man, I'm using brackets a lot, don't I.) :-D
    Btw, that administrator is responsible for me owning a propeller, he showed me the propstick and I fell in love right away... But being a graphic-designer, I probably spend too much time optimizing my breadboard setup, where I should learn some spin and assembler.

    Some of us Germans are funny people, like deSilva already pointed out. I totally agree with him, that there should be no other chip on my setup except for the propeller. - and I might add, you should avoid soldering whereever you can. Welcome to the fine art of dogma-prototyping.
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-08-18 19:15
    Clemens said...
    Welcome to the fine art of dogma-prototyping.
    LOL - I do like that!
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-08-18 21:49
    Clemens said...
    But being a graphic-designer, I probably spend too much time optimizing my breadboard setup, where I should learn some spin and assembler.
    I confess to advanced degrees in photography & printmaking: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=608508

    ·
  • SteelSteel Posts: 313
    edited 2007-08-28 16:00
    Does anybody have access to the SD flash cards communication protocol?

    I have been looking online, and I am having a hard time finding it.

    Thanks
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-08-28 16:21
    Funny, one of the best described protocols...
    Or have a look at the many Propeller drivers for it..
  • ClemensClemens Posts: 236
    edited 2007-08-28 19:00
    I used this one:

    http://obex.parallax.com/objects/92/
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-08-28 19:30
    deSilva said...
    Funny, one of the best described protocols...
    Actually with SDIO and SDHC coming out on the market, its harder and harder to find the specifications for vanilla SD memory. Sandisk OEM reference use to be my goto place for the spec sheet, but I can't find it there anymore.

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    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.

    Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 8/28/2007 7:38:34 PM GMT
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-08-28 20:26
    Remember that there's the Wayback machine for old Sandisk.com pages: http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

    That said these are still online:
    http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/Default.aspx?CatID=1416
    http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/ApplicationNotes/
    There's more at Sandisk who have seem to have a rat's nest.


    Sandisk did send me on to http://www.sdcard.org/home/

    physical specs (under the About SD Memory Card menu link)
    http://www.sdcard.org/about/memory_card/pls/Simplified_Physical_Layer_Spec.pdf

    About halfway down their menu is "About Host Controller" which has these expurgiated spec (probably hides the drm aspects)

    http://www.sdcard.org/about/host_controller/simple_spec/Simplified_SD_Host_Controller_Spec.pdf (this link skips an intro page and an Eula)

    This pdf download was slow and may be incomplete. On my first try, Adobe reader claimed 525K of 578K.·On the third try, it downloaded completely.

    Post Edited (Fred Hawkins) : 8/28/2007 8:40:15 PM GMT
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-08-28 20:40
    Thanks Fred, the Simplied Host controller·pdf seems to be a simplified version of the 500+ page behemoth I used to use as a reference.

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    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-08-28 20:44
    I think the physical layout pdf may be the right one for most of our purposes. The Host one seems less grounded in pins and voltages.
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-09-04 09:37
    Those pdfs from SD Card Association (simplified physical layout, simplified host controller) are nearly useless: they lack all detailed timing.

    Other good refereneces:

    http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/an_pk/4068 This one has a decent description of crc calculation.

    Texas Instruments has some very nice step by step procedures for all of the major things you need to do. They are inside the docs for their sd card modules that are in their daVinci chips. Or for their bricklike (18mm square chips with 288 bumps on the bottom) sd card interface chips -- those are only available to oems apparently and are used to manage the card slots on laptops etc.

    Here's one doc: http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/techdocsabstract.tsp?abstractName=sprue30b

    Just use their search function to find others using this argument: "SD Card controller"
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-09-04 10:14
    Consider: Most designs do not use the 4-bit mode. In SPI mode the SD is fully compatible (or should at least) to MMC.
    The times had been much simpler then, and there is leaner documentation smile.gif
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2007-09-04 11:53
    Clemens·-

    Excellent job on your SD Card socket!!· This coming weekend I may have to try this out, but I will have to use the funny triangular paper clips we have here in Hong Kong!

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    tdswieter.com
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  • morris4019morris4019 Posts: 145
    edited 2009-06-18 02:19
    I would love to try this out as well. I've never messed with SD Cards, but would open up a whole new world if i could. Is there a schematic or pinout that you know of that would help me set it up. I never run out of paperclips [noparse]:)[/noparse] .

    -Mike

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    ······ I'll try everything once [noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • Peter VerkaikPeter Verkaik Posts: 3,956
    edited 2009-06-18 02:36
    Better than paperclips:
    http://uanr.com/sdfloppy/

    regards peter
  • morris4019morris4019 Posts: 145
    edited 2009-06-18 03:07
    Hey thanks Peter!! [noparse]:)[/noparse] I never thought of using another connector like that. My brother is a project manager at the Tulaliup Indian Tribe (working on a new resort next to their casino), he is a project manager and their idea of recycling computers is storing them in a pile in some closet. It is a first come first serve closet so everyone takes what they need. I've been getting about 2-3 fully functional computers a week for the last month. I'm having trouble finding room for all of them now, haha.

    Great link! I have everything i need to create that SD card reader already, i'm excited...

    -Mike

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    ······ I'll try everything once [noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2009-06-18 03:34
    Great idea - Just a comment though. Slide a piece of insulation (heatshrink or whatever) over the clip so that it cannot short to the adjacent clips.

    Adapters (microSD to miniSD and to SD) are now cheaply available in pairs so you can hardwire one of the sockets. And using a microSD, you can also get the USB to microSD adapter as well - more expensive, but very common.

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