[General] Fat32 with different SD memory sizes

[Tareq Domi]

hello guys ,

i am working on a project to write a text file on SD card ,
first i used 4 GB SD card formatted to FAT32 , and it works fine
but , i switched to 8 GB SD card formatted to FAT32 , but it seems not working and nothing appeared in the memory .

note that , i use the same code and the same circuit without any change for the two cards .

well , is there any modification should i do since the difference in size !!!

thanks .

 

[Easyrider83]

MicroC again?

 

[Tareq Domi]

yes , i am using MikroC

 

[Easyrider83]

Use FatFs. Works perfect.
http://elm-chan.org/fsw/ff/00index_e.html

 

[Tareq Domi]

how to use this with mikroC !?
is it a library to use for mikroC or what ?
thanks

 

[Easyrider83]

MicroC is a C compilier. This library will work with all C compiliers. You only need to realize phisical layer. SPI and GPIO as you understand.

 

[Tareq Domi]

excuse me , could you explain to me exactly how to use this library .
well , at the beginning of my project i stopped by this site , but i do not know how to use it , or actually i do not know how this works .
thanks .

 

[Easyrider83]

Download C files, include them it your project and write low level disk i/o routines. Emulate RTC somehow because all files should have date and time of creating/modifing. It is not easy, yes, but it is much easier than write your own Fat library in case the MicroC's library doesn't work. Better never use no one MicroC library... or don't use MicroC at all. Later you will understand why.

 

[Tareq Domi]

" You only need to realize physical layer "
does this mean that the FATfs is comming with a specific module !
my main goal for my project is to initialize the SD card to get the wifi network ( i am using an 8 GB wifi SD card )
the MicroC works with the 4 GB sd card , do you know how to make the 8 GB works for the same code ( microC ) ?
i have already demonstrate my project into a PCB design , so i have to deal with my board design .
help me with any way to initialize the 8 GB wifi SD card to get the wifi network .
i have spent more than two months to get that network using PIC microcontroller , but nothing works with me :\

 

[milan.rajik]

I have used mikroC FAT32 SD library with 8 GB and it works fine.

 

[FvM]

Good that you finally mentioned this "small" detail:

help me with any way to initialize the 8 GB wifi SD card to get the wifi network.

In other words, the problem is possibly not about 8 Gb SD card operation as such rather than WiFi card configuration?

Did you verify card operation on a different host, e.g. a PC? It may be still a MikroC driver problem, but could be well related to the specific behaviour of the WiFi card.

 

[Easyrider83]

does this mean that the FATfs is comming with a specific module !

I mean, that library coming without lower layer. Call it module if you want.

the MicroC works with the 4 GB sd card , do you know how to make the 8 GB works for the same code ( microC ) ?

MicroC giving you packed in dll library "as it is". You can't modify them and can't understand how do they work. That's why I don't use them.

i have spent more than two months to get that network using PIC microcontroller , but nothing works with me :\

You should understand that tell us only just "don't working" is nothing. When you using ChanFs library you can check what exactly is going wrong. Possible, file system error or SD card even not initialized successfuly. With microC you will know nothing why it happens. Possible, that your card doesn't support SPI interface and using only SDIO. Try to emulate SDIO interface with GPIO only, try to initialize the card, get initialisation result. With MicroC's library you will spend another two months without any success.
All SD memory cards above 2Gb are the same - SDHC cards. So, it is no difference which capacity it has.

 

[Tareq Domi]

In other words, the problem is possibly not about 8 Gb SD card operation as such rather than WiFi card configuration?

i tested the wifi SD card using PC and Camera , and it works
the problem is , card with capacity more than 4 GB not working with the same code for the 4 GB formatted to FAT32 .
i also tested a normal SD card ( 16 GB ) , not working too .

MicroC giving you packed in dll library "as it is". You can't modify them and can't understand how do they work. That's why I don't use them.

well , that is true , i dont know what is happening when it works and when it fails !

what did you mean by emulating SDIO interface with GPIO ? does it mean initializing the card with SD mode !?

another thing to ask ( and sorry for being noob ) : how exactly should i start with FATFs which you mentioned before ?
plus : what is the most correct way to initialize the SD card using any controller( pic microcontroller ) !?

thanks

 

[FvM]

i also tested a normal SD card ( 16 GB ) , not working too.

O.K., this looks like a problem with MikroC SDcard library. Your first step should be to have the design working with regular 8 or 16 GB cards, then care for the WiFi card.

 

[Tareq Domi]

then what should i do to make the microC Fat32 code working with SD card higher than 4 GB !

 

[milan.rajik]

mikroE says that FAT32 SD Card library supports upto 8 GB SDHC Cards. I have used FAT32 library with 8GB SDHC Sandisk Cards and they work fine. I have dataloggers with 8 GB Cards. I have tested with 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB SDHC cards. I never had problems.


Zip and attach you mikroC project files (complete project). I will test it using SD Card module and EasyPIC v7.