RepRap: Blog

I'm glad you didn't go the Compact Flash card route... those are not that compact, an much less common. I tend to evaluate a highly unpractical solution once in a while. That's why it helps to discuss things with others ;)

Besides, everyone gets an undersized SD cards delivered with their cameras or phones which can be used only for a couple of high-res pictures. Nevertheless, for electronics projects, we have more than enough projects for which even 8 MB would be 'way too much'.

I've been saving 8 to 64 MB SD/MMC cards (not compact flash) for a while now, exactly for this purpose. I had read somewhere that they were interface-able with a PIC and lately I read that it also works fine with an Arduino. An entire filesystem layer would require more code, but raw reads would work and you could easily prepare the cards with print data under linux (dd if=printjob.gcode of=/dev/sde).

Also, there's some code that's only for reading and code only for writing. Just to save some memory and complexity if you just need a logger respectively a OGG-player (or reprap!).

Now to find a good supplier of MMC slots that fit through-hole on regular euro-print circuit boards...
 

Thanks for all your postings - I wish I had your drive. Keep it up.

I have been working most of this week on my new aproach filament feeding system - not enough energy left over for blogging about it but it is looking promising.

I dumped the brass plastic thread inserts in favor of tile cutting wheels and more design is required to get the test rig parts ready for laser.
 

I doubt that I will be using SD cards for a while. As I said earlier, I am pretty sure that my Oshonsoft BASIC compiler will carry me through the Tommelise 2.0 project and Oshonsoft doesn't have a SD card library just yet.

While I will probably be buying the Mikroelectronika Basic compiler, which does support SD cards, fairly soon for evaluation, there are some practical problems which will probably preclude my prototyping a SD card onto a PIC board. Formost among those has been my inability to locate a PDIP SD connector. They all seem to be surface mounts, which makes connecting one to a strip board a real trial. Mind, many do seem to keep 0.1 inch spacing on their surface mounts, so it could be a lot worse.

For me, the EEPROM buffer is doing the job and I've many much higher development priorities for many months still. :-)
 

Well, not EXACTLY what you asked for...

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=204
 

Ack, cut it off!

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?
products_id=204
 

Dammit! My resistance is failing!

I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.


I've got to get T2 working and build my homebuilt linear stepper first.

:-s
 

Step away from the soldering iron and take a deep breathe, Forest.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna see if I can desolder the SD slot from a busted old PDA. File that in my "slowly accumulating reprap parts" box.