[WikiReader] 32GB microSD card works

Doug Jones dj6mf at frombob.to
Wed Aug 1 22:04:42 CEST 2012


I am testing a 32GB card in my WikiReader.

This is a Class 4 card by SanDisk.  The model number is SDSDQ-032G-AFFP. 
  I paid less than US$20 for it.

It passed the calc.elf test, so I installed all of the English-language 
wikis listed on the update page at 
http://dev.thewikireader.com/language-packs/ (all eight of them).  (BTW: 
  Thanks to whomever just updated that page.  Much easier to find things 
now.  [But the German-language version of Project Gutenberg is still not 
listed].)

I've been using this card for a day or so now, and everything is working 
fine.  Currently reading a book by Garrett Putman Serviss (an amazingly 
prophetic writer, easily the equal of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.)  I 
discovered him by hitting the Random button repeatedly.

Those eight collections occupy about 1/3 of this card.  Plenty of space 
left for future expansion.

I have also recently tested a 16GB card.  This one is a Class 4 card 
from Kingston, model SDC4/16GB (about $10).  No problems with this card.


I have read somewhere the hypothesis that large-capacity SD cards 
sometimes misbehave because they can draw too much current from the 
power bus in these small devices.  Therefore I do all my WikiReader 
testing with 1.2V rechargeable NiMH batteries instead of the standard 
1.5V alkalines.  While testing the 16GB card, I ran my batteries down 
(this took a long time!) until the total battery voltage was less than 
2.1V;  only then did the WikiReader start to malfunction.  Thank you, 
Openmoko, for this marvelous little piece of engineering.







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