Is an SD/MMC card more robust than a CF card?

[Mercy]

I have a datalogger in a truck that I want to add a card reader to.

I was gonna use a CF card, but told that it was not as robust cause the
pins in the reader wouldn't withstand the environment (dirt, grit and
other stuff). Then I was told to try it with a MMC or SD card.

I haven't seen anything online about a CF card not being as robust....
Do you guys know of anything?

-Mercy

 

[linnix]

I have a datalogger in a truck that I want to add a card reader to.

I was gonna use a CF card, but told that it was not as robust cause the
pins in the reader wouldn't withstand the environment (dirt, grit and
other stuff). Then I was told to try it with a MMC or SD card.

I haven't seen anything online about a CF card not being as robust....
Do you guys know of anything?

Yes, the CF pins/sockets are easy to damage. It's just thin copper
alloy foils and wires. Use the IDE-CF adapters, the IDE connectors and
cables are well tested and much stronger than CF. We usually put the
CFs in the adapters and never take them out. Once they are connected,
the CF pins/sockets won't be damaged. IDE-CFs are easier to program
than MMC/SD.

http://cfd.linnix.com

 

[Adrian Jansen]

Yes, the CF pins/sockets are easy to damage. It's just thin copper
alloy foils and wires. Use the IDE-CF adapters, the IDE connectors and
cables are well tested and much stronger than CF. We usually put the
CFs in the adapters and never take them out. Once they are connected,
the CF pins/sockets won't be damaged. IDE-CFs are easier to program
than MMC/SD.

http://cfd.linnix.com

I would still be concerned about vibration and dust wearing away on
those tiny CF pins and sockets in a truck environment. SD with its 9
solid flat connectors and good wipe action seems like a much better
idea. Drivers are available for most micros that make the interfacing
pretty painless.

--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Design Engineer J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, convert address above to machine form.

 

[linnix]

I would still be concerned about vibration and dust wearing away on
those tiny CF pins and sockets in a truck environment.

That's not really a problem. Once it's in contact, dust won't affect
it much. CF (pins and sockets) can take 10G (it's in the spec) of
shocks and vibrations. The weakness is insertion aligment, rather than
anything else. A slightly bended pin can just punch out the socket
foil. That's why we never remove the CF from the socket at all.

 

[[email protected]]

alloy foils and wires. Use the IDE-CF adapters, the IDE connectors and
cables are well tested and much stronger than CF. We usually put the
CFs in the adapters and never take them out. Once they are connected,
the CF pins/sockets won't be damaged. IDE-CFs are easier to program
than MMC/SD.

Better yet, for heavy industrial usage, I'd recommend Disk-on-Modules

http://www.globalamericaninc.com/other/dom.php
http://www.everyupgrade.com/ide-flash-module-40-pin-vertical.html

Solid state/flash IDE drives. Can't get easier to use than that. The
downside is that they are a bit more expensive than either CF or MMC/SD.

 

[Adrian Jansen]

That's not really a problem. Once it's in contact, dust won't affect
it much. CF (pins and sockets) can take 10G (it's in the spec) of
shocks and vibrations. The weakness is insertion aligment, rather than
anything else. A slightly bended pin can just punch out the socket
foil. That's why we never remove the CF from the socket at all.

Dust can be a problem if its not excluded by the plug/socket
construction. We ran into this years ago on gear in tractors -
admittedly then a very bad environment. Had many failures on ordinary
DIP ICs mounted in both wipe and turned pin sockets. Dust would enter
the socket, and vibration would wear away the pins to the extent that
you could tap the boards on the bench, and several ICs would simply fall
off, minus their pins.

--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen adrianjansen at internode dot on dot net
Design Engineer J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, convert address above to machine form.

 

[linnix]

...

Dust can be a problem if its not excluded by the plug/socket
construction. We ran into this years ago on gear in tractors -
admittedly then a very bad environment. Had many failures on ordinary
DIP ICs mounted in both wipe and turned pin sockets. Dust would enter
the socket, and vibration would wear away the pins to the extent that
you could tap the boards on the bench, and several ICs would simply fall
off, minus their pins.

That's not a problem for CF. The pins are round and tight fit into the
round openings. Some new CF has openings slightly smaller than the
pins, and be enlarged to the exact size when inserted. If you never
remove the CF from the adapter, the seal will be good. Furthermore, we
put aluminium cover around the pins to protect them from accidental
bending, and chemical dust as well.