Micro SD Card Switching for Gopros? -  Sdcard/Gopro I2C Pros? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Emerica
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 12, 2017, 01:13:13 pm
content: I like to record GoPro videos while taking long(300km+) adventures on my moped.This always presents a challenge in maintaining batteries, memory cards, trying to hack in mic audio and riding itself.I have most of these issues solved, riding, mic audio and batteries, but the memory card problem still is just that, a problem.The first problem is that you can't usually tell when a card has run out, the beeps get lost in wind noise/intercom. Using the remote or other device to monitor eats more battery due to the extra radio in use, on top of having to maintain that device's battery.The second problem is you have to stop to change cards once you know, and you've probably lost an awesome shot somewhere back there, or lost time in a rally. Murphy.I'd like to switch between multiple SD cards, say 4. I'd also like to attempt to monitor the sdcard, or herobus for the sd card capacity. A last ditch effort there would be wifi, which I think I can get the capacity from.I'd plan to use a sdcard flex extender to interface the board to the camera, this should work well (Like the terminator ATM board)The closest commercial product that comes close to the sd switcher seems to be thisrlx.sk/en/raspberry-pi/5245-2-in-1-tf-cards-dual-system-switcher-for-raspberry-pi-er-rpa05036t.htmlThis is still appears to be a manual switcher, but there is mention of gpio control there, not sure.It's also only two cards. I'm curious to see the IC there, it leads me to believe there is more to it than I had thought. Anyone have one, is the IC legible ?I read some papers on sdcards in the past and I was under the impression that they were originally designed to be "stackable" but it didn't work out so well, timing or something. I could be out of my tree there. Just something I recall.Could it be as simple as stacking them inline with the host and switching vcc or gnd from the host to card you want active? If just switching power, I could user simple transistors and digital out on whatever is going to monitor the capacity? Lets says it's an attiny, I have tinkered with them.What would be a better line to switch if a single line would work, high or low?Should the rest of the pins be switched as well? Is there things to worry about here? Resistors and /or capacitors or ICs inline a noob would totally overlook?I still have to investigate the Gopro, if the I2C bus has the capability or returning when the card is full, if the card is full, switch to the next card and reset the camera, with auto record enabled.It would just loop though cards at this point. There seems to have been some I2C bus work done, but not too much in the sd capacity area.I do have a herobus backpack from Ridax, I'll have to do some testing. Maybe someone here has played with the bus, or has more info in that regard, or other ideas to check the status of the sdcard. I think trying to access it directly while the Gopro is doing it's thing would be a bad ideaSo asking/listening to the camera is probably the best bet. Wifi might be the end answer, not the end of the world but :/I've made some boards in the past with oshpark and circuits.io, which worked well enough for a previous project. Sparkfun has some simple microsd breakout boards, I'd be comfortable making something to test knowing more about the above switching issues. With the 1x8 headers I could right angle 4 breakout boards to an osh board making a "sdbackpac", but I need to understand the switching first. Any input appreciated.