Reading a Weird SD Card used on Android - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: 8ternity
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 05, 2020, 10:04:19 pm
content: HI,I have a special project i try to understand and reading.This is originally an SD Card which has credits on it, chinese card works with an Android Panel. When you make online purchase it's adding credits on the card for copy or print.The pictures shown a 16 pins, look like EEPROM that read and write when you add credits. I think it's a SPI EEPROM and i would like to know who to read it and learn hacking the SD CARD.First, i was thinking about it's was a basic SD Card, but after opening the card, it has only that SPI chip.The Chip shown TS201 or TS20I with numbers 1619 (possible TS201 1619 or TS20I 1619). It's works on native sd card power. IF connected to a PC, it's doing nothing. It's needing a SPI programmer, which i have. I have a MiniPro Programmer.I need help for identifying this chip. I search over baidu and google and not found anything with theses numbers.Any help is appreciated.Thanks

author: ky56
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 07, 2020, 02:49:43 am
content: I'm guessing that you would like to read and write the contents of the chip. I have never seen this before but my guess is that it's connected to look like an sd card in spi mode. See this page for more informationhttp://elm-chan.org/docs/mmc/mmc_e.html. This is the mode Arduino's and other embedded devices usually use to interface with an sd card.Use the SPI column from this image.Pins 8 & 9 leave unconnected (I'm unsure why there is a trace going from pin 9)Pin 7 is MISOPin 6 is GNDPin 5 is ClockPin 4 is +VCC3.3Pin 3 is GNDPin 2 is MOSIPin 1 is Chip Select (but looks not connected on your card)Choose a generic SPI flash device on the MiniPro and be sure to set your programmer's logic level to 3.3v other wise you may damage the card.Regarding a physical adapter. These Arduino adapters would probably be the best.https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/223583896337

author: 8ternity
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 04, 2020, 02:58:53 pm
content: Sorry for the delay. So many things hapenned with my wife with his health.I will defenilly look at this and check that out with my SPI flasher.Did you have a software recommandation about working and reading contents of SPI ROM ?I mean, an SPI editor.THanks

author: ky56
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 19, 2020, 07:30:31 am
content: Sorry to hear that. Also apologies for the delay. I didn't enable notifications.I just realised my mistake. SPI EEPROMS and SD cards over SPI are not the same thing. The easiest way to find out if it's an SD card over SPI would be to load an Arduino Uno with the following example programs.https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/CardInfowill tell you if it uses the SD card protocol, if it uses the FAT file system and lists the files on the root dir.If you want to read a file usehttps://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/DumpFileand change "datalog.txt" on the lineCode:File dataFile = SD.open("datalog.txt");to the file name you want to read.In terms of adapters this is a good one as it has 3.3v level shifter.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32647454509.htmlA hex editor I like to use is Hex Fiend. But it's Mac only software though.If you definitely think it is a SPI EEPROM ill try and find out the pinout you need. In the mean time see if you can find a generic SPI EEPROM setting on the MiniPro software.