Hello, I hope you can help here. I've just started working for a new employer and one of the first projects I have is to develop and interface/reader for Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before and the information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, Sony's protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a bit obscure and non-existant. The MG technology I believe is an encryption algorithm applied to the cards to 'lock' them, it was originally pushed with the Playstation 2 as allowing the storage of online customer information, bank account details, passwords etc. Is the MG function always enabled? Because if it is I'm dead in the water from the moment go without that algorithm. Would anyone have any experience in interfacing with these cards, please any info? It'd help me out loads as I'm just sitting here doing all of the other background work surrounding the project in the meantime. Any help very much appreciated, Aly :-)
Sony Magic Gate Memory Cards
Started by ●January 21, 2006
Reply by ●January 21, 20062006-01-21
techie_alison wrote:> Hello, > > I hope you can help here. I've just started working for a new employer and > one of the first projects I have is to develop and interface/reader for > Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before and the > information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, Sony's > protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a bit > obscure and non-existant. > > The MG technology I believe is an encryption algorithm applied to the cards > to 'lock' them, it was originally pushed with the Playstation 2 as allowing > the storage of online customer information, bank account details, passwords > etc. > > Is the MG function always enabled? Because if it is I'm dead in the water > from the moment go without that algorithm. > > Would anyone have any experience in interfacing with these cards, please any > info? It'd help me out loads as I'm just sitting here doing all of the > other background work surrounding the project in the meantime. > > Any help very much appreciated, > > Aly :-) > >Hi again Aly... Did a bit of a search, but the news doesn't look good. http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=2377 Not strictly related to your issue, but contains discussion on the encryption system, which seems to fall into the "pay as a million in licence fees, or we sue you to death" catregory. Sorry... Pal
Reply by ●January 21, 20062006-01-21
techie_alison wrote:> Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before and the > information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, Sony's > protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a bit > obscure and non-existant.It's not in the least obscure; it's merely unavailable without signing a license. You also cannot use the Memory Stick compatibility logo without such a license. History: In 1999 or thereabouts, when Memory Stick was emerging, Sony made 85% of the interface documentation public and a license to use Memory Stick was free for the asking. A few years later, they clamped down and made it something like SD - you had to pay a lot to get in the club. At that time they hid all the public documentation (though if you want a copy, I can give you one). I don't have the MagicGate specification and couldn't disclose it if I did. But the specification for vanilla Memory Stick is written in such a way as to imply that the DRM feature isn't turned on until you use it. As further evidence in support of this, modern Memory Stick media work with cameras designed for pre-MagicGate sticks.
Reply by ●January 23, 20062006-01-23
On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 11:10:34 +0000, techie_alison wrote:> Hello, > > I hope you can help here. I've just started working for a new employer and > one of the first projects I have is to develop and interface/reader for > Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before and the > information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, Sony's > protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a bit > obscure and non-existant.Hey, you bullshat your way into the job, let's see if you can bullshit your way through the task at hand! Good Luck! Rich
Reply by ●January 25, 20062006-01-25
"Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message news:pan.2006.01.23.17.58.37.934219@example.net...> On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 11:10:34 +0000, techie_alison wrote: > >> Hello, >> >> I hope you can help here. I've just started working for a new employer >> and >> one of the first projects I have is to develop and interface/reader for >> Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before and >> the >> information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, >> Sony's >> protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a >> bit >> obscure and non-existant. > > Hey, you bullshat your way into the job, let's see if you can bullshit > your way through the task at hand! > > Good Luck! > Rich >That was certainly uncalled for Rich. What in the posting smells of bullshit to you? But now that I review your posting, your signal to noise ratio is less than 10% Is this a pot-and-kettle thing? Rufus
Reply by ●January 26, 20062006-01-26
On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:25:05 -0500, Rufus V. Smith wrote:> "Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message >> On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 11:10:34 +0000, techie_alison wrote: >> >>> Hello, >>> >>> I hope you can help here. I've just started working for a new employer >>> and >>> one of the first projects I have is to develop and interface/reader for >>> Sony's memory cards. CF and SD cards, IDE and SCSI I've done before >>> and the >>> information was pretty much readily available. In this case however, >>> Sony's >>> protocols for communication with their cards at an embedded level is a >>> bit >>> obscure and non-existant. >> >> Hey, you bullshat your way into the job, let's see if you can bullshit >> your way through the task at hand! >> > That was certainly uncalled for Rich. > > What in the posting smells of bullshit to you?That you got the job and now you seem unable to perform the job you were hired for. And I really, really wanted to use the word, "bullshat". ;-P Good Luck! Rich
Reply by ●January 27, 20062006-01-27
"Rich Grise" <richgrise@example.net> wrote in message news:pan.2006.01.27.02.12.44.510445@example.net...> That you got the job and now you seem unable to perform the job you > were hired for. > > And I really, really wanted to use the word, "bullshat". ;-P > > Good Luck! > Rich >So you don't have the information I'm looking for then? You're welcome to come round to my house and go through my redundant chips drawer and get them all working without datasheets. Actually, my company would just love to employ someone like you who can solve all of the open tickets. Send on your resume.
Reply by ●January 27, 20062006-01-27
>> That you got the job and now you seem unable to perform the job you >> were hired for.>So you don't have the information I'm looking for then? You're welcome to >come round to my house and go through my redundant chips drawer and get them >all working without datasheets.Really. Would you expect to hire only people experienced with the specific parts you intend to use? That would make it pretty hard to develop anything new. Maybe that explains why 8051s are still so common. In most of my work, I'm hired to find out what I need to know. I've even asked questions on usenet, though the answers often resemble this one. -- mac the na�f
Reply by ●January 27, 20062006-01-27
>So you don't have the information I'm looking for then? You're welcome to >come round to my house and go through my redundant chips drawer and get them >all working without datasheets.and as we know, datasheets have all the information you need to get the part working... -- mac the na�f
Reply by ●January 27, 20062006-01-27
"Alex Colvin" <alexc@TheWorld.com> wrote in message news:drdr9d$9r9$1@pcls4.std.com...> >> That you got the job and now you seem unable to perform the job you > >> were hired for. > > In most of my work, I'm hired to find out what I need to know. I've even > asked questions on usenet, though the answers often resemble this one. >Agreed. A logic analyser was one of the best bits of kit I ever bought, in that usually I can solve a puzzle with an equal amount of personal energy as to requesting information via usenet/forums with a load of hassle from people who are still bemused by flashing LEDs. The rule of thumb regarding usenet (and which a few of the engineers I work with advise on) is simply to never post, never answer questions. Simply not to get involved. The majority of our ideas and methods of doing things are thrashed out in a continuous yahoo conference which does seem to work well. As for the Sony thing, without that algorithm it aint going nowhere, I can't implement full compatiability without it. It would have generated about 10,000 units with the dies etched in China, and it's the company's decision not to sign contracts with Sony so therefore it's a management decision. ABS braking anyone???
