serial large data storage for micros.

Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger) 
flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed 
system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like 
a hard drive system.

I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to 
interface easily to any micro with a uart.

Thanks in advance,
Don...



Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html

Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

Don McKenzie wrote:

> Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger) 

Serial Data Flash from ATMEL ( and others ) have this, tho it is SPI.
http://atmel.com/dyn/products/devices.asp?family_id=616

> flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed 

This is a block orintated device.

> system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like 
> a hard drive system.

A hard drive is block based and buss based flash chips are linear.

A block based device (hard drive or Flash Cards ) have some sort of file 
system such as FAT16 / FAT32 or  others that don't seem to mater much.

So, I don't understand your question ??


> 
> I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to 

USB drives are always FLASH based, I have never heard of a USB _ram_ drive.

> interface easily to any micro with a uart.

This is one I have done some research on :

http://www.alfat.co.uk/alfat.html

but I have not used it.

I found is their docs that it apears kind of slow.
The max data rate is less then 1M Bit serial. Then there is the 
programming time. Only one file open at a time.

I used a ATmega32 and a compact flash card and approched 4 MBytes/sec 
transfer rate for 512 byte blocks.

This was only a read/write test, so I did not have any file system code.

Good luck

donald

> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Don...
> 
> 
> 
> Don McKenzie
> E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html
> 
> Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
> Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
> http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

"Donald" <Donald@dontdoithere.com> wrote in message 
news:15mdndZzq_MTMMrYnZ2dnUVZ_qmdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Don McKenzie wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger)
>
> Serial Data Flash from ATMEL ( and others ) have this, tho it is SPI.
> http://atmel.com/dyn/products/devices.asp?family_id=616
>
>> flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed
>
> This is a block orintated device.
>
>> system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like 
>> a hard drive system.
>
> A hard drive is block based and buss based flash chips are linear.
>
> A block based device (hard drive or Flash Cards ) have some sort of file 
> system such as FAT16 / FAT32 or  others that don't seem to mater much.
>
> So, I don't understand your question ??
>
>
>>
>> I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to
>
> USB drives are always FLASH based, I have never heard of a USB _ram_ 
> drive.
>
>> interface easily to any micro with a uart.
>
> This is one I have done some research on :
>
> http://www.alfat.co.uk/alfat.html
>
> but I have not used it.
>
> I found is their docs that it apears kind of slow.
> The max data rate is less then 1M Bit serial. Then there is the 
> programming time. Only one file open at a time.
>
> I used a ATmega32 and a compact flash card and approched 4 MBytes/sec 
> transfer rate for 512 byte blocks.
>
> This was only a read/write test, so I did not have any file system code.
>
> Good luck
>
> donald
>
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Don...
>>
>>
>>
>> Don McKenzie
>> E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html
>>
>> Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
>> Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
>> http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

Check out the uMMC from Rogue Robotics.  www.roguerobotics.com
It uses a SD card for storage.  Serial (TTL level) interface.  FAT16 format.

Don

Donald Harris wrote:

> Check out the uMMC from Rogue Robotics.  www.roguerobotics.com
> It uses a SD card for storage.  Serial (TTL level) interface.  FAT16 format.

Thank you Donald, and Donald, from Don :-)

As per normal, my initial question may not have explained fully what it 
was I was chasing, but two very good leads. The Rogue Robotics device 
seems close to my needs.

Don...



Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html

Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

"Don McKenzie" <look@mysig.com> wrote in message 
news:4557A589.7000301@mysig.com...
> Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger) 
> flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed 
> system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like a 
> hard drive system.
>
> I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to 
> interface easily to any micro with a uart.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Don...
>
>
>
> Don McKenzie
> E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html
>
> Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
> Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
> http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460


The ST25p64 series works for me.

thedoc wrote:

>>Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger) 
>>flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed 
>>system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like a 
>>hard drive system.
>>
>>I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to 
>>interface easily to any micro with a uart.
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>Don...

> The ST25p64 series works for me.

Your search - ST25p64 - did not match any documents.
not a stock item in google.

is the number correct?

Cheers Don...




Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html

Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

Don McKenzie wrote:

> thedoc wrote:
>
> >>Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger)
> >>flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed
> >>system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like a
> >>hard drive system.
> >>
> >>I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to
> >>interface easily to any micro with a uart.
> >>
> >>Thanks in advance,
> >>Don...
>
> > The ST25p64 series works for me.
>
> Your search - ST25p64 - did not match any documents.
> not a stock item in google.
> 
> is the number correct?

Maybe the M25P64 from ST ?

Arlet wrote:


>>>The ST25p64 series works for me.
>>
>>Your search - ST25p64 - did not match any documents.
>>not a stock item in google.
>>
>>is the number correct?
> 
> 
> Maybe the M25P64 from ST ?

Yes, http://www.st.com/stonline/books/ascii/docs/10987.htm

I'll go have a read, thanks

Cheers Don...




Don McKenzie
E-Mail Contact Page:               http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html

Crystal clear, super bright OLED LCD (128x128) for your microcontroller.
Simple serial RX/TX interface. Many memory sizes.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/product.php?productid=16460

Look here  

http://www.engelmann-schrader.de/usbstick.html    (in german but manual in english)

This is not only a Usb Stick but also a kind of " Serial Stick".


Jouka

"Don McKenzie" <look@mysig.com> skrev i meddelandet 
news:4558cdbc$0$5108$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> thedoc wrote:
>
>>>Does anyone know of any serial interfaced (RX/TX) 1Mb-ish, (or larger) 
>>>flash ram storage systems for micros? Needs a simple file like indexed 
>>>system, so data chunks can be written, retreived, and deleted. Much like 
>>>a hard drive system.
>>>
>>>I know a USB ram drive will do this, but I would like something to 
>>>interface easily to any micro with a uart.
>>>
>>>Thanks in advance,
>>>Don...
>


You might want to consider the AT45DBxxx series of dataflash.
This has an SPI interface and SMALL sectors (up to 1 kB).
The advantage of small sectors is that file system typically do not need
garbage collection (or it is simplified).
The pages have "extra bytes" allowing erase count and other things useable
in a flash file system.
The devices start at 1 Mbit and go up to 64 Mbit in pin compatible 8 pin 
packages.
Larger memories are in development.

You can also get 16/34/64 Mbit in MMC like Flash card packages,
so add an MMC connector to your board and you are in good shape.


-- 
Best Regards,
Ulf Samuelsson
This is intended to be my personal opinion which may,
or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB