SD Card Duplicator With Unique Data Streaming

Mike McCrosky March 11, 2022 Flash Memory News, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, SDHC, Secure Digital, Solid State Memory

CID value on SD card

SD Card Duplicator UPDATE:

The Drive Manager software which powers this SD Card Duplicator now offers the ability to write CID values to the SD cards. The CID (Card Identification) of a Secure Digital (SD) card is a unique identifier embedded within the card’s read-only memory by the manufacturer. It serves as a distinct serial number for the card and typically consists of specific information such as the card’s manufacturing date, manufacturer ID, and other proprietary data.

The CID number is accessed through a hardware chip and vendor command on a compatible host system, such as an SD card reader or a specialized device like the SD160PC SD Card Duplicator mentioned here. This unique identifier can be valuable for various purposes, including device authentication, data encryption, and tracking of individual SD cards within a system.

Continued…

You’ve heard the quote “the devil is in the details” and when it comes to duplication of data to SD cards, nothing can be more true. Today we talk about an SD Card Duplicator which provides the ability to data stream unique content to each card.

Typically a user would duplicate the same content to SD cards because they intend to make many copies of the same content. However, many companies who use SD media (or microSD media) want to not only copy the same content to each card, but also copy unique data to each card.

Let us dig a little deeper with an example:

It is very common for companies who generate map data also want to protect their mapping information. Maps are expensive to make and often hold proprietary information that companies want to protect. So when it comes time to use an SD Card Duplicator to make hundreds or thousands of copies, it is required to have a protection scheme included with the duplication solution.

A common method to provide protection on SD card media is using the CID number of the card. The CID number is a value which is put into read-only memory of an SD card and that CID number is unique to each card and follows the card around. It is not possible to copy or duplicate the CID number—it is a value which is designed to only be read. In addition to the unique number, it requires specific vendor commands to read the CID number from the card itself.

With an SD Card Duplicator from Nexcopy it is possible to read the CID number because Nexcopy uses the special vendor commands to read the CID value.

So this is what a mapping company can do with an SD Card Duplicator:

Encrypt the mapping data
Include a text file with the decryption code for the maps
Include the CID number of the physical card in the text file mentioned above
Since CID numbers are unique to each card, write the unique key code text file to each card

With the SD Card Duplicator the user can export the CID numbers in bulk during the duplication process. When the CID numbers are exported in bulk, the company can write a script to generate key code text files which can only be decrypted by the card which holds the correct CID value.

The final step of the SD Card Duplicator would be writing the encrypted map data to all the SD cards (or microSD cards) and make a second duplication pass to perform the unique data stream of the encrypted file which holds the CID number and key code to each individual card.

There are certainly some custom scripts or batch files which the end-user would need to write, but the bulk of the duplicator process would be done by the Nexcopy SD Card Duplicator.

SD Card Duplicator

Secure Digital (SD) is a proprietary non-volatile memory card format created by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices.

The standard was introduced in August 1999 as an improvement over MultiMediaCards (MMCs) by a collaboration of SanDisk, Panasonic (Matsushita), and Toshiba, and has since become the industry standard.

In January 2000, the companies also established the SD Association (SDA), a non-profit organization, to promote and develop SD Card standards.

Lexar Intro’s New 1TB SD Card 10 Years After 1GB SD Card

Mike McCrosky January 11, 2019 SDHC, Secure Digital

Almost fifteen years ago Lexar announced it’s first 1GB SD card. Today Lexar announces their first 1TB SD card. My, how times have changed. A one GB card ten years ago cost about $125 and difficult to find at that capacity. The 1TB card announced today is $499.

If the price difference isn’t a big enough shock to you, consider the storage capacity increased this much, yet the form factor of the SD card has not changed.

This new Lexar card is a Class 10 device with transfer speeds over 95MB per second. Ideal for newer cameras capturing video in 4K.

About Lexar:

Read and Write CID Values From SD Media

Mike McCrosky May 24, 2012 Cell Phones, Flash Memory News, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, SDHC, Secure Digital

How to Read and Write CID Values on SD and microSD Media

UPDATE (Feb 16, 2023): The company that manufactures this product now offers the ability to write the CID value as well as write protect the Secure Digital media.

GetUSB.info recently published an article on how to read the CID (or PSN) from an SD card, also known as the product serial number. Some call this simply reading the CID number from an SD card. The CID number is a unique identifier created on the SD or microSD card at the time of manufacturing. It cannot be changed or manipulated by the host computer.

The CID number is most often used by vendors or manufacturers to lock software to a specific device. Because the CID number cannot be altered, it serves as a secure way to prevent unauthorized distribution of software or content.

Some manufacturers require reading the CID number from SD media before releasing software, and this is what GetUSB.info explains in detail. For a full description, see the article: How to read CID number from SD media.

Here is a snapshot of the CID reading tool for 20 SD devices:

CID reading tool for SD cards

The CID number is composed of the following values:

Manufacturer ID: An 8-bit code that identifies the manufacturer of the SD card.
OEM/Application ID: A 16-bit code that identifies the OEM or the application for which the SD card was designed.
Product Name: A 32-bit ASCII code that specifies the product name of the SD card.
Product Revision: An 8-bit code that specifies the product revision of the SD card.
Serial Number: A 32-bit code that specifies the unique serial number of the SD card.
Manufacturing Date: A 12-bit code that specifies the manufacturing date of the SD card.
CRC: A 7-bit code used to verify the integrity of the CID number.

The CID number is typically used by SD card host devices to verify authenticity and ensure compatibility with the host system.

Nexcopy Inc., based in Southern California, specializes in developing and manufacturing USB duplicators, SD card duplicators, and other digital media equipment. Founded in 2008, the company has built a reputation for high-quality, reliable solutions used across education, government, military, and commercial sectors.

Nexcopy’s products are recognized for their speed, reliability, and ease of use. For example, its USB duplicators can copy up to 60 drives simultaneously at transfer speeds of up to 33 MB/s per port. Its SD card duplicators can handle up to 40 SD cards at once with speeds reaching 90 MB/s per port.

In addition to hardware, Nexcopy provides software solutions for USB and SD duplication and offers custom programming for clients with specialized requirements.

Overall, Nexcopy remains a trusted leader in the digital media duplication industry, known for reliable products and strong customer support.

SD Class Break Down

Mike McCrosky February 19, 2010 Flash Memory News, SDHC, Secure Digital

SD cards come in all sorts of GB sizes and speeds.Â Today I thought it a good idea to take a look inside an SD card along with breaking out the speed differences.

sd class

To start, the SD media is broken down into “Classes”Â The Class depicts the speeds at which a device reads and writes.

There are different speed grades available, measured the same as CD-ROMs, in multiples of 150 kB/s (1x = 150 kB/s). Basic cards transfer data up to six times (6x) the data rate of the standard CD-ROM speed (900 kB/s vs. 150 kB/s).

The maximum read speed and maximum write speed may be different. Maximum write speed typically is lower than maximum read speed. Some digital cameras require high-speed cards (write speed) to record video smoothly or capture multiple still photographs in rapid succession. This requires a certain sustained speed, or the video stops recording. For recording, a high maximum speed with a low sustained speed is no better than a low speed card. The 2.0 specification defines speeds up to 200x.

Some manufacturers use the read speed in their X-ratings, while others (Kingston, for example) use write speed.

sd class speed

SD Cards and SDHC Cards have Speed Class Ratings defined by the SD Association. The SD Speed Class Ratings specify the following minimum write speeds based on “the best fragmented state where no memory unit is occupied”:[9]

Class 2: 2 MByte/s – 13x
Class 4: 4 MByte/s – 26x
Class 6: 6 MByte/s – 40x

SD and SDHC cards will often also advertise a maximum speed (such as Continue Reading

Fake SD Flash Seller On eBay

Mike McCrosky July 19, 2009 SDHC

I’ve heard plenty of stories about fake flash sellers on eBay.Â Typically we see counterfeits with crooks changing the VendorID and ProductID of an ultra cheap brand to something premium for USB sticks [say a Sony MicroVault] but the thieves are also getting into SDHC cards, SD, CF and other media types.

fake SD cards

What is amazing, is the willingness of these crooks to make good and show their good will towards a “bad situation” while all the while sticking it to you.

I recently found a website called SOSFakeFlash which documents many of these situations.

Take a quick read – it’s interesting to see what these crooks are up to – but at the same time know this: Continue Reading

New 12GB microSDHC is 50% Storage Boost

Mike McCrosky January 17, 2008 Flash Memory News, MicroSDHC, SDHC

SanDisk announced today a massive 12GB microSDHC card which is 50% larger in storage capacity than it’s previous model (8GB). So what does this mean?Â It means our mobile devices are getting one step closer to becoming a storage medium for all sorts of data, phone related or not.Â From MP3 files, video and data files … with 12GB of flash memory, quit a lot can fit.Â To put things into perspective, the microSDHC can hold [about] 1,500 MP3 songs, 3,600 photos and 24.5 hours of video. If you haven’t used or seen a microSDHC card, make sure you stop off at your local computer store and take a look.Â The size is incredibly small.Â About the size of your pinky fingernail. Some background info:Â The SDHC format applies to SD flash memory which is larger than 2GB is storage space.Â The new 12GB microSDHC card conforms to the SD 2.00 specification and has the theoretical maximum storage capacity of 32GB. On a closing note, the new SanDisk microSDHC card has a transfer speed compatible with the Class 4 specification.Â Too geeky for ya – let me sum it up: Continue Reading

Lexar U-Da-Man (UDMA) Card Reader

Mike McCrosky November 10, 2007 Compact Flash, Flash Memory News, SDHC, UDMA technology

Okay, so UDMA is not U-Da-MAn but the new Lexar card reader is cool enough looking to make them “the man.” The new UDMA (Ultra Direct Memory Access) is a pop-top design which upon clicking the top cover (say on the Lexar logo) the card reader slots pop up for flash memory access.

The Lexar card reader connects to your PC via mini-to-full-size USB cable. The device readers either CompactFlash compatible or SDHC compatible SD cards. So just to bring everyone up-to-speed: What is UDMA technology?: Continue Reading