Help! Is a TF card or microSD card required for my device? What IS the difference?

When it comes to memory cards, the market offers a plethora of options aimed at various devices. TF cards and microSD cards are two of the most well-known of these options. These cards are used as primary or secondary storage devices in a wide range of devices.

Having said that, there is some misunderstanding about what a TF card is. Is there a distinction between a TF card and a microSD card? Is it the same thing? Which one should I choose?

What Is a TF Card?

In 2004, Motorola and SanDisk introduced TransFlash (TF) cards as a replacement for SD cards. Secure Digital cards (SD cards), as you know, are memory cards used in digital cameras and other devices which require portable storage. Although SD cards are the most widely used storage format, they are larger and more cumbersome than a TF card.

TF cards were designed to be smaller and more compact than SD cards while still retaining SD card functionality. This means you can use a TF memory card in your digital camera or any other device that accepts an SD card with the help of an SD card adapter.

What is a MicroSD Card?

MicroSD cards are simply rebranded TF cards. When Motorola and SanDisk released the TF card in 2004, it was released as a separate standalone product. Aside from the fact that TF cards supported the same standard specifications as SD cards (except for the size), they were a distinct, non-standardized product class.

The SD Association, which is the governing body over the Secure Digital specifications and compliance guidelines, adopted TF cards as microSD cards to standardize these flash memory cards.

So, microSD cards are TF cards in disguise.

TF Card vs. microSD Card: What’s the Difference?

There are no distinctions between TF cards and microSD cards. Both can be used interchangeably. For example, if you have a TF card but your smartphone only supports microSD cards, you can use your TF card. It will work perfectly because it adheres to the same standard.

Which Card to Pick Up?

If you need a memory card for your digital camera or older gadgets but don’t need one for your smartphone, a full-sized SD card is the way to go.

On the contrary, if you need a card for your smartphone alone, you have no other option than a microSD card.

Finally, get a microSD card with an SD adapter so that you can use your card in both your smartphone and other devices. Because MicroSD cards use the same standard interface as SD cards, they can be used in place of SD cards with the help of an SD card adapter.

Nexcopy Introduces an Ultra-Fast 16-Target SD Card Duplicator with Advanced CID Capabilities

The latest innovation from Nexcopy, the 16-target SD Card Duplicator, redefines efficiency by allowing users to copy 1GB of data every 30 seconds. With its enhanced copy speeds, this cutting-edge device is a key product for those needing to perform Secure Digital duplication.

Manufactured by Nexcopy Inc., a Southern California based technology company, the SD160PC sets a new standard for SD Card Duplicators. Designed to connect to a computer, this device works with Nexcopy’s exclusive Drive Manager software. The platform offers a comprehensive array of features, enabling users to execute even the most intricate data duplication projects with ease.

Key features of the SD Card Duplicator:

• Rapid duplication of 1GB of data to all sockets every 30 seconds.
• Ability to read CID numbers from Secure Digital cards for enhanced security.
• Drive Manager software with six copy modes to suit diverse requirements.
• Support for any file format, with compatibility dependent on the copy mode.
• Password-controlled Admin area to manage access between supervisors and operators.

A standout capability of the SD160PC is its ability to read CID numbers from Secure Digital media. The CID number, a unique identifier stored in read-only memory, strengthens encrypted content deployment. Nexcopy makes it easy to download and export these values to a .csv file for analysis or record keeping.

Nexcopy also provides a live speed test video on the product page, demonstrating the remarkable copy speed and efficiency of the system. Prospective users can see firsthand the duplicator’s performance.

The SD160PC is available now for direct purchase from Nexcopy or through authorized resellers worldwide. Whether for commercial duplication or secure data management, the SD160PC delivers speed, reliability, and top-tier functionality.

UPDATE:

Since this press release from March 2022, Nexcopy has updated its software to support the writing of CID numbers to SD cards, in addition to reading them. While writing CID values is not universally supported, Nexcopy offers Secure Digital media specifically designed for this process, providing a turnkey solution where required.

What is a CID number?

The CID (Card Identification) of an SD card is a unique identifier embedded in read-only memory by the manufacturer. It typically contains the manufacturer ID, production date, and proprietary details. The value is accessible only through specialized hardware or commands, such as those used by the SD160PC duplicator.

CID numbers are hidden from standard users but can be accessed programmatically for applications like device authentication, data encryption, and asset tracking. Some management software also supports exporting these identifiers for administrative use.

The 16-target SD Card Duplicator represents a leap forward in duplication technology. With lightning-fast performance, robust software, and enhanced security measures, it stands as the industry benchmark for Secure Digital duplication.

Nexcopy announced this SD Card Duplicator release through PRLeap on March 30, 2022.

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.

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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.

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.

This article explains how to encrypt data which can be decrypted on both a Mac and Windows computer.

Microsoft Windows accounts for nearly 80% of desktop computers, with Apple OS accounting for about 18% of the market share (as of Q3, 2021). With this in mind, it is very common for users to want encrypted data to be shared on both Mac and Windows computers. For example, at work, Microsoft Windows is used, while at home, the employee uses a Mac computer. It is not easy to share encrypted data between these two operating systems. There is no installed solution from Microsoft or Apple that provides cross-platform encryption and decryption.

There are two options for those who want to decrypt files on both a Microsoft Windows and an Apple Mac computer:

• Individual users can purchase software that encrypts and decrypts files for both Mac and Windows computers.
• The other solution is buying a physical drive which supports decryption on either operating system.

The second option is better suited to a business. This is true because the employee or individual is not required to purchase additional software.

The only known solution that has the following three characteristics is a product by Nexcopy. This is a company which provides feature-rich flash drive duplicator solutions, but also provides advanced functions to flash drives, such as cross-platform encryption.

This is how the Nexcopy USB flash drive encryption solution works:

• PC-based software is used to encrypt the data
• Included with the encrypted data are two software utilities loaded onto the flash drive
• The utilities run from the flash drive and decrypt the data when the correct password is entered
• The applications do not require installation; they run directly from the flash drive
• PCViewer.exe is the Windows-based utility – no admin rights required
• MacViewer.app is the Mac-based utility – no admin rights required
• By launching the correct utility and entering the correct password the files will be decrypted and displayed on the associated operating system

Please keep in mind there is a difference between the term “encryption” and the term “copy protection.”

The process of encoding information is known as encryption. This process converts the original representation of the information, for example plaintext, into ciphertext. Only the authorized party who knows how to decipher the ciphertext back into plaintext can reorganize and piece it back together. The important thing to remember is that once the decipher is complete, the user can do whatever they want with the plaintext. That content can be copied, duplicated, shared, streamed, and screen captured by the user.

Copy protection includes the process of encoding; however, it adds an additional layer of security by prohibiting the user from doing anything other than viewing the content, such as copying, duplicating, sharing, streaming, and screen capture. To put it another way, the files can only be viewed and not modified.

Encryption is a valuable technology in situations where the content owner trusts the person with the password; however, security is required in the event that the USB flash drive is dropped, stolen, or misplaced. By encrypting the content, unauthorized users are prevented from accessing it.

Copy protection is a valuable technology for protecting content while allowing multiple users to view it. For example, a teacher may have valuable lessons that they want all students to see, but they do not want the lessons saved or shared with other classes. This is an excellent application for copy protection.

Nexcopy offers USB duplicator solutions for mass production of USB encrypted flash drives. Nexcopy also offers large-scale USB duplicators for copy-protected flash drives. Depending on the individual or company’s needs, there is a solution for those who require encryption for both Windows and Mac computers.

Microsoft does not provide ways to eject USB flash drives with a single click, or automatically. Universal Serial Bus (USB) is the #1 method for expanding storage in Windows, yet Microsoft makes ejecting a storage device such a manual process! Frustrating to many, like you, because you are here. {wink}

Today we cover how to eject a USB flash drive in Windows in the command prompt. In addition, this article also provides a software way to eject a USB flash drive with the single click of a button. Yes, that is right, a single click!

Let us start by covering how to eject a USB drive using the command prompt.

Like mentioned above, Microsoft does not make this easy. The user must get into DiskPart, list the volumes (drives) connected, select the specific volume (drive) then eject by typing “release.”

The above commands may be performed via the command prompt, but honestly it’s a pain because all the typing involved and manually selecting the device. This process needs to be automated. {hint}

If you are reading this article you want to make things quick, easy and simple.

Nexcopy solved this problem with a free utility that doesn’t require installation, doesn’t require Admin rights, and doesn’t require you to select the drive. The tool is ultra-quick and ultra-easy. In addition, anyone can bundle the free exe file into their own software to automate the process.

The free software tool is called USB Eject Button

Here is the download link to eject USB flash drives from Windows command prompt

Below is the command prompt using a single word to eject a USB flash drive. The command is “release”

However, what if multiple USB flash drives are connected? Is it still just as easy to eject all the USB flash drives? The answer is yes. The USB Eject Button tool works by automatically selecting the last USB flash drive connected to be the first USB flash drive ejected.

Below is an example. We connected “Drive One” first, then “Drive Two” and finally “Drive Three.”

We then ran the command to eject the USB flash drives. The tool ejected; Drive Three (F), then Drive Two (E) and last, Drive One (D).

Again, Nexcopy provides this tool for free and doesn’t require installation, doesn’t require Admin rights, and doesn’t require a User to select a drive. The tool is free to bundle with other applications if one chooses.

The USBEjectButton.exe file used for the command prompt, has a very slick graphical user interface. Simply download the zip file and extract it to any location. Then make a shortcut to the exe file and place the shortcut on your desktop, or better yet, the taskbar in Windows.

The USB Eject Button tool is designed so when a User clicks the shortcut icon, that click triggers the ejection process and ejects the USB flash drive. Simple – Slick – Instant

There is even a Windows happy sound so the User knows it happened.

With the shortcut in the dashboard of Windows it is now possible to eject a USB flash drive from Windows with the single click of a button! Brilliant.

Here is a video showing the process of ejecting a USB flash drive with the single click of a button, along with ejecting the USB flash drive in the command window.

So what does this USB Eject Button do if there is no USB flash drive connected? If there is no flash drive connected and the user clicks the shortcut link, then a Nexcopy website page appears in your default browser.

The website page provides information about different Nexcopy USB products. Given Nexcopy put in the work to make such a nice, simple and free utility, this is not that intrusive. The webpage lists the four different types of flash drives Nexcopy offers:

• Copy Secure drives which are USB flash drives that provide copy protection to MP4 video files, MP3 audio files, PDF files, HTML pages, Text files, image files and more.
• Lock License drive; a technology having the default state of the USB stick as write protected (locked) and the user can programmatically unlock the drive.
• Disc License drives which create true USB CD-ROM flash drives from an ISO file. This is not a software solution, but a hardware solution.
• USB encryption flash drives which protect all content with a password and strong AES encryption technology.

Source: Eject USB flash drive from command line in Windows

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) has announced the availability of a sample of the world’s first vertically-integrated 176-layer NAND solid-state drive (SSD) for data center applications. This new data center SSD features Micron’s industry-leading NAND with 176 layers of storage cells and proven CMOS-under-the-array technology for an ultra-efficient design.

Last year, organizations that used high encryption standards for data at rest and in motion paid 29.4 percent less for a data breach than organizations that used low or no standard encryption. Micron SSDs include self-encrypting drive functionality and Microsoft eDrive options to help protect against data breaches and tailor security to specific data protection needs.

For the purpose of this article we are explaining the difference between “disc” and “disk” in relationship to the terms applied to technology products.

The term “disc” is most often referred to data storage in the form of optical media.

The term “disk” is most often referred to data storage in the form of hard drive or solid state drive media.

It is also said the spelling “disc” is more commonly used in Europe to describe data storage products; whereas the spelling “disk” is more commonly used in the United States.

From our understanding the origins of “disk” to describe data storage is rooted from the floppy diskette days. Users, resellers and manufacturers would shorten the word “diskette” to simply use the word “disk.” ( ref )

Once optical media such as CD and CD-R came to market the term “disc” was used to describe the product because of the product shape. The Latin word “discus” is used by the Greeks to describe “dikein” which is “to throw” and to throw and object which was flat and round.

As the years past with CD and CD-R and then DVD and DVD-R it came even more common for technology users, resellers and manufacturers to use the spelling “disc” to describe their optical media products.

Here at GetFlashMemory.info we see many versions of the spelling when describing a USB flash drive or disk. The correct spelling when related to a USB flash drive would be “USB disk.” This is true because the data storage device does not have a physical shape which is round.

About one year ago, we did report on a USB flash drive which emulates CD-ROM optical media when connected to computers, called the Disc License drive. In this situation the spelling for “disc” is correct because the product emulates that of a circular optical drive. This product is a WORM device (Write Once Read Many) which means the data on the USB drive cannot be modified, changed, manipulated or deleted.

From all accounts it appears Aleratec closed their doors and went out of business starting in February 2022.

GetUSB.info attempted several calls to the corporate office in search of comment, but received no response. Furthermore, it appears that Google has removed Aleratec from their search results because their domain www.aleratec.com has been inactive for more than 30 days. We are posting this information in case end-users are looking for company support or warranty information.

Aleratec, Inc. was a family-owned California-based company with two decades of experience designing, developing, and marketing high-performance, dependable, and easy-to-use products.

Greg Morris, CEO of Nexcopy Inc, a similar company profile and also based in Southern California, commented today after request: “I’ve known Perry Solomon, the CEO, well over twenty years and he was always a good person to speak with regarding industry trends and business practices. Extremely friendly and approachable. Perry was focused on bringing a solution to the market which brought true value to the end-user. I wish him the best of luck with his next business adventure.”

Aleratec offered PC-based and standalone flash memory duplicators, as well as CD and DVD duplicators, hard drive duplicators, and hard drive demolishers. In addition, Aleratec provided a “charge and guard” cabinet for charging portable devices such as tablets. The charge and guard cabinet proved especially useful in schools.

Some products are still available online at the time of this posting, but the majority of models appear to be out of stock or on back order.

If Aleratec would like to comment or provide information for post-sales support and parts, please reach out at: gmo [at] getusb [dot] info and we can post the information in this article.

Micron plans to close Shanghai DRAM operations and focus more on NAND memory market.

Micron Memory, a USB semiconductor company based out of Boise ID, is reportedly planning to close their Shanghai operations which uses technology resources to develop DRAM technology. I source not willing to comment indicates a lack of talent or “loss of technical know-how” is a primary reason for the closure.

Micron expects the Shanghai Design Center to be operational until December of 2022 at which time the facility will be close and employees will be redistributed to either a US or India Micron location. The Shanghai location employees nearly 150 engineers and technicians.

Although reluctant news for the DRAM market segment, this does point to increased demand and interest for NAND memory. The NAND memory market continues to grow as storage demands increase and storage capacities increase. A primary NAND memory market is the USB flash drive market with the highest volume of commodity products, a number which capsulates the mobile phone market.

Micron was founded in Boise, Idaho, in 1978 as a semiconductor design firm. In 1981, the company moved from consulting to manufacturing with the completion of its first wafer fabrication unit (“Fab 1”), producing 64K DRAM chips. Micron went public in 1984 under the ticker symbol MU.

Other articles from this website which mention Micron products and technology.

This how to tutorial describes a simple way to check for bad sectors on a USB flash drive. The instructions below will also fix any bad sectors, if possible, during the scanning process.

A bad sector on a flash drive is a portion of memory on the flash drive which cannot be accessed, written to, or read from and therefore cannot be used. A bad sector on a flash drive sounds easy enough to diagnose, but it’s important to know there are two types of bad sectors: hard and soft.

Physical damage to a USB flash drive will create a hard bad sector. A hard bad sector cannot be repaired or fixed and is typically induced from physical abuse. A good example: leaving a flash drive in your pocket and it went through the wash, or the device was dropped and hit the ground is such a way, physical damage happened to the memory.

A soft bad sector on a flash drive are memory logic problems. A soft bad sector can occur from a software or data error during the write process. In lower quality flash drives, it is possible the incorrect firmware was written into the USB controller ROM and thus creates instability via soft bad sectors.

Bad sectors cannot be repaired; however soft bad sectors can be repaired.

The soft bad sectors can be fixed by using the CHKDSK utility in the Windows operating system. This same utility will also flag any hard bad sectors not to be used again, and of course not repaired.

Some signs of a bad sector on a flash drive include:

• Cannot read a file on the flash drive
• A file location is no longer available
• Unable to format the USB flash drive
• A disk read error occurs during operation

In our opinion, run the check disk one time to see if your issue is resolved, but if subsequent scans are required, we recommend discarding the flash drive to avoid further issues.

Running the chkdsk scan is really easy:

Insert flash drive to computer

Using Windows Explorer navigate to the drive letter

In the Explorer window type cmd and press enter

Once inside the command line utility type chkdsk d: /f /r /x and click Enter. NOTE: *The letter d represents the drive letter of the flash drive.

• The /f parameter tells CHKDSK to fix any errors it finds.
• The /r parameter tells Windows to repair/restore bad sectors (if possible).
• The /x parameter unmounts any “handles” to the drive or said another way, this step will not allow any other resource to access the flash drive during the scan.