Strange behaviour with mock SD card

Beorn · 05-08-2010, 06:06 AM

Hello everyone,

I've been following MobileRead for quite a long time, but I'm not a very active user, to say the least.

Anyways, I ordered a Kobo and got it on Tuesday, and I have noticed a strange behavior:
I wanted to insert to the Kobo a mock SD card, to prevent the slot from getting dirty. However, When I put inside the SD slot a mock plastic SD (which I took from my Sony PRS-505, whose screen got broken and made me order the Kobo), the reader shows a "please wait while processing new content" screen, even though the card isn't even real. What's even more strange, is when I go to the Settings menu, it says "Removable Storage - 109MB of 160MB".

Another thing, which may be related, is that the battery seems to drain rather fast. As I said, I got the device on Tuesday and charged it for even more than 3 hours, and the battery icon already shows at about 3/5 full, even though I had only about 150 page turns... could it be that it just tries continuously to access the SD card, draining the battery faster?
I'd like to hear if anyone else had a similar problem.

Thanks!

Joebill · 05-08-2010, 07:07 AM

At a wild guess on my part:

When you insert the SD card a switch is moved, not just the locking part. That switch tells the ereader there is a SD card inserted, it then tries to connect. Over and over. Which is why the battery drains.

Of course, I don't know the innards of an ereader. Just making a wild guess based on my years as a computer tech.

Beorn · 05-08-2010, 12:25 PM

That's what I was thinking as well, but again, I as well don't know how the eReader actually works...

It would be nice if other Kobo owners could also try inserting mock SD cards, and write here if they also have the same behavior.

Actually, the fact that it shows it in the property as if there is really is "removable storage" with an invented space, makes me think that it's a bug rather than the normal behavior, and hopefully it could be solved in a firmware update.

anidel · 05-08-2010, 04:02 PM

I think that removable storage relates to some internal memory

EDIT: actually no.. I inserted my 8Gb miniSD with its SD adapater in the Kobo.
The Kobo was not able to mount it but it showed that very same Internal Removable with very same amounts. May be some RAM disk? some cache that it creates to better handle the SD?
Anyway... it didn't process the 8Gb stuff at all, but when connected to the PC, the SD was correctly shown and mounted by the PC.

So the hardware is capable of handling SDHC cards, not sure why they don't support bigger cards.

Not that we really need even more than 1Gb of books, but then again.. it's there.. why not?

Beorn · 05-08-2010, 04:10 PM

I also thought that it may be the case, but I checked it, and when I remove the mock card, this line of "Removable Storage" disappears, and I only have the line saying "Onboard Storage" (while with the card I had both lines).

However, I now noticed that it actually makes (a bit) sense, because the Onboard Storage reads 834MB, and the Removable reads 160MB, which together is 994, quite close to the 1GB that the Kobo is supposed to have...

So maybe it is possible that for some reason the mock card makes the Kobo show this hidden memory, but to me it still seems as some sort of a bug...

SeptemberWasp · 05-08-2010, 04:52 PM

I use a mock SD from a old old Palm Pilot I get none of the symptoms described here.

I just double checked and I don't get any processing indications on boot when they are unwarranted and I have no section in my settings for Removable Storage.

The kobo is completely oblivious to its presence.

Beorn · 05-09-2010, 12:11 AM

Thanks for checking it SeptemberWasp, can you please check in the Settings menu what is your Software Version/Division? and do you have the White or the Black model?

I have the white one, and my Software version is 1.0 (Mar 29 2010), Revision 58.

anidel · 05-09-2010, 04:16 AM

Well I just tried for fun with two SD card adapters and whenever I insert them it detectes it and tries to process it.
And in doing so it shows the removable device with 110Mb free out of 160Mb.
Unfortunately I do not have a non SDHC card to insert and see what it does show in that case.

But well, it isn't a real bug...

SeptemberWasp · 05-14-2010, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beorn

Thanks for checking it SeptemberWasp, can you please check in the Settings menu what is your Software Version/Division? and do you have the White or the Black model?

I have the white one, and my Software version is 1.0 (Mar 29 2010), Revision 58.

Mine is the same. White, 1.0 (Mar 29, 2010) revision 58.

Beorn · 05-14-2010, 03:32 AM

Well then, it really seems quite strange that for you it doesn't happen...
but thanks again for checking!
I guess that for now I'll just have to leave my Kobo's SD slot open, but it's really not such a big deal...

Stinger · 05-14-2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beorn

Well then, it really seems quite strange that for you it doesn't happen...

I would wager that this is because "not all 'mock' SD cards are created equal". I would be surprised to learn that there is a formal specification for the manufacturing of this placeholder cards.
I've never heard of SD slots using a mechanical switch to detect a card insert, I've always assumed it was an electrical signal accomplished via the SD card contacts completing a circuit on the device (those familiar with electronics know what I mean).

So if the mock card you have was made for a slot that doesn't have this weird switch the Kobo uses to detect an insert, it wouldn't be designed to avoid hitting that switch.

mwlcarter · 05-14-2010, 04:33 PM

I'm using a dummy SD card from any Palm, and it's got a cutout along the bottom that I'm guessing maybe prevents it from being mistaken for a real SD card.

I find there's a bit of a catch half-way inserted, where it feels like the card is jammed... pressing it a bit, it'll click and go the rest of the way, but every time it makes me worry that I'm gonna break something. In contrast, putting an SD card in my laptop there's no resistance at all.

SeptemberWasp · 05-17-2010, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwlcarter

I'm using a dummy SD card from any Palm, and it's got a cutout along the bottom that I'm guessing maybe prevents it from being mistaken for a real SD card.

I find there's a bit of a catch half-way inserted, where it feels like the card is jammed... pressing it a bit, it'll click and go the rest of the way, but every time it makes me worry that I'm gonna break something. In contrast, putting an SD card in my laptop there's no resistance at all.

Exactly as mine operated and yes, I also have that single notch missing.

I don't plan on removing it often if ever so the fear of the slightly aggressive touch it requires to get in doesn't overly concern me.

KjellM · 06-12-2010, 03:31 PM

I bought two Palm Dummy SD cards, one with a notch at the bottom, one without. Both work fine when inserted, no "Processing" message, no Removable Storage line in Settings. However, if I put a MicroSD to SD Adapter card in, without the MicroSD card, it does show the Processing message and in Settings the Removable Storage line is present.

As I have several extra MicroSD to SD adapters I will next try modifying one of the Adapter cards to see what causes the unexpected behavior. I will post the results of my experimenting.

Beorn · 06-12-2010, 03:36 PM

Thanks KjellM, It would be interesting (and also helpful) to know what is causing this behavior, I hope that you'll be able to find that out...

05-08-2010, 06:06 AM	#1
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	Strange behaviour with mock SD card Hello everyone, I've been following MobileRead for quite a long time, but I'm not a very active user, to say the least. Anyways, I ordered a Kobo and got it on Tuesday, and I have noticed a strange behavior: I wanted to insert to the Kobo a mock SD card, to prevent the slot from getting dirty. However, When I put inside the SD slot a mock plastic SD (which I took from my Sony PRS-505, whose screen got broken and made me order the Kobo), the reader shows a "please wait while processing new content" screen, even though the card isn't even real. What's even more strange, is when I go to the Settings menu, it says "Removable Storage - 109MB of 160MB". Another thing, which may be related, is that the battery seems to drain rather fast. As I said, I got the device on Tuesday and charged it for even more than 3 hours, and the battery icon already shows at about 3/5 full, even though I had only about 150 page turns... could it be that it just tries continuously to access the SD card, draining the battery faster? I'd like to hear if anyone else had a similar problem. Thanks!

05-08-2010, 04:02 PM	#4
anidel Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 188 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal, QC Device: Kobo,Nokia N900	I think that removable storage relates to some internal memory EDIT: actually no.. I inserted my 8Gb miniSD with its SD adapater in the Kobo. The Kobo was not able to mount it but it showed that very same Internal Removable with very same amounts. May be some RAM disk? some cache that it creates to better handle the SD? Anyway... it didn't process the 8Gb stuff at all, but when connected to the PC, the SD was correctly shown and mounted by the PC. So the hardware is capable of handling SDHC cards, not sure why they don't support bigger cards. Not that we really need even more than 1Gb of books, but then again.. it's there.. why not? Last edited by anidel; 05-08-2010 at 04:05 PM.

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05-08-2010, 07:07 AM	#2
Joebill Fanatic Posts: 517 Karma: 459442 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Alpha Centauri's Library of Alexandria Device: Pandigital Novel	At a wild guess on my part: When you insert the SD card a switch is moved, not just the locking part. That switch tells the ereader there is a SD card inserted, it then tries to connect. Over and over. Which is why the battery drains. Of course, I don't know the innards of an ereader. Just making a wild guess based on my years as a computer tech.

05-08-2010, 12:25 PM	#3
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	That's what I was thinking as well, but again, I as well don't know how the eReader actually works... It would be nice if other Kobo owners could also try inserting mock SD cards, and write here if they also have the same behavior. Actually, the fact that it shows it in the property as if there is really is "removable storage" with an invented space, makes me think that it's a bug rather than the normal behavior, and hopefully it could be solved in a firmware update.

05-08-2010, 04:10 PM	#5
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	I also thought that it may be the case, but I checked it, and when I remove the mock card, this line of "Removable Storage" disappears, and I only have the line saying "Onboard Storage" (while with the card I had both lines). However, I now noticed that it actually makes (a bit) sense, because the Onboard Storage reads 834MB, and the Removable reads 160MB, which together is 994, quite close to the 1GB that the Kobo is supposed to have... So maybe it is possible that for some reason the mock card makes the Kobo show this hidden memory, but to me it still seems as some sort of a bug...

05-08-2010, 04:52 PM	#6
SeptemberWasp Member Posts: 12 Karma: 36 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	I use a mock SD from a old old Palm Pilot I get none of the symptoms described here. I just double checked and I don't get any processing indications on boot when they are unwarranted and I have no section in my settings for Removable Storage. The kobo is completely oblivious to its presence.

05-09-2010, 12:11 AM	#7
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	Thanks for checking it SeptemberWasp, can you please check in the Settings menu what is your Software Version/Division? and do you have the White or the Black model? I have the white one, and my Software version is 1.0 (Mar 29 2010), Revision 58.

05-09-2010, 04:16 AM	#8
anidel Zealot Posts: 108 Karma: 188 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal, QC Device: Kobo,Nokia N900	Well I just tried for fun with two SD card adapters and whenever I insert them it detectes it and tries to process it. And in doing so it shows the removable device with 110Mb free out of 160Mb. Unfortunately I do not have a non SDHC card to insert and see what it does show in that case. But well, it isn't a real bug...

05-14-2010, 03:32 AM	#10
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	Well then, it really seems quite strange that for you it doesn't happen... but thanks again for checking! I guess that for now I'll just have to leave my Kobo's SD slot open, but it's really not such a big deal...

05-14-2010, 04:33 PM	#12
mwlcarter Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Catharines, ON Device: Kobo eReader	I'm using a dummy SD card from any Palm, and it's got a cutout along the bottom that I'm guessing maybe prevents it from being mistaken for a real SD card. I find there's a bit of a catch half-way inserted, where it feels like the card is jammed... pressing it a bit, it'll click and go the rest of the way, but every time it makes me worry that I'm gonna break something. In contrast, putting an SD card in my laptop there's no resistance at all.

06-12-2010, 03:31 PM	#14
KjellM Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 155580 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: BC, Canada Device: Kobo, Glo HD, Aura ONE	I bought two Palm Dummy SD cards, one with a notch at the bottom, one without. Both work fine when inserted, no "Processing" message, no Removable Storage line in Settings. However, if I put a MicroSD to SD Adapter card in, without the MicroSD card, it does show the Processing message and in Settings the Removable Storage line is present. As I have several extra MicroSD to SD adapters I will next try modifying one of the Adapter cards to see what causes the unexpected behavior. I will post the results of my experimenting.

06-12-2010, 03:36 PM	#15
Beorn New in the business Posts: 11 Karma: 5156 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Israel Device: Kobo eReader, Sony PRS-505 (broken)	Thanks KjellM, It would be interesting (and also helpful) to know what is causing this behavior, I hope that you'll be able to find that out...