Media System 2.1 / RNS315 - SD card problem

[GainfulShrimp]

I enjoy having (the majority of) my music collection on a 32GB SDHC card in mp3 format, so I get a decent variety of tunes without the inconvenience of radio adverts or news.

Trouble is, I have tried populating another 16GB SDHC card with my comedy/spoken word mp3s... and it doesn't work. At first I thought it was the card that the system didn't like, so I ordered another one of a different type - still didn't work. I've now tried three different makes/models of card including a 32GB card identical model to the one I use for tunes (which works perfectly), and all of them just cause a message on screen "SD card faulty".

I know the cards themselves aren't faulty as they work perfectly in my PCs (and they're brand new!). The only explanation I can think of is that the MS2.1 doesn't like the file structure or mp3 tracks themselves for some reason.

I can't see anything obviously wrong with the content. I think it's all mp3s except for perhaps an occasional hidden file related to file browsing in WinXP (desktop.ini and/or thumbs.db). I think my other, working card has some of those files in it too so I'm a bit frustrated that my comedy won't work.

Anyone else had this problem with SD cards/content in the RNS310/315 units and managed to resolve it?

 

[HotHatchSteve]

Make sure they are formated FAT 32 and not NTFS.

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Sorry should have said above but I already thought of that - they show up as FAT32 formatted.

I've just been re-checking and some of the folders have rather long names and some filenames have dollar or pound symbols in them. I bet it's something subtle like that...

Think I'm going to check the manual to see if it has exact specs on what's allowed and what isn't.

 

[Leigh15]

My money will be on either long filenames/odd characters or an odd bitrate on the files

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Well this is what the manual says about the requirements:

SD and MMS memory cards up to max. 2GB (gigabytes) and SDHC memory cards up to max. 32GB

Check

• MP3 files (.mp3) with bit rates of between 48 and 320kbit/s or with variable bit rate
• WMA files (.wma) up to 9.2 mono/stereo without copy protection
• Playlists in the formats PLS, M3U and WPL
• File names and paths no longer than 256 characters
• Folder structures with a maximum of eight levels
• Audio data CDs with max. 50 folders and max. 500 files
• Memory cards with max. 5000 folders and max 15000 files with max 6000 files per folder

Well that all looks fair enough, but I still can't see where I'm going wrong:

• Any files on there with fixed bitrate are max 160kbit/s (usually lower), or VBR
• I'm not using WMA at all
• I checked all the filepaths and the longest is 139 characters... well short of 256
• The deepest folder structure is about 4 levels
• There are fewer than 2000 tracks on the card

I'm running out of ideas but I'm not sure I can be arsed to delete stuff randomly until the car decides it likes it.

 

[MWG]

try copying the contents of the card that works onto the one that doesn't, should rule out any file structure/ naming issues

Edit: if it works then it must be the content that's causing the problem

 

[GainfulShrimp]

I've populated one of the cards which doesn't work (when it contains my comedy files) with other tunes, and it works OK... so it's not down to the physical card or the formatting.

I got so fed up with staring at lists of files that I decided to have a play in Perl and wrote myself a little mp3 info tool (thanks CPAN!).

So here are some stats about the set of comedy mp3s which do not work :

attribute (minimum:maximum)

folder depth (0:3)
max folder length (0:70)
filename length (8:103)
path length (29:139)
VBR? (0:1)
bitrate (32:320)
frequency (22.05:48)
mp3 version (1:2)
mp3 layer (3:3)
stereo? (1:1)
mode (0:1)
vbr scale (30:78)

Everything looks pretty normal there: some CBR, some VBR and none of the paths, folders or names are too long. There's a mix of bitrates, frequencies, versions and some files are true stereo with most being joint stereo.

However... my little audit also revealed that at least two files couldn't be read and those have weird characters in the names.

I'm going to rename them and try the card again in the car. Will keep you posted of course.

 

[n_d_fox]

Didnt realise you could use folder levels... i copied all of my MP3's onto the SD card and dropped them under the artist name so there was only 1 folder level.

e.g. Jamiroquai - every track from about 4 albums under that one folder.

Might look at dropping them back under their respective album folders now.

Hasnt helped you at all but thanks for helping me out

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Hasnt helped you at all but thanks for helping me out

Glad to have been of service...

I found another three tracks that couldn't be read by my little audit tool: three episodes of Blackadder (audio ripped from a box set iirc). The other 15 files in that folder were fine and the ones which couldn't be read still open OK in WMP, but I've deleted them just in case. Took the opportunity to tidy up some silly filenames too.

Looking forward to trying the card again tonight although I don't know what I'll do if the car still doesn't like it!

 

[n_d_fox]

Probably do what i usually do and sulk all the way home...

 

[HotHatchSteve]

Didnt realise you could use folder levels... i copied all of my MP3's onto the SD card and dropped them under the artist name so there was only 1 folder level.

e.g. Jamiroquai - every track from about 4 albums under that one folder.

Might look at dropping them back under their respective album folders now.

Hasnt helped you at all but thanks for helping me out

If you want you can Put the card in a PC and us Windows Media to sync them in to the same folder layout of the PC.

 

[Al]

My RNS 310 always shows SD card fault until the car is warm, then it plays music from the SD card with no problems

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Well my various renames and deletions did flip-all... the Media System 2.1 still just said "SD Error" and refused to use the card.

I guess the time has come to delete stuff gradually til I find the culprit.

If anyone has any better ideas, I'd be grateful!

 

[n_d_fox]

My RNS 310 always shows SD card fault until the car is warm, then it plays music from the SD card with no problems

mine wont play the SD card on cold mornings when you first start the car (few minutes). i put this down to the relatively cheap SD card i bought.

ejecting it and listening to the radio for a few minutes then popping it back in sorts it out.

thanks for the hint about the SD card into windows media player...

 

[Al]

Mine was a relatively expensive one

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Well I retried the non-working card that worked with music content... and it didn't work.

So as an experiment I stuck some cellotape on the top of the card roughly opposite to the gold contacts underneath. The aim was to make the card slightly thicker. It felt a bit tight on the way in but it worked. Frightened myself after taking the card back out though as the tape had started to peel on the way back out. Not a long term fix then but a clue.

I'm guessing that warming up the unit flexes or expands something that allows the contacts to make, err, contact.

I've just painted the same area on the card with some clear nail varnish I borrowed from the missus. After it dries overnight, if it seems like it's not going to stick, flake or peel off inside the slot, I might see if that's also provided a workaround.

 

[GainfulShrimp]

The nail varnish seemed to have dried hard enough and after leaving it overnight, it wasn't at all sticky... but the card still wouldn't read this morning. I might try adding a few layers gradually, or switch tactic to shaving off a tiny bit from the bottom side of the plastic 'rail' along the edge, in case that works. I'm sure there's a matter of microns between this being a usable card in my MS2.1 or not. Very frustrating as all of these non-working cards work fine in any other reader.
I'm loathe to report this under warranty as other people seem to have shall we say 'picky' card slots on their Media Systems so I might end up with the same/worse problem and a creaky dash as a bonus...

Any opinions on this last point? Do you think it's worth taking it to the dealer (obviously leaving the one working card at home and just taking the umpteen that it won't read, so as not to confuse matters!)?

 

[Dude]

I think it depends on how many times you will be taking the card out of the slot. I would of thought the more times you do it, the progressively worse the problem is going to be.

Think you have answered your own question by saying how frustrating it is…

I use a sandisk and have not experienced any problems what so ever.


Are you using different branded cards?

 

[Al]

I have a Sandisk card but it has issues, but it works in a mates A4 no bother. I will take a clip of it and post it up. As said before, once the car is warm, it works with no issues.

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Here are the cards that I've tried and results:

- 32GB Sandisk Class 2 (blue) = yes
- 32GB Sandisk Class 2 (blue) = no
- 16GB Sandisk Ultra II Class 4 (black) = no
- 16GB Sandisk Class 4 (blue) = no
- 2GB Kingston Class 6 = no
- 2GB Tevion unknown class = no
- 2GB Sandisk Class 2 with integrated USB (black) = no

The first card in the list has always worked without a hitch. The second card is exactly the same type/model/capacity/speed, ordered from the same supplier although at later date to the first one so may be different batch.

When I first tried it, the 16GB 'posh' Sandisk black card worked intermittently, but it seems to do the same as the others now: refuse to play.

Checking carefully, I can't see any differences between the card sizes or thicknesses of the various cards, or the position of the contact patches or anything, but I haven't got a microscope or ought.

I haven't had the 'works when warm' scenario that Al (and somebody else?) reported recently...