SD Card License question

I am doing something similar right now. I do not even consider paying them up for being allowed to look at the standards - if the ietf, t10, t13 can distribute the standards freely I see no reason why I should encourage their pay-to-be-allowed-a-look behaviour (which in reality is just being hostile towards anyone outside their club).

There are enough data out there to do that, in fact one can do 4-bit mode as well. I am sure I saw the 4-bit mode in some "mandatory" context at least once.

The way I see it, they apply if you want to use their logo. If you just put the connector there - which is pretty unique and obvious - you do not have to pay them up. But this is my reading - and I am not a lawyer nor did I try to read it "in depth" :-).

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------ Dimiter Popoff Transgalactic Instruments

------------------------------------------------------

Hi Dimiter,

thanks for your answer.

well this is not the point - a simplified Version of these specs is even available from sdcard assoc directly:

minus the secure stuff and some other details which are unimportant to me anyway.

So the question remains: Do I have to pay them to be able to *use* micro/mini SD Memory Cards if only access it with _unpatended_ SPI Mode and some standard microS Connector? At least I can't believe that anything of the SPI Mode is patented.

I know. But I don't need that and it's patended as far as I know. SPI is even faster in this case as I can use the SPI Hardware of m controller and don't need to do I/O Pin bit-banging.

That's a good point - but they do not mention this on their page directly Only that you *have to* put the Logo somewhere in your documentation if yo use SD 8-) Oh of course I do not need to use any of their Logos.

Kind regards, Dom

I believe I read this somewhere on their site, not sure where, though. Perhaps under the membership clarification stuff.

Well for large volume products there is no way around that without sacrificing too much revenue in order not to pay them up, I guess. But for a few tens or hundreds of devices/year naming the slot "memory card" and perhaps saying "like this or that model or compatible" should be enough - and this does not use their logo.

There is definitely no ransom money to be paid for using the SPI interface, it has been widely used for well over a decade now. And I cannot think of an interface introduced by Motorola which has been protected by some fees.

You seem already to be deeper in that logo/non-logo stuff than I am. I am designing the card slots in - both SPI and 4 bit mode - and will address these issues if/when it comes to that. Please keep us posted with your further discoveries - as will I if I make some.

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------ Dimiter Popoff Transgalactic Instruments

------------------------------------------------------

directly:

If you can live with fairly small cards (