Introduction
For some time many people have wanted to use my iFlash iPod CF adapter with the new generation of large format SD memory cards. SDHC and SDXC are the new generation of SD cards which are cheaper and have capacities of upto 256Gb and growing.
SDXC Installation
Installation
7g and 256Gb PNY
Installation is simple, the iFlash is first installed – then install the SD card in to your SD-CF Adapter – finally insert the whole thing in to the iFlash, ready to restore the iPod.
SDHC and SDXC which cards to get
So far all the SDHC and SDXC cards I tested worked ok, so it is looking likely that majority of the SD cards out there will work ok.
In terms of card speed, one user has reported issues playing FLACS with a Class 4 card. I would suggest you want a minimum of a Class 6 card with Class 10 the prefered option.
So far… working and tested in 5g / 6g / 7g iPods
iPod 5g with 256Gb PNY
The current compatibility list has been moved to the iFlash-Solo product page.
Hello,
I purchased one of your Adapters and also an 64 GB SDXC card which is – according to the sheet that came with the iFlash adapter – is compatible.
I run OS X.. First I tried ‘preparing’ the card with disk utility (like formatting in FAT32). When I connected the iPod to my Computer, I just saw the sad iPod, then the ‘very low battery’ warning.
When I format the SDXC-Card with the SD Formatter program, the device can be synced. I can listen for music then for a while (with long pauses when I skip Songs), but after a while, the device freezes and after a reset I get the sad iPod icon again. The card needs to be formatted with SD formatter again before I can sync musik to the device now.
I just tried it with a 60 GB iPod Video and also a 30 GB one (I guess 5G as the backplate states (c) 2005).
What can I do?
@markus hi. I received the PNY 256gb u3 yesterday and installed. It works flawlessly so far 🙂
Its a bit more expensive than the kingston, but at least it works now. Its a lot faster too.
Also, is it possible that the iflash unlocks the EU restricted volume limit? Because suddenly 50% volume is already louder than it was on 100% before(volume limit in settings on max.) Even though I get the feeling that this varies sometimes.
@Oliver – No the iFlash will have no effect on the audio, what you describe sounds like you have knocked or pulled the headphone jack ribbon and it is not seated properly on the connector, you need to remove the headphone jack ribbon and re-insert it fully home.
There’s a noticeable crackling during some songs that certainly wasn’t there before I installed the iflash-bundle. Is that a possible error(or maybe downside to the iflash), or can you rule that out, so the problem must lie somewhere else? Using a 128Gb SDXC UHS-I (U3) Sandisk Extreme
Hi There
Has anyone tried a micro SD card? Do they work?
@Mark – MicroSD does work, obviously you need to use the adapter that is normally supplied with them. However, please be aware there are many high capacity microSD cards that are very cheap prices, these always tend to be fake/remarked 4Gb/8Gb cards.
@ Mic – I got the same problem with the Kingston 256GB UHS-I (SDA/10). After about 2000 songs synced I get some errors stating the disk is unreadable/corrupted and that certain songs could not be transferred to the iPod.
@Markus – this is happening using the original Apple firmware, not Rockbox or EmCore??
Thanks for the feedback.
I did a full disk check and seemed ok.
I bought the PNY U3, gonna try that next week. 🙂
I’m getting bad results with the Kingston 256GB UHS-I (SDA/10).
Even with just 1000 songs on it, it can sync but it skips songs eventually.
And when i reset the iBod or reconnected to iTunes the card get unreadable/corrupt.
Anyone got this 100% working?
It’s strange cause Tarkan uses the 512GB version in one of his videos.
I followed all the MBR/partition steps.
i tried my little Sandisk 16GB Ultra II and that works 100%.
Any tips?
@Mic – Sounds like your card is failing, someone else had a similiar story and then the card failed – I suggest you RMA it and get a replacement – I have owned a 256gb Kingston for over a year now they are a good card, as long as you get a good version.
Re SDXC cards, i’m looking to get a couple of 128gb cards by PNY. The high performance models are considerably cheaper than the Elite models. Just wondered if i’d run into any major problems with the cheaper model or is it just a question of transfer speed?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help
I’m replacing the hard drive with flash memory on an Ipod classic (4G). The mod works with an 8GB CF card, but I want to use an SDXC card (64gb). I have the CF to Sd adapter, but the Ipod will not restore with Itunes. Is there an issue using SD cards on the classic 4Gs? And is there a size limit on the CF and SD cards?
@Tarkan. I have a 7G with 256GB PNY Elite, but itunes is reading just 128GB on a PC. I checked on my Mac and it says 256 available. I am trying to install Rockbox on in using my PC but I am wondering why is showing just 128GB?
@JaRa76 – your iPod is probably a 128Gb limited model, you can check your model number here.
@Tarkan – Understood:) Thanks again! Sorry for the typo last post.
@Tarken – Thank you for the prompt reply! Was thinking of formatting the SDXC card because we run windows, and read your post regarding preparing cards for, and formatting to ExFAT using the AOMEI utility. I have borrowed an SDXC compliant card reader. So I can format the card If you consider this best practices. Thanks again!
@beanish – It really is not necessary, I have not seen any bad ExFat partition tables in over a year on factory fresh cards.
Very happy to have received my iFlash bundle the other day, thank you! Quick question regarding the bundle, when you have a moment. Am I able to remove the CF adapter from the iFlash, to use it for formatting my SDXC card in a card reader? It seems to be attached quite well to the iFlash, and I don’t want to break anything:) Best Regards!
@beanish – There is no need to format the SDXC unless you have specific need to, and I don’t suggest removing the SD adapter as the bundles do have some hot glue applied to them.
I have a continuing issue with the iFlash Bundles that I put into iPods. Several times now, I have had the iFlash CF become partially disconnected (at an angle usually) from the SD-CF adapter inside the working iPod. The iPod then starts searching through songs without playing anything and the card gets corrupted. Is anyone else having this issue? I’m wondering if it might be a good idea to glue the SD-CF adapter to the iFlash CF or if maybe I should put some sort of stopper on the top or something.
If you suffer from that it is a pretty simple fix – either put some tape across the SD-CF Adapter to the iFlash -OR- just place a small bit of neoprene/rubber on top of the SD adapter to hold it against the rear case.
I don’t recommend glue but if you must, use something which is flexible e.g. contact adhesive or even hot glue.
@Tarkan
I can’t be sure at what point I formatted with the emcore menu – I’m fairly sure I did at some point after it got a bit corrupted following a failed attempt to install rockbox. I definitely reformatted the card completely with AOMEI more than once, possibly after every failed attempt to install rockbox.
Don’t want to mess with it at the moment, now its working in the 5th gen, but when the dual card adaptor turns up will be swapping things around so might experiment some more then.
@Tarkan
Strange thing with that Kingston card – couldn’t get it to work with rockbox in either a 6th or 7th gen, yet it works fine in a 5th gen (while PNY cards work fine in the two ipods that the Kingston wouldn’t). Seems as if it must be something to do with the combination of emcore and the Kingston card.
@Pete – My Kingston is still being used in a test program, once it is free I will test it out – one thing when you do swap cards around did you format the data partition via the EmCore tools menu? I remember when I spoke to one of the EmCore developers, he mentioned that partition alingments can get mixed up between iTunes restores, windows format and EmCore data partition – which would cause some very strange behaviour and slow / freezing access.
@ Tarkan
Okay thanks for letting me know. So your newer thin model bundle will let me use Rockbox on my 6g to be able to fill it? Also what could I use the outdated iflash adapter and card reader for?
@ Tarkan
So what you are saying is my card reader or board I got from you in 2013 is outdated? Or is it both? If so what bundle would work with the 2000mah battery in my 6g Classic? Thanks for your help.
@ Wildman – Yes the SDCF Adapter from back then will not work with the newer 256Gb or greater SDXC cards. To fit the 2000mAh battery you will need the iFlash-Thin.
@ Tarkan
Also Firmware: Rev 2.8
@ WildmaN – As I suspected that is a very old model, which I stopped selling probably 2 years ago.