Hello to all my fellow CNC friends.... I have the CNC Shark Pro Plus for a year now and I love it. Recently I have seen posts on using a "SD Memory" card with the controller. What type of SD Card and what size in (MB) can I use? Also is the purpose of the SC Card to have "G-Code", loaded on to it to "Run the G-code" or to increase overall memory of the controller unit. Anybody have any thought's ideas on this....
Thanks
Dave
SD Card size?
Moderators: ddw, al wolford, sbk, Bob, Kayvon
Re: SD Card size?
From reading other posts - those that actually report back success or failure - and discussions with NWA support, a 1 GB SD card will support a project that has a runtime of approximately 16 hours. As long as your project is less than that, there is no need to consider a larger SD card. Certainly there is no need for a card larger than 2GB.
If you're purchasing a card, be sure it states 40x or higher write speed. Of greater interest to the functionality or use in this case is the read speed. But as that is not usually the highlighted information, using 40x or higher write speed will result in a good enough read speed card.
If you feel a need to format it - and there are instances where the solution appears to be formatting the card - pull it out of the control box and insert it into your computer. Given the size of the card, the only choice of format types should be FAT32 (the other possible choice is NTFS, choose FAT32), and uncheck the 'Quick Format' box.
The SD card is used by the Control Box as a memory unit for its functions - in some manner similar to RAM on a computer. This is very much different than the typical use of SD cards on cameras and phones for examples (where it is usually storage - read/write of actual files). You should never pull out the card, and copy the tap files to it, and then stick it back in the control box. As some have found, this 'doesn't work'. The tap file is loaded using the Shark Basic Panel onto the Control Box - which holds it in memory in its own form - not necessarily in a tap file per se.
Some users who appear to be using Windows 7 may actually "see" the SD card on the Control Box in Windows Explorer and have thought that this is where the tap file would go (in the same manner you may "see" your phone or camera's SD card when you plug them into the computer). Bottom line, don't copy things to the SD card using whatever method.
Hope this helps.
If you're purchasing a card, be sure it states 40x or higher write speed. Of greater interest to the functionality or use in this case is the read speed. But as that is not usually the highlighted information, using 40x or higher write speed will result in a good enough read speed card.
If you feel a need to format it - and there are instances where the solution appears to be formatting the card - pull it out of the control box and insert it into your computer. Given the size of the card, the only choice of format types should be FAT32 (the other possible choice is NTFS, choose FAT32), and uncheck the 'Quick Format' box.
The SD card is used by the Control Box as a memory unit for its functions - in some manner similar to RAM on a computer. This is very much different than the typical use of SD cards on cameras and phones for examples (where it is usually storage - read/write of actual files). You should never pull out the card, and copy the tap files to it, and then stick it back in the control box. As some have found, this 'doesn't work'. The tap file is loaded using the Shark Basic Panel onto the Control Box - which holds it in memory in its own form - not necessarily in a tap file per se.
Some users who appear to be using Windows 7 may actually "see" the SD card on the Control Box in Windows Explorer and have thought that this is where the tap file would go (in the same manner you may "see" your phone or camera's SD card when you plug them into the computer). Bottom line, don't copy things to the SD card using whatever method.
Hope this helps.
Re: SD Card size?
More commonly listed on the packaging is the speed class. It is also depicted as a symbol which is the letter C with a number in it. The higher the number, the faster the card. 40x write speed equates to class 6, so either a class 6 or class 10 card will match the requirements as stated by Dave. Class 2 and 4 are slower than Daves stated requirement.
Scott
Scott
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Chiefmedic
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Re: SD Card size?
A great BIG "Thank You" to everybody who posted a reply. 
Dave.....
Dave.....