how to format FAT16 FAT32 ?

manish12 · Joined: 18 Jan 2009 Posts: 15

what is the way to format FAT16 for sd mmc card ?

which software should use for this ,so that it will detect if all hw setup is ok.

thank you.

future · Joined: 14 May 2004 Posts: 330

You can use a usb adapter and format using the windows explorer.

But to test your hardware you won't need it formatted. Make your routines write data to a sector and read it back.

Guest · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:03 pm

FAT is fully owned by Microsoft and everyone should seek legal advice so as to respect fully Microsoft's ownership rights. Permission to use FAT can be obtained from MicroSoft for around $250,000. Anyone using FAT would be well advised to obtain Microsoft's permission.

You guys should make these stupids laws changed or obey them.

Douglas Kennedy · Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 755 Location: Florida

Microsoft owns FAT anywhere on the planet. US law is extraterritorial so US citizens and corporations would be advised to seek vendors that have a FAT license no matter where they are located. Most industrialized countries have
reciprocal arrangements requiring their citizens and companies to respect US ownership rights. Noncompliance on the vendors part probably doesn't excuse the purchaser of liability so seek advice if your vendor doesn't have a FAT license.

Ttelmah · Guest

Microsoft has patents on VFAT, and FAT32, but has never obtained patents for FAT12, and FAT16. They'd probably have difficulty in doing this for the latter, since when these were written, MicroSoft were actually working for IBM.
So you can use FAT16, without license worries, but if you want to go to FAT32, thn you need to arrange licensing.

Best Wishes

FvM · Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 2337 Location: Germany

In addition, one shouldn't over-dramatize the problem. The final US court decisions (they are also affecting LFN usage, B.T.W.) are annoying, and we would prefer the 2004 rejection of this patents to be confirmed. But it's mainly a MS weapon against free software and an occasion to earn money from high volume applications (as digital photo, video and other media equipment). With a $0.25 fee per device, it doesn't pay to enforce the property rights with low and medium volume embedded applications. The free software community has however clearly stated not to pay any patent fees, also MS has never tryed to enforce their rights. Interestingly, german patent court has denied all MS FAT patents.

Finally, the free software community is keeping their so called "nuclear" option, a collection of basic OS and network patents, that is said to have some counterstrike capability, if MS really decides to go for a war.

Guest2 · Guest

The Texans have all rights on FAT.

(The one that provokes obesity)

Tom-H-PIC · Joined: 08 Sep 2003 Posts: 105 Location: New Castle, DE

Now that the legal issues have been pointed out!
I don’t see the big issues with help the guy out.
Circuit Cellar had a two part series on this in Jan(#222) and Feb(#223) of this year.
If someone here doesn’t help him out Mr Australia will be posting to sell him his file system.
We know that there is no license with that, heck most of it is not even C code and when it is then it is for Microchip C not CCS.
I would be happy to help but I don’t know a thing about the FAT file system but what I read.
That is just my two cense worth.
Tom