open-earable-exg-factsheet [DokuWiki]

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====== External microSD reader — wiring guide (OpenEarable ExG) ======

The internal microSD slot shares its chip-select with the AD7124 ExG ADC
(board defect, see hardware notes): the two are mutually exclusive per
power-cycle. This guide adds an **external SD reader on a separate SPI bus**
using the two accessory connectors, so **ExG sampling and SD logging can run
simultaneously**.

===== What you need =====

  * Bare **3.3 V microSD breakout** (socket only — //no// 5 V level shifters or regulators; Arduino-style 5 V shields are unsuitable)
  * **JST SH 4-pin cable** for J2 — any Qwiic / STEMMA-QT cable fits mechanically (housing SHR-04V-S-B)
  * **JST SH 8-pin cable** for P1 (housing SHR-08V-S-B), only 3–4 wires used
  * microSD card, FAT32 formatted

:!: **Pin order on J2 is NOT Qwiic order.** Qwiic cables are wired GND, 3V3, SDA, SCL — J2 is SCL, GND, 3V3, SDA. Always go by **pin position**, never by wire color.

===== Wiring table =====

^ SD breakout signal ^ Connector ^ Part (JST) ^ Conn. pin ^ Board net ^ NINA module pin ^ nRF GPIO ^
| SCK  | P1 | SM08B-SRSS-TB | P1.8 | ''PDMCLK'' | 42 | P0.26 |
| MOSI | P1 | SM08B-SRSS-TB | P1.7 | ''PDMDIN'' | 7  | P0.25 |
| MISO | J2 | SM04B-SRSS-TB | J2.4 | ''SDA''    | 20 | P0.31 |
| CS   | J2 | SM04B-SRSS-TB | J2.1 | ''SCL''    | 18 | P0.02 |
| VDD (3.3 V) | P1 //or// J2 | | P1.6 or J2.3 | ''+3V3'' | — | — |
| GND  | P1 //or// J2 | | P1.3 or J2.2 | GND | — | — |

Pin 1 on both connectors is marked on the board silk; JST SH connectors are
keyed, so the housing only fits one way.

===== Step by step =====

  - **Power off** the board (unplug USB; the 3V3 rail must be dead while wiring).
  - **Remove any card from the internal slot** — an inserted card sits electrically on the ADC's SPI bus and must stay out.
  - Plug the 4-pin SH cable into **J2**, the 8-pin SH cable into **P1**.
  - Connect to the breakout:
    * J2 pin 1 (''SCL'', P0.02) → **CS**
    * J2 pin 4 (''SDA'', P0.31) → **MISO**
    * P1 pin 7 (''PDMDIN'', P0.25) → **MOSI**
    * P1 pin 8 (''PDMCLK'', P0.26) → **SCK**
    * P1 pin 6 //or// J2 pin 3 (''+3V3'') → **VDD**
    * P1 pin 3 //or// J2 pin 2 (GND) → **GND**
  - Insulate/trim the unused P1 wires (pins 1, 2, 4, 5 — speaker outputs and the IMU's I²C bus; **do not** let them touch anything).
  - Keep the cable run short (< 10 cm) — the bus runs at 8 MHz unshielded.
  - Insert the card into the **external** breakout, power the board back up.

===== Why these pins =====

  * P0.25 / P0.26 were reserved for a PDM microphone that was never fitted — completely free.
  * P0.02 / P0.31 are the external-I²C header pins, unused by any on-board device. Their I²C pull-ups (R2, R15) are a bonus: the pull-up on **CS** keeps the card deselected during boot/reset, and the pull-up on **MISO** gives a clean idle-high line — the same safeguards the internal slot lacks.
  * The IMU's bus (P1 pins 4/5) and the speaker outputs (P1 pins 1/2) remain untouched and available.

===== Limitations & cautions =====

  * **3.3 V logic only** — never feed the breakout from 5 V.
  * SD write bursts draw 50–100 mA: fine for the regulator, but noticeable against the 90 mAh battery; budget accordingly.
  * If BLE range/throughput degrades during heavy SD writes, halve the SPI clock to 4 MHz and re-test (some nRF52840 pins near the radio are recommended low-frequency I/O).
  * The internal slot remains unusable for data while ExG is active — leave it empty permanently.

===== Firmware =====

The Zephyr side needs a second SPI controller (SPIM2) mapped to these four  pins with an SD-over-SPI slot on it — the same stack already proven on the
internal slot (''bringup/test_sd_cs17''). See the board devicetree and
''HARDWARE.md'' in the firmware repo for the authoritative pin map.

One thing to double-check against your physical board before crimping: the pin-1 orientation of P1 and J2 (silk dot/triangle) — the netlist gives pin
numbers but not how the footprint is rotated on your board revision. A multimeter continuity check from J2.2/P1.3 to any GND point (e.g., USB shield)
confirms you've got the orientation right before anything gets power.