With a combination of low cost, wide availability, convenience and compatibility, microSD cards have solved many of our data storage needs. However, these cards also have their limitations. One of the most important is size: they are not easy to handle, and when they get lost, they basically jump to another dimension. Abe from the channel Abe’s Projects believes there is a solution in nostalgia, and his idea is to transform microSD cards into cartridges, restoring that tactile and direct experience we all remember. The problem, it took him two years to find his design…
A quick visit to Amazon confirms that a standard 128-gigabyte microSD card costs less than fifteen euros. If we focus on music, images and/or video parameters, its storage capacity is impressive, and although they don't win any prizes for speed, longevity or long-term preservation, their performance is more than adequate.
So what is the problem? Simple: These cards do not offer comfort. They are as big as a fingerprint, and losing them is a matter of a sneeze. In other words, they generate a bad feeling, and they must be handled with extreme delicacy. Abe from the channel Abe’s Projects recognizes these difficulties, and proposes as a solution a dose of nostalgia, converting microSD cards into physical cartridges, much more pleasant to the touch.
Using microSD cards as if they were cartridges
Another advantage of cartridge cards is the possibility of incorporating artwork. But before printing labels, Abe had to reach his final design... a path he started in 2022. For his first version, he was inspired by floppy disks: At first he tried with a direct PCB (its edges were very sharp) and with 3D printing (the 'play' of the card causes fractures). The second version is closer to a bare Atari cartridge, with a 3D printed protective cover, but that caused the labels to not adhere correctly. By using acrylic he managed to solve the adhesion detail, however, the screws ruined the plastic.
Damages to the bays, connection problems, the natural "flex" of the plastic and the project's own speed became great obstacles. Abe was also depending a lot on his brother to design the PCBs, and the lack of results led him to archive the project for a while (it is very refreshing to hear youtubers admitting this). Fortunately, Abe returned with new ideas, creating a PCB that has larger contacts, and supports XTSD chips (in essence, surface-mount SD cards). A layer of acrylic sealant improves the adhesion of the labels, and to top it off, his readers look great, especially the one he painted red.
