Data Recovery -> Memory Stick

Memory Stick

Memory Stick is developed by SONY as mobile storage media. It is used on PMP, PSX series game player, DC, DV, Sony Ecricsson phone of Sony, and Notebook to save data. It equals to the hard disc of computer.

Introduction
Memory Stick (MS card in short), is a kind of mobile Flash Memory device released by Sony in October, 1998. It is also summarized in the whole Memory Stick series. And that series includes Memory Stick PRO (allows lager capacity and faster transmission rate), Memory Stick Duo (all kinds of small size of Memory Stick, includes PRO Duo), and smaller Memory Stick Micro (M2). The Memory Stick family is very large. There are many types like the following kinds: "blue Memory Stick" is called "Blue Stick". It is the most common one. It is used in DC and DV and digital music player of Sony and it has the copyright protect function. "Memory Stick Pro" is a newly released Memory Stick standard. It not only has the copyright protect function as White Stick, but also has a very fast speed, and a large capacity of 32GB. "Memory Stick DUO" is the smallest one of Memory Stick family. It is compatible with Memory Stick port through adaptor. It is also divided into blue and white two kinds. The blue one is called "Memory Stick DUO", and the white one is called "Memory Stick PRO MAGICGATE". It has the copyright function and large capacity.


Development
The independent character of Sony makes the emergence of Memory Stick. The gum shape storage device can be used at almost all of Sony Audio-Visual products. MS card is small and light, and has comprehensive and multiple functions. Its high compatibility and unprecedented Universal Media theory provide the future high-tech PC, TV, telephone, DC, DV, and portable personal Audio-Video Equipment with new generation faster speed, larger capacity of data storage, exchange of media. Except its small size, high stability, copyright function, and compatibility with all kinds of Memory Stick products, the superiority of MS also lies in the huge amount of products released by Sony which uses MS, such as DV, DC, VAIO PC, color printer, Walkman, IC recorder, LCD TV, etc. And PC card convertor, 3.5-inch floppy disc convertor, parallel port convertor and USB reader-writer and all accessories make the MS connect to PC and Mac easily.
After the release of MS, Samsung, Aiwa, Sanyo, Casio, Fujitsu, Olympus, Sharp and other firms have showed the support for this form. Sony is still pursuing the identification of household appliances industry and IT industry for MS. Sony is going to bring more new MS related products to domestic market in the future. The only disadvantages of MS are that it can only be used in Sony DC and that the capacity is not large enough. Sony has decreased the size of MS to 1/3, and developed MS Duo, which has a size of 31 * 20 * 1.6 mm. The weight also decreases half: 2g. This is similar to XD card and it's convenient to carry. This kind of MS Duo can be used at small phones, DC, MP3, and various electronic products.
For larger capacity and faster speed, Sony developed new MS PRO with SanDisk. The appearance has not changed but it has an 8GB capacity. The old devices cannot use this new MS PRO. However, some new digital products with MS PRO slot can be downward compatible with it. MS PRO not only support serial transfer but also parallel transfer to realize various data transmitting and receiving at the same time. In the parallel transfer mode, data transmits in a speed above 160 Mbps (Theoretical value). That makes it possible to record dynamic images of DVD quality in time. Having this high speed, MS PRO also support the advanced solution of the coming broadband age. MS PRO does not have the classification of blue and white. All the MS PRO have the copyright protect function. In March, 2003, based on MS PRO, Pro Duo is developed. It is added with new parallel interface. MS PRO Duo packs all the MS PRO advanced functions and changed them to Duo form. It uses a higher density superposition technology.
MS PRO not only support serial transfer but also parallel transfer. It can send data in a speed of 160Mbps (theoretical value). This kind of media affects more and more usage of advanced application programs in broadband age. It provides fast and convenient copy of high resolution digital images, and large capacity of Demo data. MS allows recording content with copyright and high speed data transmission. It keeps high comp ability with the extensive products field, including small size mobile devices. Through connection to adaptor, it also can apply to support normal size MS products.

Application
At the beginning, MS provides only 128 MB capacity at the most. MS Select only allows two 128MB capacity in one card. The 8GB MS has been released in the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, 2006. According to the information from Sony, MS PRO has a largest capacity of 32GB. Generally MS is used as storage media for mobile devices and accessed by PC in a removable way. For example, Sony DC uses MS to save image files. Users can use the MS reader (usually a USB or a small box using other ways to connect) to connect with PC and copy images instead of connect the DC to the computer. The DC, digital music player, PDA, mobile phone, PSP, and other devices including VAIO PC of Sony have already added MS slot.
Except copying images from DC, users can also copy any files of various forms to MS or from MS. There are PCMCIA, CompactFlash or 3.5-inch floppy disc port card readers in the market. The old MS is still compatible with new card reader devices (the shorter MS Duo can be used by connecting with an adaptor). However MS PRO and MS PRO Duo usually cannot be used in the old card reader devices.
MS standard is developed by Sony exclusively. The third-party firms are SanDisk and Lexar. Although it is the standard only supported by Sony, MS still has a longer life than other Flash Memory forms.

Features
Inaddition to its small size, high stability, copyright function, and compatibility with all kinds of Memory Stick products, the superiority of MS also lies in the huge amount of products released by Sony which uses MS, such as DV, DC, VAIO PC, color printer, Walkman, IC recorder, LCD TV, etc. And PC card convertor, 3.5-inch floppy disc convertor, parallel port convertor and USB reader-writer and all accessories make the MS connect to PC and Mac easily.
After the release of MS, Samsung, Aiwa, Sanyo, Casio, Fujitsu, Olympus, Sharp and other firms have showed the support for this form. Sony is still pursuing the identification of household appliances industry and IT industry for MS. Sony is going to bring more new MS related products to domestic market in the future. One of the disadvantages of MS is that it can only be used at Sony's DC and PSP, and the capacity is not large enough.

   Sony has decreased the size of MS to 1/3, and developed MS Duo, which has a size of 31 * 20 * 1.6 mm. The weight also decreases half: 2g. This is similar to XD card and it's convenient to carry. This kind of MS Duo can be used at small phones, DC, MP3, and various electronic products. For larger capacity and faster speed, Sony developed new MS PRO with SanDisk. The appearance has not changed but it has an 8GB capacity. The old devices cannot use this new MS PRO. However, some new digital products with MS PRO slot can be downward compatible with it. MS PRO not only support serial transfer but also parallel transfer to realize various data transmitting and receiving at the same time. In the parallel transfer mode, data transmits in a speed above 160 Mbps (Theoretical value). That makes it possible to record dynamic images of DVD quality in time. Having this high speed, MS PRO also support the advanced solution of the coming broadband age. MS PRO does not have the classification of blue and white. All the MS PRO have the copyright protect function.

Reparation
A 128MB Sony MS is plugged in DC after transmit data through card reader, and the DC prompts MEMORY STICK error. Formatting the MS in computer or DC is invalid so basically it is the hardware fault of MS.

Fault Processing
I try to prize up the MS to see what the problem is, but there is no such way for the users to open. I start to cut it slowly by a knife. Some fake ones will be easier to open than the real ones. After opening it, I picked out the main circuit board and find it very simple. There are control chips, storage chips, write-protect switch, and a little chip resister capacitor and one chip audion. Check every part of it with magnifying glass, I find the pin of storage chips is a little poor soldered. So I try to weld it in a large area.
As the pins are very wee so when using a normal cusp soldering iron to weld it you should be very careful. Avoid not making the adjacent two pins short circuit. Watch out the static at the same time. It is suggested to use hot air welding. It is safer and faster. You just have to heat all of the pins and wait to fix the original soldering tin after it gets cold. MS will be recovered after welding. For the repaired MS you can seal the jacket with AB glue. It is better not to use 502 glue because it will leave some white residue.
The fake MS' material is thinner and softer than real ones', and the bonding technology is uneven. Therefore the frequent plug-in and out makes the chips inside of MS fall and causes fault. The fallen part is mostly storage chips and also a little bit control chips.
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