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Featured DIY - MacBook SD Card FAT32 Formatting for Performance Data Recorder (PDR)

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YFCvii

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Making this new thread with hope that it is easy to search for SD Card FAT32 formatting methods
Found that my MacBook has become an excellent device to create FAT32 format SD Cards for the C7 PDR.

I formatted a 64Gb Card for 1577 minutes of PDR recording time. (over 26 1/4 hours)
I formatted a 128Gb Card for 3149 minutes of PDR recording time. (almost 52 1/2 hours)

If you have a MacBook, here is the method to format an SD Card
Note: I have used thumbnail photos as to make this instruction sheet easy to see.
Just click on the thumbnail to enlarge the photo

1. Insert new SD Card Type 10 into the MacBook slot


2. Open "Disk Utility" App


3. Click the SD in the App Window and an Info Screen Pops Up
(note my SD card was previously named so you will be looking on this screen for one without a name)


4. There is an "Erase" box on this Pop Up - just click on it


5. Another Popup occurs and in this box you can give your SD Card a "name"


6. You will see Format:Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a up&down arrow beside
Click the up&down arrow and select "MS-DOS (FAT)"


7. Click "Erase" at the bottom


8 . Within a few seconds it will be completed. Click "Done"


9. You will now be able to confirm FAT32 Format - which is what your C7 PDR requires


10. The SD Card will then need to be safely ejected from your MacBook
find the Card on your screen and (left click) for the Pop Up


11. On the Pop Up Click "Eject" and then your SD Card can be safely removed from the slot


10. Place this SD Card in your Corvette PDR
11. In the PDR Option on your Console Screen display will show you have #### minutes free


Photos here are those for a 128Gb card I just did ... and for those who might not have the tech savvy and/or the equipment, please do not hesitate to ask questions and/or whether someone nearby might be able to help make one for you. As for price, Walmart has a Quality SanDisk 128Gb Type 10 SD Card for about $80 plus tax (Feb 2018) ...
 
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Good info Spence. This is exactly what I did with my 64 GB card on the MacBook.
One thing to note. The cheap large GB cards do not work well. When doing the formatting research on mine I read the 32 gb is the max size that will format reliably for the PDR using the budget cards. For anything bigger a high end card is required which cost double.
I don’t remember the little description acronym of this better card but a 5 minute google search will explain it all. It may the type 10 you mentioned. If so that’s a good deal.
But once successfully formatted as you listed above the cards are very reliable.
The hard part is remembering to turn on the PDR.
 
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Thanks Derek. I found a reasonable priced Type 10 128Gb SD card today and could not resist giving the PDR format a try. Big bonus was getting to sit in the Corvette (snowing & -16 C) to test the formatting and to take a photo of the PDR screen (and dream of Summer too). I did have a "plan B" use for this card but it's all good for the entire MITM. I had to remember my FAT32 format method and where I wrote it on these forums. I found it after a bit however decided to rewrite a DIY that I hope will help others if/when needed. Writing this also kept me ocupied during the lull laps of today's Daytona 500 (#3 car won) ...

In regard to the low cost budget SD Cards, I will concur that one must set sights on a quality card purchase. My "plan B" use was to retire one of my cheap 8Gb SD cards.

True ... my 52 1/2 hours of recording time and all this techno gizmo writing means absolutley nothing if I do not remember to turn the PDR recording on ...
 
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SN-lll......excellent instructions ....made it very easy to follow and format my 128Gb SD card........thanks!
 
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V8! said:
This is great information, thanks for posting!!!!!
Click to expand...

I often use my PDR as a dash cam so I have a 128 Gb SD card in mine so I don't have to clear it very often. One note of caution, I was hit (very hard-car was written off) in the left rear quarter panel of my 2017 GS. There are a lot of electrical components in that wheel well which were destroyed causing the PDR to have a "catastrophic power failure" and that corrupted the file so I could not get anything off the PDR of the accident. Previous files were still OK but not the one recording when the car was hit.
 
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Ya WOW ... although the PDR is not marketed for it, would be nice if it had power reserve of sort or another way to finalize the current recording in the event of an accident (power loss) ... I’m hearing cars may soon if not already have a data box of sort to pull recent events from ... would love it for justifying insurance rate habits for new drivers and the really bad ones (although some perhaps may not like that). Some companies have driving trackers that do this on their employees. Long story, short ... would be nice if the PDR had the added ability ... I think about all this on the days I leave my vehicle for service ... that reminds me that I have to test the “valet” mode setting next time ... damn OCD
 
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DavidWG said:
For those using Windows 10 there is a nice little free utility called "EaseUS Partition Master." It is quite intuitive and you just select what format you want to use (FAT 32) and press go.
Click to expand...

This is the software I use on my Windows based PC. I have formated several cards up to 256gb with great success. All of the cards I purchased are the high quality Sandisk UHS-1 class 10 cards. Never had an issue with a card yet.
 
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