Testing Effects of X-Radiation on Flash Memory

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on a science fair project testing the effects of X-radiation on flash memory using 16MB CompactFlash cards. The user aims to create 3876 files of 4KiB each for accurate hash checking with hkSFV before and after radiation exposure. They encounter limitations in Windows XP when attempting to copy files, receiving errors after 1375 files due to naming conflicts. The user seeks assistance in writing a batch file to automate the creation of these files with unique names.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of CompactFlash card specifications, specifically 16MB capacity and 4KiB block size.
  • Familiarity with hash checking tools, particularly hkSFV for data integrity verification.
  • Basic knowledge of batch file scripting in Windows XP.
  • Experience with file management and limitations in Windows operating systems.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research how to create batch files in Windows XP for file duplication.
  • Learn about file system limitations in Windows XP, particularly regarding the number of files in a root directory.
  • Explore alternative methods for generating multiple files, such as using PowerShell or Python scripts.
  • Investigate the effects of X-radiation on flash memory and relevant scientific methodologies.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students conducting experiments in data integrity, software developers interested in batch scripting, and researchers studying the effects of radiation on electronic storage devices.

Ewan_C
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Hi guys

For a science fair project, I am going to test the effects of X-radiation on flash memory. I'm intending to fill a number of 16MB (15,876,096 byte) Compactflash cards with data, hash check the data with hkSFV, expose them to the radiation and hash check again for any data corruption.

The flash cards have a block size of 4KiB. To make the hash checking more 'accurate', I'd like to use many files which are as small as possible - this would be 3876 files of 4KiB each. However, I'm struggling to actually get 3876 4KiB files on a card, or onto my hard disk. It's easy enough to make a 4KiB file, just open notepad and write 4096 1s. I can't figure out how to make 3875 copies of this file though. If I use copy+paste in Windows XP, I get a 'disk is full or write-protected' error after about 1375 files, every time. I think it's a naming problem - I can never get above 'Copy of (999) file.txt'.

I think this could be done much better with a batch file. However my batch file writing skills are limited. Could anyone advise me on how to write a batch file which copies a file called 1.txt n times, with the filenames as 1+n.txt?
 
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Maybe it's down to the number of items allowed in the root directory...
 
Ah, thanks for that. That's what's causing the problem.
 

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