use external memory IC over SPI interface OR use SD Card with SDIO

[hetal-mpc]

Hi,

I have requirements to read/write audio files(upto 128G of maximum data) and play using esp32s3, But Im confused whether to use external memory IC over SPI interface or use SD Card with SDIO?
Also If I use external memory IC over SPI, how it is differ from esp32's flash memory?


Thank you in advance!

[ESP_Sprite]

With that size, I'd look into if you can get SPI flash that large first before asking the question of which one to use. Could be that SD-ish solutions are the only thing that is easily available.

[abuhanzala]

Hi! For your use case with audio files up to 128GB, I’d recommend going with an SD Card using the SDIO interface. It provides better storage capacity and faster data transfer rates compared to external memory ICs over SPI.

Regarding the difference with the ESP32’s flash memory, SPI memory is typically slower and more limited in capacity, while the built-in flash is mainly used for firmware. Kind of like how Surah Al-Waqiah (سورة الواقعة) is said to help in times of need, using the SDIO interface could offer the reliable performance you're looking for.