USB stick size and format?

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Gadgetman
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:54 pm

Post by Gadgetman »

Can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere so maybe someone can point me in the right direction while I wait for my car to be delivered:

Has anyone established the maximum size USB stick the infotainment system can cope with, and can it deal with exFAT as a format or is it FAT32 only? I have a 128gb stick sitting doing nothing, but maybe it's too big and it would need to be formatted as exFAT or NTFS due to it's size.

Any other pointers re folder structures etc also appreciated.

Thanks!

santa
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:54 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by santa »

The manual states it needs to be FAT32 and no USB 3.0
Look on page 5-82 in the English manual.
Mazda CX-30 2.0 150HP Aut. Cosmo w. Tech Pack in Arctic White, 2023.
Gadgetman
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:54 pm

Post by Gadgetman »

Thank santa - I just wondered if things had moved on a bit from when the manual was written, given there have been updates for the system. I'd be interested to know what other users have had success with.
Deleted User 406

Post by Deleted User 406 »

It's not the size of the drive that's the issue. Due to the implementation of a built in Gracenote database the system cannot cope with multiple folders very well as the system has to re-index the mp3's every time the car is started. This can take over 30 minutes!
This issue, something I have spoken to Mazda 'technical' about to great length, and it's something they struggle to fly understand, I've 'fixed' to a degree by corrupting the database. It now takes my car approx 2 minutes to re-index.
ColinW
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2016 4:41 pm

Post by ColinW »

I have a 64GB USB3 drive in my CX-3 and that works fine, the indexing is however slow but I guess that is a function of the number of files on the drive. When I was experimenting I used a 128GB device which admittedly only had one or two files on but that worked. The flash drives do have to be formatted as FAT32, I tried exFAT and that definitely does not work. I do not understand why the manual says not USB3, the 128GB and the 64GB I used are both USB3. The only limiting factor I found was the FAT32 format.
10/2016 CX-3 Sport Nav, Soul Red, 2.0 Petrol, 2WD, Automatic + Safety Pack
Gadgetman
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:54 pm

Post by Gadgetman »

Hmmm. Most of my journeys will be over by the time it has indexed by the sound of it.
Maybe an old iPod is the way to go or just stick with what's on my phone. Would have been nice to have a large capacity USB left in permanently.
Jumpin
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2017 9:11 pm
Location: Southampton Area UK

Post by Jumpin »

I have been using a 32Gb USB3 drive in mine for some time and don't seem to be having these issues. I have approx. 18Gb of music on there and normally leave it plugged in to the USB 2 slot. If I switch off during a track and then start up again the next day it will pick up where it left off from within about 5 - 10 seconds. The only time it re-indexes is if I remove the drive and add more tracks, but even then will have sorted itself out within 1 to 2 mins.
One thing maybe to try, if you haven't already done, is to update to the latest Gracenote database, I think September 16 is the most recent.
CX 3 Sportnav 2.0 petrol manual Soul Red :ugeek:
santa
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 5:54 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by santa »

Jumpin wrote: Wed Feb 22, 2017 5:05 am I have been using a 32Gb USB3 drive in mine for some time and don't seem to be having these issues. I have approx. 18Gb of music on there and normally leave it plugged in to the USB 2 slot. If I switch off during a track and then start up again the next day it will pick up where it left off from within about 5 - 10 seconds. The only time it re-indexes is if I remove the drive and add more tracks, but even then will have sorted itself out within 1 to 2 mins.
One thing maybe to try, if you haven't already done, is to update to the latest Gracenote database, I think September 16 is the most recent.
That's my experience as well,though at times, it defaults to the first song on the usb, even if it haven't been removed and I have to go into the folder I want to hear.
I have multiple folders in the root and several of those have sub-folders but.
Mazda CX-30 2.0 150HP Aut. Cosmo w. Tech Pack in Arctic White, 2023.
Deleted User 406

Post by Deleted User 406 »

There is no need for the car to have a Gracenote database.
MP3's have metatags which have info regarding song, artist, artwork etc
To keep Gracenote up to date, Mazda would have to issue an update every day.

I pulled out the usb with the Gracenote update on half way through the update therefore 'disabling' it and now the indexing is so much faster.
Before I did that it had never fully indexed by the time I'd got to work. It might look like it has until you start scrolling through the contents.
Gadgetman
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:54 pm

Post by Gadgetman »

Thanks for the info above.

My preference is certainly to go the USB route rather than iPod, so good to know something works pretty well.

Is there any particular folder structure you need to stick to? In previous cars I've used a simple music/artist/album set up - does everything need to be in a single root folder or can it just be album/artist?

Also, does it get tripped up by having album art jpegs in with the music? I'll be copying direct from a LAN drive that is used in the house for a Sonos system and each album has artwork included in its folder.

I did wonder about the need for Gracenote - all I want is the infotainment system to read what's on my usb, nothing more than that. I've never had to bother with Gracenote in a car before.
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