Tutorials > Examples from Libraries > SD > ReadWrite

Using the SD library to read and write to a file on a SD card

This example shows how to read and write data to and from an SD card. Please click here for more information on the SD library.

Hardware Required

  • Arduino or Genuino board
  • Ethernet Shield (or other board with an SD slot)
  • Formatted SD card

Circuit

image developed using Fritzing. For more circuit examples, see the Fritzing project page

The Arduino or Genuino board has to be connected to the Ethernet Shield and also has a USB cable connected to the computer.

Schematics

image developed using Fritzing. For more circuit examples, see the Fritzing project page

Code

The code below is configured for use with an Ethernet shield, which has an onboard SD slot. In the setup(), we call SD.begin(), naming pin 4 as the CS pin. This pin varies depending on the make of shield or board you are using.

In setup(), create a new file with SD.open() named "test.txt". FILE_WRITE enables read and write access to the file, starting at the end. If a file "test.txt" was already on the card, that file would be opened.

Name the instance of the opened file "myFile".

Once opened, use myFile.println() to write a string to the card, followed by a carriage return. Once the content is written, close the file.

Again, open the file with SD.open(). Once opened, ask the Arduino to read the contents of the file with SD.read() and send them over the serial port. After all the contents of the file are read, close the file with SD.close().

/*
  SD card read/write

 This example shows how to read and write data to and from an SD card file
 The circuit:
 * SD card attached to SPI bus as follows:
 ** MOSI - pin 11
 ** MISO - pin 12
 ** CLK - pin 13
 ** CS - pin 4 (for MKRZero SD: SDCARD_SS_PIN)

 created   Nov 2010
 by David A. Mellis
 modified 9 Apr 2012
 by Tom Igoe

 This example code is in the public domain.

 */

#include <SPI.h>
#include <SD.h>

File myFile;

void setup() {
  // Open serial communications and wait for port to open:
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while (!Serial) {
    ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for native USB port only
  }


  Serial.print("Initializing SD card...");

  if (!SD.begin(4)) {
    Serial.println("initialization failed!");
    while (1);
  }
  Serial.println("initialization done.");

  // open the file. note that only one file can be open at a time,
  // so you have to close this one before opening another.
  myFile = SD.open("test.txt", FILE_WRITE);

  // if the file opened okay, write to it:
  if (myFile) {
    Serial.print("Writing to test.txt...");
    myFile.println("testing 1, 2, 3.");
    // close the file:
    myFile.close();
    Serial.println("done.");
  } else {
    // if the file didn't open, print an error:
    Serial.println("error opening test.txt");
  }

  // re-open the file for reading:
  myFile = SD.open("test.txt");
  if (myFile) {
    Serial.println("test.txt:");

    // read from the file until there's nothing else in it:
    while (myFile.available()) {
      Serial.write(myFile.read());
    }
    // close the file:
    myFile.close();
  } else {
    // if the file didn't open, print an error:
    Serial.println("error opening test.txt");
  }
}

void loop() {
  // nothing happens after setup
}
[Get Code]

See Also


  • CardInfo - Get info about your SD card.
  • Datalogger - How to log data from three analog sensors to an SD card.
  • DumpFile - How to read a file from the SD card.
  • Files - How to create and destroy an SD card file.
  • Listfiles - How print out the files in a directory on a SD card.


Last revision 2015/08/18 by SM