VIOFO A329S - Remote Mounted SSD By @Zepps With Photos

[Chuck McCoy]

This post by @Zepps deserves it’s own thread. SEE ORIGINAL POST HERE
To fight rising costs of SD Cards, Zepps mounted a 512GB SSD with 50cm Type-C cable under the passenger sun visor.
PARTS USED:
$132 Verbatim 512GB Snapback SSD
$9 Type-C Cable
Zepps reports no malfunctions so far, and working good.
Looking forward to a long term update.

 

[jsmith]

Seems to be an easily concealable upgrade for additional storage.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

easily concealable

I would’ve used VIOFO 2.5 METER SSD CABLE so it could be hidden behind a kick panel, or maybe the glove box.
But Zepps said he only wanted a 50cm cable to keep it within easy reach.

 

[jsmith]

I would’ve used VIOFO 2.5 METER SSD CABLE so it could be hidden behind a kick panel, or maybe the glove box.
But Zepps said he only wanted a 50cm cable to keep it within easy reach.

Cabling choice and placement are of personal preference, but that Verbatim SSD appears to be a great design to compliment the Vifo A329S/T for expanded storage. The flat design allows for easy concealment.

 

[mikey94025]

Verbatim Snapback SSD also comes in 1TB and 2TB versions: https://a.co/d/09PC2z8P

I also wonder if they are similar to, or even rebranded versions of, this other product This other product is a little thicker, but similar concept: https://a.co/d/0d2h8wsB

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Verbatim Snapback SSD also comes in 1TB and 2TB

I was going to include those in my post, but decided not to because we don't have confirmation they're "compatatible" like we do with 512GB unit,

 

[mikey94025]

I was going to include those in my post, but decided not to because we don't have confirmation they're "compatatible" like we do with 512GB unit,

I ordered the Verbatim 1TB version and will report back how it goes with my A329T.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

I ordered the Verbatim 1TB version and will report back how it goes with my A329T.

Are you going to use official VIOFO Brand SSD Data Cable?
Or aftermarket?

1.8M/2.5M SSD Hard Drive Data Connection Cable for VIOFO A329/A329S Series

Based on testing, here are the recommended SSD models: Western Digital 1TB My Passport SSD SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD SanDisk 4TB Extreme Portable SSD SAMSUNG 4TB T9 Portable SSD

www.viofo.com

 

[mikey94025]

Are you going to use official VIOFO Brand SSD Data Cable?
Or aftermarket?

First, I will try the "standard" (short) USB-C cable that comes with the Verbatim SSD. I plan to mount it above, and very close to, my dashcam, so prefer a short cable.

I see that the Viofo SSD cable advertises better shielding to prevent GPS interference. I will watch for any issues there. [Verify that the GPS Status Indicator blue light is on]

 

[Zepps]

Hi guys nice that you started your own thread on this.

For me this was just a test to see if it all worked that's why I went for the 512gb rather than the more expensive 1tb drive just in case it didn't work.

The cable that comes with the drive is only short as it's supposed to connect the drive to your phone but would serve as a test for GPS loss etc.

Yeh my installation is not perfect you still see 3 cables going up into the headlining and the other end looping behind the sunvisor but it's slim enough to sit behind it, I've looked at a few videos on the SSD and it displays the GPS fine .

I suspect longer cables that don't have the added shielding could generate noise that would interfere with the GPS but those cables do add bulk to the installation and harder to hide.

 

[mikey94025]

Thanks for posting about this SSD product. I ordered the 1TB version and it arrives this week. I plan to velcro it to my mirror assembly, just next to and above my A329S, using their short USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable. I'll check for any GPS interference or loss and report back here.

 

[Zepps]

I guess what we have to watch when mounting the SSD especially in the summer months is heat buildup.

That's why I decided to put it behind the sunvisor my previous idea was in the headlining but I think it gets to hot there when the sun is on it.

 

[mikey94025]

I mounted my Verbatim 1TB Snapback just above my A329S. I used the short MagSafe USB-C cable meant to use on an iPhone. The SSD is just wedged right now above my A329S and in-between my rear-view mirror and the windshield housing. I may Velcro it someday, but it's staying put by itself right now. Note: That sensor in the back of my rear-view mirror isn't blocked by my A329S because it's just for ambient light detection.

I also tried using the other included USB- C cable, "standard" so a little longer but still short. However, I didn't like how the standard cable sticks out even more to the left of my A329S, before it can bend out of sight, so in my driving view. The MagSafe cable's smaller and less visible, as well as shorter. It's still a little messy but I don't mind.

I changed my A329S settings to record driving videos to the SSD and parking videos to the microSD card (Viofo 512GB Industrial). I changed my parking mode to Auto Event Detection. I have a BP100 battery and parking mode protection is set to 4 hour timer cut-off.

Does the Snapback's MagSafe cable interfere with GPS? It seems, no. I checked the driving videos from my SSD and they have GPS just fine. The A329S blue light is also on and solid.

 

[Augustus]

I would’ve used VIOFO 2.5 METER SSD CABLE so it could be hidden behind a kick panel, or maybe the glove box.
But Zepps said he only wanted a 50cm cable to keep it within easy reach.

But the official Viofo cable isn't usb 3.x is it, only usb 2.0 which spells problems for the SSD

 

[mikey94025]

But the official Viofo cable isn't usb 3.x is it, only usb 2.0 which spells problems for the SSD

Do you have a reference for this? It doesn't make sense for their USB-C SSD data cable to only be USB 2.0 (max out at 480 Mbps). Ideally, it should be USB 3.2 Gen 2.

https://www.viofo.com/products/1-8m...-connection-cable-for-viofo-a329-a329s-series

Update - Google AI for "what rating is viofo ssd data cable" points to this post from someone who Viofo told: Roughly 35 MB/s is the proper speed of the cable (same as 480 Mbps). I don't think we should trust this answer and should verify again with Viofo.

It might be because the A329S USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0 speeds or that we don't need the fastest transfers if only writing one movie file per minute to an SSD (we're using the SSD for size and reliability rather than fastest transfer speeds).

When I connected my Verbatim 1TB drive the Viofo app offered to transfer the 512GB of existing files to my SSD and I said yes. I used the Verbatim USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable. I didn't time it, but recall something like 10 or 15 minutes (certainly not 4 hours, which is how long it takes 512GB to transfer if only 35 MB/s).

 

[Augustus]

Do you have a reference for this? It doesn't make sense for their USB-C SSD data cable to only be USB 2.0 (max out at 480 Mbps). Ideally, it should be USB 3.2 Gen 2.

https://www.viofo.com/products/1-8m...-connection-cable-for-viofo-a329-a329s-series

Update - Google AI for "what rating is viofo ssd data cable" points to this post from someone who Viofo told: Roughly 35 MB/s is the proper speed of the cable (same as 480 Mbps). I don't think we should trust this answer and should verify again with Viofo.

It might be because the A329S USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0 speeds or that we don't need the fastest transfers if only writing one movie file per minute to an SSD (we're using the SSD for size and reliability rather than fastest transfer speeds).

When I connected my Verbatim 1TB drive the Viofo app offered to transfer the 512GB of existing files to my SSD and I said yes. I used the Verbatim USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable. I didn't time it, but recall something like 10 or 15 minutes (certainly not 4 hours, which is how long it takes 512GB to transfer if only 35 MB/s).

There were posts here when they came out with the first A329x model and it was tested and it was only usb 2.0 for the cable. Sorry but would take me too long to find them. The dashcam itself supports usb 3.x transfer speeds.

I had one myself but there were so many issues with the SSD implementation that I was forced to sell my Kingston SSD. Others have reported varying levels of success using different SSD models, but it was a hot mess. Viofo even went as far as taking a few of the supported SSD models (don't quote me here, but may have been SanDisk) off their official advertising material.

The novatek chipset has native board support for SSD, this I suspect is why Viofo decided to implement SSD support on the A329x. But why did no other manufacturer implement SSD support when using the same chipset in their models, you really have to wonder why...