Thank you for contacting the SD Association. We appreciate your interest in SD technologies. We will attempt to answer your questions below.
Citera:
* Do we need to be members/licensee to use SD-cards in SPI mode?
Yes.
Citera:
* Do we need to be members/licensee to use SD-cards in 1-bit SD/MMC mode?
Yes.
Citera:
* Do we need to be members/licensee to use SD-cards in 4-bit SD/MMC mode?
Yes.
Citera:
* Are the licensing required regardless of quantity or sales volume?
Yes.
In general, if your company will make and sell products which host SD Cards or are interoperable with SD Cards, your company will need to join the SD Association and sign the HALA. This is true regardless of which modes your device may use.
Our understanding is that membership and licensing are required even if the SD Card is embedded in the product and inaccessible to end users. We hope this helps to clear up any potential confusion.