Recording workload tool

Estimate microSD retention and daily write volume from the workload.

Resolution alone is not enough. Bitrate, channels, recording duty cycle and usable headroom produce a more useful first estimate.

Decision rule

Use the estimate to choose sample capacities and test duration. Do not turn it into a guaranteed retention figure until measured in the real recorder.

Working calculator

Build a first planning estimate.

Card capacity

Use the nominal capacity supported by the device.Average bitrate per channel

Mb/s

Use the measured or configured bitrate, not resolution alone.Simultaneous channels

For example, front + rear camera = 2 channels.Time actively recording

Use 100% for continuous recording; less for event recording.Reserved headroom

Allow for file-system overhead, bitrate variation and host use.

Planning estimate

Recorded video hours32

Approximate retention1.33 days

Estimated daily write86.4 GB

Mathematical estimate, not a retention guarantee. The calculator input range does not indicate YOULEN product availability; published materials currently cover 2GB–256GB. Confirm bitrate, usable capacity, overwrite behavior and device limits by testing.

The inputs that materially change the result.

Average bitrate

Codec, scene complexity and quality settings can change bitrate even when the resolution is unchanged.

Channel count

Front/rear or multi-camera systems add concurrent write streams.

Recording duty cycle

Continuous recording uses 100%. Event recording may be lower, but real activity must be measured.

Headroom

Usable space, file-system overhead and device-reserved areas mean nominal capacity is not the full planning budget.

Turn the estimate into an engineering test.

Measure the recorder’s real average and peak bitrate across representative scenes.
Run until wrap-around, then verify the oldest files are replaced as intended.
Confirm measured retention on the proposed capacity and record the result.
Continue with the complete device-validation checklist for restart, power-loss and multi-unit testing.

Method & sources

Use the method inside its stated limits.

Method: YOULEN planning method: nominal GB × 8,000 estimates available megabits, adjusted by the selected reserve. Retention divides that budget by bitrate, channels and recording duty cycle. This is arithmetic, not an SD standard or a device guarantee.

Limitations: Calculator inputs are general planning inputs and do not indicate YOULEN product availability. Published YOULEN materials currently provide a 2GB–256GB product-range boundary; confirm the actual series and capacity before testing.

Content owner: Shenzhen Youlen Electronics Co., Ltd. overseas B2B project. Reviewed and updated: 5 August 2026.