SD init now happens before Wi-Fi AP startup.

Startup timing is made slower and more forgiving:
recoveryRailOffMs = 400
recoveryRailOnSettleMs = 1200
startupWarmupMs = 2500
If the initial cold-boot mount still fails, it now does one immediate second-chance remount after a short delay before proceeding.

exercises/18_GPS_Field_QA/lib/field_qa/Config.h

@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ static constexpr float kExcellentHdop = 1.5f;
 static constexpr size_t kBufferedSamples = 10;
 static constexpr size_t kMaxSatellites = 64;
 static constexpr size_t kStorageBufferBytes = 4096;
+static constexpr uint8_t kStorageWriteRetryCount = 3;
+static constexpr uint32_t kStorageWriteRetryDelayMs = 25;
 static constexpr uint32_t kClockDisciplineRetryMs = 5000;
 static constexpr uint32_t kClockPpsWaitTimeoutMs = 1500;
 static constexpr uint32_t kClockFreshSampleMs = 2000;

exercises/18_GPS_Field_QA/lib/field_qa/StorageManager.cpp

@@ -178,6 +178,17 @@ bool StorageManager::openFile() {
   return true;
 }
 
+bool StorageManager::reopenFileForAppend() {
+  if (m_file) {
+    m_file.close();
+  }
+  m_file = SD.open(m_path.c_str(), FILE_WRITE);
+  if (!m_file) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 void StorageManager::writeHeader(const char* runId, const char* bootTimestampUtc) {
   if (!m_file || !m_newFile) {
     return;
@@ -206,9 +217,7 @@ bool StorageManager::writePendingBuffer() {
     if (!m_bufferPending[i] || m_bufferLengths[i] == 0) {
       continue;
     }
-    const size_t wrote = m_file.write((const uint8_t*)m_buffers[i], m_bufferLengths[i]);
+    if (!writeFully((const uint8_t*)m_buffers[i], m_bufferLengths[i], "buffer")) {
-    if (wrote != m_bufferLengths[i]) {
-      m_lastError = "SD.write failed";
       m_ready = false;
       return false;
     }
@@ -226,9 +235,7 @@ bool StorageManager::appendBytes(const char* data, size_t len) {
     if (!writePendingBuffer()) {
       return false;
     }
-    const size_t wrote = m_file.write((const uint8_t*)data, len);
+    if (!writeFully((const uint8_t*)data, len, "large")) {
-    if (wrote != len) {
-      m_lastError = "SD.write large block failed";
       m_ready = false;
       return false;
     }
@@ -256,6 +263,57 @@ bool StorageManager::appendBytes(const char* data, size_t len) {
   return true;
 }
 
+bool StorageManager::writeFully(const uint8_t* data, size_t len, const char* context) {
+  if (!m_file || !data || len == 0) {
+    m_lastError = "writeFully invalid state";
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  size_t totalWrote = 0;
+  for (uint8_t attempt = 0; attempt <= kStorageWriteRetryCount; ++attempt) {
+    const size_t filePos = (size_t)m_file.position();
+    const size_t fileSize = (size_t)m_file.size();
+    const size_t wrote = m_file.write(data + totalWrote, len - totalWrote);
+    if (wrote > 0) {
+      totalWrote += wrote;
+      if (totalWrote >= len) {
+        if (attempt > 0) {
+          m_lastError = "";
+        }
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (attempt >= kStorageWriteRetryCount) {
+      const bool stillMounted = mounted();
+      char err[192];
+      snprintf(err,
+               sizeof(err),
+               "SD.write failed ctx=%s wrote=%u/%u pos=%u size=%u mounted=%s attempts=%u",
+               context ? context : "?",
+               (unsigned)totalWrote,
+               (unsigned)len,
+               (unsigned)filePos,
+               (unsigned)fileSize,
+               stillMounted ? "yes" : "no",
+               (unsigned)(attempt + 1));
+      m_lastError = err;
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    delay(kStorageWriteRetryDelayMs);
+
+    if (mounted()) {
+      if (!reopenFileForAppend()) {
+        delay(kStorageWriteRetryDelayMs);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  m_lastError = "SD.write retry loop exhausted";
+  return false;
+}
+
 bool StorageManager::appendLine(const String& line) {
   if (line.endsWith("\n")) {
     return appendBytes(line.c_str(), line.length());

exercises/18_GPS_Field_QA/lib/field_qa/StorageManager.h

@@ -40,11 +40,13 @@ class StorageManager {
  private:
   bool ensureDir();
   bool openFile();
+  bool reopenFileForAppend();
   void writeHeader(const char* runId, const char* bootTimestampUtc);
   String makeFilePath(const char* runId) const;
   bool appendLine(const String& line);
   bool appendBytes(const char* data, size_t len);
   bool writePendingBuffer();
+  bool writeFully(const uint8_t* data, size_t len, const char* context);
   size_t countLogsRecursive(const char* path) const;
   void listFilesRecursive(File& dir, Stream& out);
   void eraseLogsRecursive(File& dir);

exercises/18_GPS_Field_QA/src/main.cpp

@@ -140,6 +140,25 @@ void setLastHaltReason(const char* reason) {
   strlcpy(g_lastHaltReason, (reason && reason[0] != '\0') ? reason : "none", sizeof(g_lastHaltReason));
 }
 
+const char* currentLoggingState() {
+  if (!g_clockDisciplined) {
+    return "waiting_clock";
+  }
+  if (!g_storageMounted) {
+    return "sd_absent";
+  }
+  if (g_loggingEnabled && g_storageReady) {
+    return "recording";
+  }
+  if (g_lastHaltReason[0] != '\0' && strcmp(g_lastHaltReason, "none") != 0) {
+    return "halted";
+  }
+  if (!g_storageReady) {
+    return "storage_not_ready";
+  }
+  return "idle";
+}
+
 void wakeDisplay(uint32_t durationMs = kDisplayWakeMs) {
   g_display.setPowerSave(false);
   g_displayWakeUntilMs = millis() + durationMs;
@@ -248,6 +267,7 @@ void printSummary() {
   Serial.printf("storage_used_bytes=%u\n", g_storageMounted ? (unsigned)SD.usedBytes() : 0U);
   Serial.printf("storage_buffered_bytes=%u\n", (unsigned)g_storage.bufferedBytes());
   Serial.printf("storage_log_count=%u\n", (unsigned)g_logFileCount);
+  Serial.printf("logging_state=%s\n", currentLoggingState());
   Serial.printf("halt_reason=%s\n", g_lastHaltReason);
   Serial.printf("battery_voltage=%s\n", g_battery.voltageText());
   Serial.printf("web_ready=%s\n", g_webReady ? "yes" : "no");
@@ -495,6 +515,10 @@ void sampleAndMaybeLog() {
         g_display.showBoot("Stop recording?", "Press again in 3s", nullptr, g_battery.voltageText());
       } else if ((uint32_t)(millis() - g_buttonStopMessageUntilMs) < kButtonStopMessageMs) {
         g_display.showBoot("Halted", g_lastHaltReason, "Safe to power off", g_battery.voltageText());
+      } else if (!g_storageMounted) {
+        g_display.showBoot("No logging", "SD not mounted", g_runId, g_battery.voltageText());
+      } else if (!g_storageReady && !g_loggingEnabled) {
+        g_display.showBoot("No logging", "Storage not ready", g_runId, g_battery.voltageText());
       } else if (!g_display.powerSave()) {
         g_display.showSample(sample, g_stats, g_loggingEnabled, g_battery.voltageText());
       }
@@ -601,6 +625,8 @@ void handleWebIndex() {
   html += htmlEscape(String(g_storage.lastError()));
   html += "<br>Current log: ";
   html += htmlEscape(String(g_storage.currentPath()));
+  html += "<br>Logging state: ";
+  html += htmlEscape(String(currentLoggingState()));
   html += "<br>Halt reason: ";
   html += htmlEscape(String(g_lastHaltReason));
   html += "<br>Battery: ";
@@ -718,6 +744,8 @@ void handleWebCommand() {
     response += g_storageReady ? "yes" : "no";
     response += "\nsd_state=";
     response += g_storageMounted ? "mounted" : "absent";
+    response += "\nlogging_state=";
+    response += currentLoggingState();
     response += "\nhalt_reason=";
     response += g_lastHaltReason;
   } else {
@@ -862,17 +890,28 @@ void setup() {
   g_stats.begin(millis());
   g_gnss.begin();
   (void)g_gnss.probeAtStartup(Serial);
-  startWebServer();
 
   SdWatcherConfig sdCfg;
+  sdCfg.recoveryRailOffMs = 400;
+  sdCfg.recoveryRailOnSettleMs = 1200;
+  sdCfg.startupWarmupMs = 2500;
   if (!g_sd.begin(sdCfg)) {
     Serial.println("WARNING: SD watcher init failed");
   }
   g_storageMounted = g_sd.isMounted();
+  if (!g_storageMounted) {
+    Serial.println("INFO: cold-boot SD second-chance remount");
+    delay(750);
+    if (g_sd.forceRemount()) {
+      g_storageMounted = true;
+    }
+  }
   if (g_storageMounted) {
     g_sd.printCardInfo();
   }
 
+  startWebServer();
+
 #ifdef GPS_1PPS_PIN
   attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(GPS_1PPS_PIN), onPpsEdge, RISING);
 #endif