hard disc
Date: circa 1990
Inventory Number: 1998-1-0592
Classification: Hard Disk Unit
Subject:
Maker: Western Digital Corporation (1970-present)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
14.6 × 10.2 × 2.5 cm (5 3/4 × 4 × 1 in.)
Accessories: black plastic case
DescriptionThe hard disc drive is stored in a rectangular black plastic case. The case is two parts, held together by five variously positioned screws. The hard disc has been opened up revealing the interior mechanisms.
The main drive mechanisms are mounted onto the bottom of the case. Occupying most of this panel is what is called the "platter" of the hard disc. It is a stack of large, flat, circular discs. Each disc is constituted of a non-magnetic material (usually glass or aluminum alloy) encased in a very thin layer of magnetic material. The platter of this device is an off-white color. The platter is mounted on a cylindrical metal spindle at the center that can spin the platter for reading and writing data. A motor is housed inside the spindle to power the spinning. Below the platter, mounted on one of the corners of the bottom panel of the case, is a bean-shaped metal attachment screwed onto the black casing. Emerging from the bean-shaped attachment, over top of the platter is an arrow-shaped, metal arm, called the "actuator arm". The very tip of the arm, called the "head" is equipped with the read/write mechanism for storing data on the platter discs.
Next to the bean-shaped attachment, at the other corner of the bottom panel of the case, is a small orange cut-out circuit board, framed in pieces of opaque white plastic. One black microchip is attached to the circuit board. Emerging from the side of the circuit board, guided through one of the plastic frames, is a transparent orange tape. The tape goes inside the bean-shaped metal attachment. Inside the attachment is a mechanism called the "actuator axis" that controls the reading and writing and moving actions of the actuator arm. The central processing unit of a computer communicates with the arm through the chip and tape on the circuit board when it is connected.
The main drive mechanisms are mounted onto the bottom of the case. Occupying most of this panel is what is called the "platter" of the hard disc. It is a stack of large, flat, circular discs. Each disc is constituted of a non-magnetic material (usually glass or aluminum alloy) encased in a very thin layer of magnetic material. The platter of this device is an off-white color. The platter is mounted on a cylindrical metal spindle at the center that can spin the platter for reading and writing data. A motor is housed inside the spindle to power the spinning. Below the platter, mounted on one of the corners of the bottom panel of the case, is a bean-shaped metal attachment screwed onto the black casing. Emerging from the bean-shaped attachment, over top of the platter is an arrow-shaped, metal arm, called the "actuator arm". The very tip of the arm, called the "head" is equipped with the read/write mechanism for storing data on the platter discs.
Next to the bean-shaped attachment, at the other corner of the bottom panel of the case, is a small orange cut-out circuit board, framed in pieces of opaque white plastic. One black microchip is attached to the circuit board. Emerging from the side of the circuit board, guided through one of the plastic frames, is a transparent orange tape. The tape goes inside the bean-shaped metal attachment. Inside the attachment is a mechanism called the "actuator axis" that controls the reading and writing and moving actions of the actuator arm. The central processing unit of a computer communicates with the arm through the chip and tape on the circuit board when it is connected.
Signedmarked on case cover: WESTERN DIGITAL
printed in white letters on black label heading inside case cover: WESTERN DIGITAL
printed in black letters on white label inside case cover: Caviar 280™ / WDAC280 Drive Parameters: 980 cyl - 10 heads - 18 spt - 85.3 MB
printed in white letters on black label heading inside case cover: WESTERN DIGITAL
printed in black letters on white label inside case cover: Caviar 280™ / WDAC280 Drive Parameters: 980 cyl - 10 heads - 18 spt - 85.3 MB
Inscribedprinted in white letters followed by stamped black letters on white and black label inside case cover: MDL. WDAC 28000 / P/N: 99-004071-00 / CCC: A2 09 NOV 90
printed in white letters on black label inside case cover: 12 VDC @ 0.4A / 5 VDC @ 0.2A / MADE IN SINGAPORE / DCB: BABBAES
stamped in red ink on white label inside case cover: PB QC 2 / NOV 15 '90
printed in white letters on black label inside case cover: 12 VDC @ 0.4A / 5 VDC @ 0.2A / MADE IN SINGAPORE / DCB: BABBAES
stamped in red ink on white label inside case cover: PB QC 2 / NOV 15 '90
FunctionHard discs are a mechanism for storing digital information. Information is read and written on the platter by the actuator arm head. Each platter disc is subdivided into many very small magnetic regions. Each region can have a magnetic field of one of two directions, analogous to the 1s and 0s of digital binary logic. The head reads and writes the direction of magnetic regions to store and retrieve data. Hard discs are called "hard" because of the rigid material used to make the platter. They are most often connected to a computer, acting as the primary memory center.
ProvenanceDonated by Peter Taylor.