HDD

• HDD = Hard Disk Drive
• Storage device that uses magnetic storage to save, store and retrieve data

• Save, store and retrieve data
• It is permanent storage, unlike volatile memory like RAM.
• Can be used in desktops, laptops, servers or for external storage.

Interface:

• SATA = Serial ATA
• PATA = Parallel ATA
• SCSI = Small Computer System Interface

Form factor:

• 2.5 inch
• 3.4 inch

An HDD is composed of the following elements:

Platters:

• One or more
• Double-sided
• Glass substrates, coated with magnetic material
• They are spinning, thanks to the motor.

Motor:

• Spindle with motor

Read-write heads:

• Positioned by actuators
• It is flying 3 nm above the disk surface

Supporting electronics

TBC

3 main manufacturers:

• Seagate
• Western Digital
• Toshiba

TBC

Materials used:

• Aluminium, copper, steel
• “rare earth” (for magnet)

TBC

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