Re: Low Level Formatting an IDE Drive ?

Article View: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage

Article #1116

Back to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage Previous Next

#1116

From: David Woolley
Date: Sun, 07 Jan 1996 00:00

21 lines
2031 bytes

[ Followups adjusted to more specific pc hardware group and to drop periph. ]

In article <4ckrq6$a1u@nntpa.cb.att.com>,
-John McMillan <jcm@pegasus.bl-els.att.com> wrote:

[ Trying to claim that a true low level format of an IDE disk is possible
  without special equipment. ]

>	                     There aren't any strikingly new technologies
>	on IDE disks: these are "regular" disk technologies with

There is - servoing.  In order to cope with the very high track densities,
the head must follow the actual track, not just its nominal position.  As
I understand it, this is done by writing off centre in both directions in
the sector gaps so that you get a stronger signal from whichever side you
are off centre towards.  As far as I can see, this could only be done using
special factory jigs.

Jigs may also be needed just to ensure that adjacent tracks don't collide.
-- 
David Woolley, London, England          david@djwhome.demon.co.uk

Technical Details

Message-ID: <DKtzJB.C5L@djwhome.demon.co.uk>

Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!unknown!not-for-mail

References:

<820615882snz@longley.demon.co.uk> <820662443snz@dozey.demon.co.uk> <4cjpju$nhq@calvin.st-and.ac.uk> <4ckrq6$a1u@nntpa.cb.att.com>

Show Full Headers

Complete Article Headers

X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 10c6a1,5ea5d35048038a77
X-Google-Attributes: gid10c6a1,public
X-Google-Thread: 1036bc,5ea5d35048038a77
X-Google-Attributes: gid1036bc,public
X-Google-Thread: 109e38,5ea5d35048038a77
X-Google-Attributes: gid109e38,public
X-Google-Thread: f4d7c,b84ff3e3e558be7f,start
X-Google-Attributes: gidf4d7c,public
From: David Woolley <david@djwhome.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Low Level Formatting an IDE Drive ?
Date: 1996/01/07
Message-ID: <DKtzJB.C5L@djwhome.demon.co.uk>
X-Deja-AN: 134555060
x-nntp-posting-host: djwhome.demon.co.uk
references: <820615882snz@longley.demon.co.uk> <820662443snz@dozey.demon.co.uk> <4cjpju$nhq@calvin.st-and.ac.uk> <4ckrq6$a1u@nntpa.cb.att.com>
followup-to: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,demon.tech.pc
summary: Close tracks and servoing require special jig for low level format.
x-mail2news-path: djwhome.demon.co.uk
organization: Demon Subscriber at Home
newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc,demon.tech.pc,comp.periphs

Reply to Parent Message