University of Technology

Chemical engineering department

hard disk

First stage

This report is done by

Eng Mustafa Jabbar

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Instruction

A hard disk drive (sometimes abbreviated as Hard Drive, HD, or HDD) is

a non-volatile memory hardware device that permanently stores and
retrieves data on a computer. A hard drive consists of one or more platters
to which data is written using a magnetic head, all inside of an air-sealed
casing. Internal hard disks reside in a drive bay, connect to the
motherboard using an ATA (Advance Technology Attachment), SCSI
(Small Computer System Interface), or SATA (Serial Advance
Technology Attachment) cable, and are powered by a connection to the
PSU (power supply unit).

PARTS OF THE HARD DISK DRIVE

As can be seen in the picture above, the desktop hard drive consists of the
following components: the head actuator, read/write actuator arm,
read/write head, spindle, and platter. On the back of a hard drive is a
circuit board called the disk controller or interface board and is what
allows the hard drive to communicate with the computer.

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Platters
The platters are the circular discs inside the hard drive where the 1s and
0s that make up your files are stored. Platters are made out of aluminum,
glass or ceramic and have a magnetic surface in order to permanently
store data. On larger hard drives, several platters are used to increase the
overall capacity of the drive. Data is stored on the platters in tracks,
sectors and cylinders to keep it organized and easier to find.

The Spindle
The spindle keeps the platters in position and rotates them as required.
The revolutions-perminute rating determines how fast data can be
written to and read from the hard drive. A typical internal desktop drive
runs at 7,200 RPM, though faster and slower speeds are available. The
spindle keeps the platters at a fixed distance apart from each other to
enable the read/write arm to gain access.

The Read/Write Actuator Arm

The read/write arm controls the movement of the read/write heads, which
do the actual reading and writing on the disk platters by converting the
magnetic surface into an electric current. The arm makes sure the heads
are in the right position based on the data that needs to be accessed or
written; it's also known as the head arm or actuator arm.

Actuator
The actuator or head actuator is a small motor that takes instructions from
the drive's circuit board to control the movement of the read/write arm
and supervise the transfer of data to and from the platters. It's responsible
for ensuring the read/write heads are in exactly the right place at all times.

Read/Write Heads:
The heads are an interface between the magnetic media where the data is
stored and electronic components in the hard disk. The heads convert the
information, which is in the form of bits to magnetic pulses when it is to
be stored on the platter and reverses the process while reading.

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Actuator Axis
When a computer needs to access data, it sends a signal to the hard drive's
actuator to move the arm, and in turn the read/write heads, to the correct
position. Using an electromagnetic coil, the actuator rotates the actuator
axis, moving the connected arm.

What is stored on a hard drive?

A hard drive can be used to store any data, including pictures, music,
videos, text documents, and any files created or downloaded. Also, hard
drives store files for the operating system and software programs that run
on the computer.

Where is the hard drive found in a computer?

All primary computer hard drives are found inside a computer case and
are attached to the computer motherboard using an ATA, SCSI, or SATA
cable, and are powered by a connection to the PSU (power supply unit).

What are the sizes of hard drives?

The hard drive is typically capable of storing more data than any other
drive, but its size can vary depending on the type of drive and its age.
Older hard drives had a storage size of several hundred megabytes (MB)
to several gigabytes (GB). Newer hard drives have a storage size of
several hundred gigabytes to several terabytes (TB). Each year, new and
improved technology allows for increasing hard drive storage sizes.

How is data read and stored on a hard drive?

Data sent to and read from the hard drive is interpreted by the disk
controller, which tells the hard drive what to do and how to move the
components in the drive. When the operating system needs to read or
write information, it examines the hard drive's File Allocation Table
(FAT) to determine file location and available write areas. Once they have
been determined, the disk controller instructs the actuator to move the
read/write arm and align the read/write head. Because files are often

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scattered throughout the platter, the head needs to move to different
locations to access all information.

All information stored on a traditional hard drive, like the above example,
is done magnetically. After completing the above steps, if the computer
needs to read information from the hard drive, it would read the magnetic
polarities on the platter. One side of the magnetic polarity is 0, and the
other is 1. Reading this as binary data, the computer can understand what
the data is on the platter. For the computer to write information to the
platter, the read/write head aligns the magnetic polarities, writing 0's and
1's that can be read later.

External and Internal hard drives Although most hard drives are internal,
there are also stand-alone devices called external hard drives, which can
backup data on computers and expand the available disk space.
External drives are often stored in an enclosure that helps protect the
drive and allows it to interface with the computer, usually over USB or
eSATA (External Serial Advance Technology Attachment.

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Types of Hard Disk Drive
1. IDE : Integrated Drive Electronics. IDE drives are also known as PATA
drives( Parallel advance technology attachment )
2. SATA : Serial advance technology attachment
3. SCSI : Small Computer System Interface. SCSI is pronounced as
scuzzy.
4. SAS : Serial Attached SCSI

IDE / PATA (Integrated Drive Electronics Drive / Parallel Advance

Technology Attachment Drive)

➢ IDE/PATA Drives have usually 40 pins.

➢ IDE/PATA Drives offer 133 MB/sec transfer rate.

➢ It sends 8 bit data at a time.

➢ PATA Cables are used to connect PATA HDD. Two drives can be
connected in a single pata cable. One as master and other as slave. The
configuration of master and slave is done by different combination of
jumpers in the HDD.

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SATA (Serial Advance Technology Attachment Drive)

➢ SATA Drives have usually 7 pins, 4 pins in pair of two for sending and
receiving data and rest 3 pins are grounded.
➢ SATA Drives offers generally 300MB/sec transfer rate.

➢ It sends data bit by bit.

➢ SATA Cables are used to connect SATA HDD. Only one drive can be
connected in a single data cable.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface Drive)

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➢ SCSI Drives have usually 50 to 68 pins.

➢ SCSI Drive offers generally 640MB/sec transfer rate.

➢ This drives are hot swappable.

➢ SCSI cables are used to connect SCSI HDD. Maximum of 16 drives

can be connected in a single SCSI cable. Each HDD have 8 bytes
hexadecimal code known as WWN (worldwide name) for its
identification in the cable.

SAS (Serial Attached SCSI Drive)

➢ SAS Drives generally offers 805 MB/sec transfer rate.

➢ This drives are hot swappable.

➢ SAS Cables are used to connect SAS Drives. Maximum of 128 drives
can be connected in a single SAS cable.

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Conclusion:

Hard disk drives remain indispensable storage solutions, offering

unmatched affordability, capacity, and durability. While their performance
may not match SSDs, continuous advancements are addressing these
limitations. For applications where budget and large storage needs are
paramount, HDDs remain the dependable workhorses of the digital age.

References

1. "Hard disk drives: principles and application" (by Jon T. Flopez)

2. "The Anatomy of a Hard Disk Drive" (by Tyra L. Harrison)
3. "Hard Drive: a goldmine of information for hackers and forensic
analysts" (by Gregory Streshinsky)
4. "Introduction to Hard Disk Drives: A Non-Technical Guide" (by
R.Dean Warren)
5. "Hard Disk Drive: Mechatronics a Synergy of Mechanics, Electronics,
and Controls" (by Ahmed Al-Jammal and M. Abdo)
6. "The Hard Disk Drive: Mechatronics and Control" (by Brett Becker
and Andreas Sterzing)
7. "Advanced Computer Architecture and Parallel Processing:
Synchronous Design" (by Kai Hwang, Naresh Jotwani, and Faye A.
Briggs)
8. "Hard disk drives: theory and design" (by Alberto Zanella and Jisto
Fojtik)