19 Jan
2011
19 Jan
'11
9:01 p.m.
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:03:56 -0500
From: "Shoppa, Tim" <tshoppa at wmata.com>
Subject: Re: SA4000 [was: Disc drive READY output -- any standards?]
To: "cctalk at classiccmp.org" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Message-ID:
<B136EDE3DF5EC441B6F08E0A7AB872450BACFA3EA4 at EX2K7-CMS-1.wmata.local>
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Chuck mentions:
<snip>
Without a doubt the stepper motor+band positioner was
a huge step forward
in economizing microcomputer-oriented hard drives.
I figured that chronologically the taut-band floppy drives came first but
now that I think about it, maybe the SA4000 came first and the floppy
application came later?
Certainly stepper-motor use was first in the floppies. At least, AFAIK :-)
Tim.
The band-capstan-stepper motor actuator usage in disk drive art was probably
invented by Warren Dalziel (US Patent # 4,161,004) who tells me he is pretty
sure he designed the linear version for the double sided floppy (SA850)
first and then the hard drive rotary version (SA4000). I suspect they
shipped in that order too but the SA4000 probably wasn't too far behind.
The patent filing date is Apr 5, 1977 which, given the way things work, is
probably just before the first public showing. Anyone know of any early
disk drives with a band-capstan-stepper motor actuator?
Tom