19 Jan
2011
19 Jan
'11
8:03 a.m.
Chuck mentions:
I don't think anyone has mentioned that the SA4000
was remarkable in
that it was a hard disk that used a stepper motor as a positioner.
Up until that time, every hard drive I know of used either some sort
of servo or mechanical adder (e.g. Univac FASTRAND (okay, it's a
drum, but a movable head drum) or Bryant 4000). A hard drive using a
stepper was extremely unusual before the SA4000.
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.