4 - Worth 1 point a) How many bits does a nibble contain b) What is the largest

Question

  4 - Worth 1 point       a) How many bits does a nibble contain      b) What is the largest decimal number in one Hexadecimal number                5 - Worth 1 point            a) Name the two most popular current data connectors for magnetic          hard drives, commonly found in personal computers today      b) Name 4 parts that magnetic hard drives have, as discussed in class     6 - Worth 1 point            Internet2 (As explained in class)      a - What is its current maximum speed        b - What country has been building it      c - What organizations are involved in its creation      d - Can we have access to it from our homes today  

Explanation / Answer

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 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-per-minute 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. (ref 1+3)

The Read/Write 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. There is typically one read/write head for every platter side, which floats 3 to 20 millionths of an inch above the platter surface.

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.

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