On Oct 23, 2008, at 2:24 PM, Dan wrote:

> Each set of heads is on an arm, whoze positioning is *critical* --
> the head has to line up exactly over the track, or it fails to read
> or write the data correctly.  It's done with a step motor and
> springs.

It's done by a voice-coil "motor", not a stepper motor, and no springs.

Positioning of a head above a track is accomplished by feedback  
control, in which the track data itself is used to position the head.

This characteristic is necessary because a voice-coil "motor" has an  
infinite number of steps (that is, it has NO steps at all).


>  As the drive ages, metal fatigues.

The lifetime of the materials employed far exceeds the expected  
lifetime of the drive by many times.



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