D.G. Nova update (boo f'ing hoo)

[Bob Shannon]

I seem to recall that the Trident T-300's have no battery to retract the
heads.  I'm not sure how they get retracted.

Also the CDC 300 meg drives I used to service had no batteries either.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Philip Pemberton" <philpem at dsl.pipex.com>
To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: D.G. Nova update (boo f'ing hoo)


> In message <m1DHrqN-000IxvC at p850ug1>
>          ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
>
>> Didn't some winchesters use the spindle motor as a generator to provide
>> the emergency retraction current?
>
> I doubt this is in the same category, but the newer Maxtor drives (D740X 
> and
> later) seem to use a plastic paddle to lock the head. The head seems to
> "gravitate" towards the center of the platter when the drive is idling 
> with
> no current applied to the voice coil. If the drive is moving (and there's 
> air
> moving around inside it), the paddle is pushed towards the casing and 
> unlocks
> the head actuator. When the drive slows down, the head is moved to the
> center of the platter (either under control of the drive or by some form 
> of
> mechanical effect) and when the drive slows down enough, the paddle 
> springs
> back and locks the actuator.
>
> Later.
> -- 
> Phil.                              | Acorn Risc PC600 Mk3, SA202, 64MB, 
> 6GB,
> philpem at philpem.me.uk              | ViewFinder, 10BaseT Ethernet, 
> 2-slice,
> http://www.philpem.me.uk/          | 48xCD, ARCINv6c IDE, SCSI
> ... It's not the money I want, it's the stuff.
>