Micro Drive-a pluggable one-inch disk drive for portable devices

A small hard disk drive for portable or hand-held applications is described, which is the result of the confluence of several technological trends. First, the individual technologies which underlie magnetic areal storage density are being improved at a rate which allows a 60% per year increase in data storage in a given area. As this rate continues, it becomes much more favorable to decrease the size of a magnetic disk drive. Secondly, there is currently major growth in the range and complexity of portable information/communication devices. The function (and ubiquity) of these devices is expanding rapidly through advances in miniaturization, power reduction and expanding communications infrastructure. Thirdly, general storage needs are also expanding, and are being driven particularly by the need to capture, transmit and store images. A prototype disk drive, called a Micro Drive, has been developed for this general market. Details of the design and components of the disk drive, which is compatible with the new Compact Flash CF Type II standard, are given. The device applications and functional performance issues are also addressed.