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Floppy Disks

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• History
  • 8 inch
  • 5-1/4 inch
  • Further Development
  • 3-1/2 inch
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• Areas of Application
  • 8 inch
  • 5-1/4 inch
  • 3-1/2 inch
  • Test Your Knowledge
• Structure and Function
  • Structure
  • Function
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• Final Test
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Structure and Function

Function

When the disk is inserted to the drive the shutter opens and the read-write-head can access the data layer. In contrast to CD-ROMs the read-write-head has direct contact to the data layer. These contact wears the magnetic layer and fouls the read-write-head.
The write-head magnetizes the data layer and the magnetic layer adjusts itself to the magnetic field. This adjustment can be gathered by the read-write-head, which decodes data.
The write-head contains of small electronic magnets. At writings a data channel starts. To reduce interferences there are delete-heads, that keep small tracks around the data channel clear. To read data the read-head moves over the tracks. A voltage is indicated and the head decodes the received data.