A hard drive or hard disk is a non-volatile data storage device that has one or more rotating platters that are enclosed with a magnetic material that uses the magnetic storage to recover data. The platters contain magnetic heads that read and write data on their surfaces. Hard disk drives(hdd) are used for storage in computers. They store files, software programs, operation systems among other forms of data.
How a hard drive works
Unlike the other primary storage such as RAM, a hard disk drive saves data when the computer is switched off. A hard disk drive contains platters that are coated with a small piece of magnetic material. Data is captured by magnetizing this thin-film material as the disk spins across both sides. Most of the external hard drive disk(hdd) rotates at a speed of 7,200 rpm, rotations per minute) and in most cases, it stated on the manual specifications. The systemic movement of plate direction stands for the binary bits in which data is recorded and read from the disk by diagnosing the magnetic transitions. Moreover, the hard drive also contains an actuator that receives instructions from the board circuit control to allow reading and writing.
Types of hard drives
Hard disks can be either internal or external. The internal disk drive is housed inside the computer where it is integrated with the motherboard using SATA, ATA and SCSI cables. On the other hand, an external hard drive is hosted outside the computer and is connected with the use of USB or Thunderbolt cables. Each computer contains one internal hard disk that stores software and data. However, a person can use an external hard disk for backup.
The window operating system drive external hard disk is known as C drive while for the Mac is called a hard drive.
There are four types of hard disk drive(hdd) and they include;
Parallel Advanced Technology
The attachment was the earliest type of a hard disk that used 40 to 80 wire cable ribbons to transmit data. This type of hard drive disk(hdd) supported the transfer of data that went up to 133MB/s. Their motherboards had two to enable device connection and data transfer.
Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks
Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks replaced PATA because they provided optimum results. They are very fast in data transmission which allows up to 150 to 600 megabytes per second. Moreso, they have a low power consumption rate of 250mV since due to the thin nature of the cable. Also, they use serial signaling technology that has a 7-pin data connection of 1 meter. Another advantage is that they are supported by all types of computer motherboards making them friendly for consideration around any model.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) was created in 1970 by Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI) company. They used a 50-pin flat ribbon connector to join hard drives and to join computer motherboards. They came with a standard interfacing technology that supported 7 to15 devices that were connected to one motherboard.
Solid State Drives (SSD)
The Solid State Drives are the most current hard disks in computer technology. One reason why they are the best is that data is stored electronically but not magnetically like the old types meaning they do not have moving parts. They have flash memory chips that enhance data accessibility and transfer. Most laptops use Solid State Drive because they consume less power. There are also external hard disks that are solid-state drives. Above that, they are resistant to shack hence giving them a long life
span.
Hard disks drive can be internal or external. For consumers, choosing the type of hard drive to buy depends on your computer needs but going for hybrid hard drives that support many operating systems is better. The external hard drive technology continues to evolve leading to portable devices that allow faster transfer of data.
