Thread: Floppy Drive Construction

Floppy drives have two read/write heads responsible for placing the data, the Is and as, onto the disk. The disk inserts between the two heads of the floppy drive. One read/write head mounts on the top, the other on the bottom. The disk turns inside the disk jacket and the floppy drive heads physically touch and scan the disk to read and write data. When you take apart a 3.5-inch disk, you'll end up with two colored plastic squares (the housing) that hold the other, smaller parts. Here's a guide to understand what each of these parts are and what they do when the disk is inside your computer.



• Shutter: This is a piece of metal folded over one edge of the disk. That edge goes into the computer first. Inside the computer, the shutter slides over, and the information on the disk can be read through the rectangular slot.

• Spring: When the disk comes out of the machine, the spring snaps the shutter closed again so that no dust or fingerprints can get onto the magnetic disk.

• Magnetic disk: This round piece of plastic is coated with iron oxide. Iron oxide can be magnetized. When you save information to a disk, a recording head creates a magnetic pattern on the iron oxide. The pattern stores your words or pictures in a form that the computer can read the next time you put the disk in.

• Hub: The metal center of the magnetic disk is called hub.

The holes in the hub are like the hole in the middle of a record-they fit over spindles inside the computer and hold the disk in place while it spins.

• Paper rings: The magnetic disk is sandwiched between two white paper rings. The two rings are glued down to the plastic housing, and stay still while the disk spins. They clean the,disk, removing microscopic bits of dust.

• Write-protect tab: This little plastic rectangle is in the upper right corner of most disks. It slides up to reveal a square hole in the housing (or slides down, to cover the holel. When the hole is open, the disk is locked. Your computer won't allow you to add anything to the disk or erase anything from it.

• Plastic flap: You have to hunt for this piece. It's tucked away under one of the paper rings. One end is glued down, and the plastic is bent, just a little. It functions as a simple spring that pushes the paper ring tight against the surface of the magnetic disk.