00 Computer
A Technical Service to the Industry from the makers of
Vol. II
No. 1
1969
DISK PACK INITIALIZATION
Initializing a Disk Pack is the process of formatting and certifying all of the tracks on the recording surfaces within
the pack. This process insures that a disk pack is magnetically and mechanically suitable for use and provides the
necessary operating information such as: Header Addresses, Record Zero (R0), etc.
This issue of COMPUTER TALK will briefly describe the physical construction of a disk pack, the recording tech-
nique used, and the function of the initialization routine.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
A typical disk pack is composed of a stack of individual chronize it to the remaining system components. The
recording disks which are secured into a cylindrical unit. read/write heads are mounted in a single access system
Each disk is approximately 14 inches in diameter and with one head for each recording surface. Each head is
consists of a precision aluminum substrate coated on supported by a very thin film of air (called an air bear-
both sides with a magnetic material. Each disk has two ing) between the head and the disk sudace. Ideally, the
useable recording surfaces except for the outside of the heads should never touch the magnetic surface; but
f top and the bottom disks, each of which have one record- head-to-disk contact always occurs during the load cycles
and occasionally during operation. If this contact is
1 ing sudace covered by a mechanical element of the pack.
severe, the results could cause disk or head damage; The
• During data recording each surface is m'agnetically re-
corded in concentric paths called "tracks." The number
heads, moving as a unit, select the desired cylinder posi-
tion within the pack. By selecting a particular cylinder
of tracks per surface varies with the particular type of and switching to an individual read/write head, every
drive being used. For simplicity, a typical IBM 2311, track within the disk pack is directly accessible. The
Model 1, usage will be used as a basic reference. intersection of a particular head with a given cylinder
In this typical configuration, each recording surface has is referred to as a "Track." Therefore, each track has its
203 tracks. The primary data tracks, numbered 0 to 199, own unique address which corresponds to its cylinder
are those used to store data for future recall. The alter- and head location.
nate tracks, numbered 200, 201, and 202 are reserved INITIALIZATION PROCESS
to record data which cannot be successfully recorded
on primary data tracks. The recorded tracks which lie
The preparation of a disk pack for individual usage is
within a single vertical cylindrical plane comprise a
accomplished during initialization. The initialization
cylinder. Thus, within the typical configuration there
process consists of two related procedures, those of cer-
are 200 primary data cylinders and 3 alternate cylinders.
tification and formatting. During certification each track
The disk drive unit contains the read/write heads and is magnetically checked for data errors. Establishing the
the necessary electronics to drive the disk pack and syn- format involves recording appropriate control informa-
M-CL 172 (791.5) BPH
tion on each track which insures system and pack
compatibility.
CERTIFICATION
Certification of a disk pack involves the recording of
data patterns on each track. The retrieval of the data
patterns during playback is monitored and verified to
insure reliable system operation.
Basically there are two types of errors which may appear
during certification: Dropouts and Dropins. Neither
error, however, is distinguishable from the other as to
the overall effect during the initialization process. A
Dropout is a reduction in the playback signal amplitude
below a specific level. A typical cause of a dropout is a
non-magnetic asperity in the coating. This condition can
cause the loss of one or more recorded bits of data.
Figure 1 shows an example of signal loss created by
a dropout.
FIGURE 2. DROPIN ERROR
During certification any primary data track found to be
defective is magnetically identified (Hagged), and an
alternate track is assigned to take its place. For this
reason the alternate tracks are certified first. If an alter-
nate track is found to be defective, it is Hagged and may
not be used. After all the alternate tracks are certified,
the primary data tracks are then certified to establish
the presence of any errors. A completely error-free disk
pack is one in which all the primary data and alternate
tracks are free of error-producing Haws.
•
FORMAT
A disk pack format is primarily a track identification
system which is required to access the track on com-
..
mand. Each track is formatted with a Home Address
and Track Descriptor Record.
FIGURE 1. DROPOUT ERROR The Home Address occupies the first seven bytes on
every track. It contains information to indicate the
A Dropin (extra pulse) is an increase in playback signal
track's condition, identification as to whether it is a pri-
amplitude above a specific level. This error condition
mary data track or an alternate, and that particular
can create a playback of more bits than were actually track's location in terms of its cylinder and head num-
recorded. A dropin may be caused by an abrupt irregu-
ber ( track address ) .
larity in the disk surface. This irregularity in the disk
surface effectively changes the magnetic interface be- The Track Descriptor Record ( R0) is the first data
tween the head and the coating, producing a spurious record on each track. On a primary data track it contains
signal. The closer the head Hies to the disk surface, re- the "Record ID" (Address) of the last physical record
sulting in an oversensitive playback condition, the on that track. The data area within R0 indicates the
greater the susceptibility to dropin errors. Figure 2 number of remaining recordable bytes on the track. If
shows a typical example of the extra pulse. the track is Hagged, or known to have an error, the data
2
area contains the address of the alternate track which SUMMARY
was assigned to replace it. Because the functions per-
formed by the Home Address and the Track Descriptor The process of initialization involves certifying each
Record ( R0) are essential for proper access, these areas track on every disk within a disk pack to determine if
must be error-free and remain so for the life of the pack. any flaws are present which could produce errors dur-
ing normal operation. Also, the process formats each
IMPORTANCE OF CERTIFICATION track with system control information, namely Home
Address and Track Descriptor Record. The entire initial-
Harsh or improper handling, such as dropping the pack, ization process allows the user to check the condition of
may disturb the critical position of the individual disks the pack and determine its compatibility with his equip-
in relation to each other and to the pack centerline. This ment and its suitability for the intended use.
type of damage will create a condition in which the disk
drive will not be able to properly index to the recorded If at any time additional information on this topic is
format areas on the disk surface. desired, it is available by simply writing to:
Occasionally a disk drive system, with its ultra-sensitive Product Communications
electronic equipment, may be over-sensitive of pack Magnetic Products Division
performance. This condition may create an excessive 3M Company
number of errors within a disk pack which would other- 3M Center
wise be considered normal and serviceable in similar St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
drives. The initialization process allows a determination
Additional copies of this paper are available from your
of the degree of compatibility which exists between the
3M representative, or by writing to the address above.
disk drives and the packs which form a part of any data
processing system.
magnetic: Praduc:ts Division
LITHO IN U.S.A. WITH 3M OFFSET PLATES
3m