Maxtor Computer Drive manual FCI Acronym for flux changes per inch. See also BPI

GLOSSARY

EMBEDDED SERVO – A timing or location signal placed on the disk’s surface on the tracks that also store data. These signals allow the actuator to fine-tune the position of the read/write heads.

ENCODING – The protocol by which particular data patterns are changed prior to being written on the disk surface as a pattern of On and Off or 1 and 0 signals.

EOF - End Of Frame

EXTERNAL DRIVE – A drive mounted in an enclosure separate from the PC or computer system enclosure, with its own power supply and fan, and connected to the system by a cable.

F

FAT – Acronym for file allocation table. A data table stored on the outer edge of a disk that tells the operating system which sectors are allocated to each file and in what order.

FCI – Acronym for flux changes per inch. See also BPI.

FILE SERVER – A computer that provides network stations with controlled access to shareable resources. The network operating system is loaded on the file server, and most shareable devices (disk subsystems, printers) are attached to it. The file server controls system security and monitors station-to-station communications. A dedicated file server can be used only as a file server while it is on the network. A non dedicated file server can be used simultaneously as a file server and a workstation.

FIS - See Frame Information Structure

FLUX DENSITY – The number of magnetic field patterns that can be stored in a given length of disk surface. The number is usually stated as flux changes per inch (FCI), with typical values in the thousands.

FLYING HEIGHT – The distance between the read/write head and the disk surface caused by a cushion of air that keeps the head from contacting the media. Smaller flying

heights permit more dense storage of data, but require more precise mechanical designs.

FORMAT – To write onto the disk surface a magnetic track pattern that specifies the locations of the tracks and sectors. This information must exist on a disk before it can store any user data. Formatting erases any previously stored data.

FORMATTED CAPACITY – The amount of room left to store data on the disk after the required space has been used to write sector headers, boundary definitions, and timing information generated by a format operation. All Maxtor drive capacities are expressed in formatted capacity.

FORM FACTOR – The physical outer dimensions of a device as defined by industry standard. For example, most Maxtor disk drives use a 3 1/2-inch form factor.

FRAME - A frame is an indivisible unit of information exchanged between a host and device. A frame consists of a SOF (Start Of Frame) primitive, a Frame Information Structure, a CRC calculated over the contents of the FIS, and an EOF (End Of Frame) primitive.

FRAME INFORMATION STRUCTURE - The user payload of a frame, does not include the SOF (Start Of Frame), CRC, and EOF (End Of Frame) delimiters.

G

GIGABYTE (GB) – One billion bytes (one thousand megabytes).

GUIDE RAILS – Plastic strips attached to the sides of a disk drive mounted in an IBM AT and compatible computers so that the drive easily slides into place.

H

HALF HEIGHT – Term used to describe a drive that occupies half the vertical space of the original full size 5 1/4-inch drive. 1.625 inches high.

Maxtor DiamondMax 8S 40GB SATA G-3