Artifact Details

Title

DEC Head Disk Assembly (HDA)

Catalog Number

102626588

Type

Physical object

Description

An open HDA showing disk platters and actuator. The RA80 was DEC's first entry into large capacity Winchester disks. The first product was a 120 MB "clamshell" HDA with a unique moving magnet actuator. DEC introduced several innovations later widely used in the industry, including Reed-Solomon error correction coding (ECC) and a serial drive-to-controller interface. Later versions, the RA81 and RA82 were upgraded to capacities in excess of 450 MB. These drives were the primary mass storage in the 1980s for DEC's innovative clustering technology and connected to a variety of controllers for PDP-11, VAX, and DEC-10 systems.

Date

1981 ca.

Manufacturer

Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)

Place Manufactured

US

Identifying Numbers

Other number 7420797-00C Stamped on case
Other number 7424196-01D
Other number R-81B2182F Hand written in marker on spindle

Dimensions

overall: 6 in x 18 in x 16 in

Copyright Holder

Mark Richards

Category

Memory: disk

Subject

magnetic; mechanical; minicomputers; Electronics

Credit

Gift of F. Grant Saviers

Lot Number

X5912.2011