
The Computer as a Tool for Managing Information and Generating Knowledge | 39
The computer writes binary data to the hard drive by magnetizing small
areas of its surface. Each drive head is connected to an actuator that moves along
the disk to hover over any point on the disk surface as it spins. The parts of the
hard disk are encased in a sealed unit. The hard drive is managed by a disk con-
troller, which is a circuit board that controls the motor and actuator arm assem-
bly. The hard drive produces the voltage waveform that contacts the heads to
write and read data, and handles communications with the motherboard. The
hard drive is usually located ...