Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!nather From: nather@ut-sally.UUCP (Ed Nather) Newsgroups: net.arch,net.periphs Subject: Re: Why optical disks are slow to seek; an idea for higher capacity disks Message-ID: <6241@ut-sally.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Nov-86 11:58:24 EST Article-I.D.: ut-sally.6241 Posted: Wed Nov 5 11:58:24 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 5-Nov-86 22:30:05 EST References: <1128@tekig5.UUCP> <5100141@ccvaxa> <553@cubsvax.UUCP> <13645@amdcad.UUCP> Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 20 Xref: mnetor net.arch:3341 net.periphs:597 In article <13645@amdcad.UUCP>, phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes: > In article <1256@hoptoad.uucp> gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes: > > > >I don't understand why nobody has built magnetic disks that spin at > >a constant speed, but vary the clocking of data to the disk so that > >all the bits end up the same width on the media. > > This is an interesting idea to consider. One possible challenge is > that of extracting the clock from the bits stored from the media. Alternatively, just extract a synchronizing signal, and let the clock frequency by determined by what track is being accessed. A simple servo should be able to set the required clock frequency close enough, but it would have to get in step. -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather@astro.AS.UTEXAS.EDU