Today, I got my old Fujitsu 2.16GB HDD (model:MPB3021AT-E) to be dead. So, opened it step by step and studying what was inside it. First opened the upper cover by unscrewing all screws , and exposed the naked disk.
In principle a hard drive is very simple. In a typical older hard drive, a motor spins a central shaft at 3600 rpm, but today’s drives spin at 7200RPM and even on 10,000 RPM. On the shaft are mounted a number of magnetic platters (the ‘disk pack’) , the higher capacity drives having more platters. The one I dismantled was a 2.16GB drive and had one platter(about 1 mm thick).
This is just like the known picture of Hard disk as we see in books.
- Opened the cover screws – Opened the cover screws one by one and then revealing the naked HDD platters and head.
- Opened the control card – Opened the control card by unscrewing all screws. Control card operates the whole inside operation of the HDD. In much older systems (70’s), the control card was not included in HDD, and separate control card was required, which communicated with both mo-bo and HDD.
- Opened the actuator – The actuator is the mechanism which moves the read/write head to the specified position. As this has to work very rapidly, this requires a very strong magnetic field and a so powerful electro magnet coil to interfere with the field. . It has a very strong magnet inside it The aquator was set by two screws, after they are removed, the actuator removing was the toughest part of this process, as the magnet could stuck anywhere, and if it stuck with similar magnet, then may be almighty god himself have to separate them :D.
- Opened the actuator axis and arm – After removing the magnet, unscrewed the bearing screw of the actuator, and removed the axis and arm containing read/write head. There are two distinct heads upside of platter and downside of platter.
- Opened the spindle screws – Now when almost everything around platter was removed, the next was the disk itself. Opened the spindle screws, total of 6. The cover, separator was removed.
- Removed the disk platter – Finally now, the disk platter is opened. It’s like normal CD, but both side has very reflection power, more than glass mirror.
- Removed the motor – The last 3 screws opened and the motor came out in hands. Motor has 4 pins. The corresponding coils inside motor are controlled by control card, so not operable by a DC supply voltage.
Video Tutorial :
Here is a quick video tutorial which gives you a clear idea on how to dissect your HDD easily.
Guest Writer : Arup Basak is a Diploma holder in computer science and technology. His hobby is Electronics. You can find more about him at http://www.coolcircuit.co.in/