Teac Corporation

Tsuyoshi Osawa

Hiroshi Tsuyuguchi

Kunihiko Murao

Satoshi Nakamura

Yasuo Yagami

Sadao Yabuki

A flexible magnetic disk drive is disclosed which is linked to a computer via a universal serial bus interface having firmware held on a read-only memory. In order to facilitate the upgrading of the firmware, an electrically erasable, programmable ROM is employed for firmware storage. Each new firmware version is issued in the form of a flexible magnetic disk which may be loaded in the disk drive just like an ordinary data disk, only with the disk drive disconnected from the computer as far as data transmission is concerned. The EEPROM is preprogrammed to identify the loaded firmware disk, erase the old firmware version on the ROM, and write the new version thereon. In another embodiment a self-testing program disk is employed in place of the firmware disk, for performing a set of tests on the disk drive including the interface. The tests are conducted automatically as the self-testing program disk is loaded in the disk drive, again with the disk drive disconnected from the computer.

Disk drive or like peripheral storage device adapted for firmware upgrading, self-testing, etc.

Magnetic disc recording/reproducing apparatus with semiconductor memory card recording/reproducing device

Magnetic disc recording/reproducing apparatus with semiconductor memory

For supporting magnetic heads for data transfer with a stacked array of rigid magnetic disks, a unitary support structure is provided which is formed to include a row of ledges spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the axis of disk rotation. The ledges have defined therein one or more rows of mounting holes which are aligned in a direction parallel to the axis of disk rotation. Mounted to each ledge is a head/arm assembly including a load arm carrying a magnetic head on a distal end thereof. Proximally, each load arm is fastened to the ledge by one or more fastener elements such as screws matingly engaged in the mounting holes. A required number of head/arm assemblies can be successively mounted to the ledges of the support structure with use of a screwdriver or like tool inserted in and through the aligned mounting holes in the other ledges.

Magnetic head supporting device

Growing community of inventors

Tanashi, Japan

Tsuyoshi Osawa