FestplattenLeseköpfen

Festplattenleseköpfen, which translates to "hard drive read heads," are a critical component of hard disk drives (HDDs). Their primary function is to read and write data magnetically stored on the platters of the hard drive. These heads are incredibly small and float a minuscule distance above the spinning platters, typically measured in nanometers. This precise positioning is maintained by an actuator arm that moves the heads across the surface of the platters.

Each platter in an HDD has at least one read/write head, and modern drives often have multiple heads to access different tracks and sectors simultaneously, significantly increasing data transfer speeds. The read head detects the magnetic orientation of the tiny areas on the platter representing binary data (0s and 1s). The write head, conversely, changes these magnetic orientations to record new data. The speed at which the platters spin and the precision of the read/write heads are key factors in the overall performance and capacity of a hard drive. Any physical damage or wear to the read heads can lead to data loss or drive failure.