 | |
 2.5 GB ST1 Drive | |
| Media type | Hard disk drive |
|---|---|
| Encoding | RLL |
| Capacity | 2.5 - 12 GB |
| Developed by | Seagate Technology |
| Manufactured by | |
| Dimensions | 42.0 mm × 36.0 mm × 5.0 mm |
| Usage | Portable devices |
The Seagate ST1 is a miniature 1-inch hard drive with the CompactFlash Type II form factor, much like IBM's Microdrive. Unlike Sony and Hitachi and allegedly GS Magicstor branded drives, Seagate developed their technology from scratch.
As of 2005 most 5 gigabyte MP3 players in production had ST1 drives embedded in them.
Notable improvements over IBM's design include:
- 2-megabyte data buffer
- A mechanism to hold the read-write head in place when the drive is not in use
- Some level of internal diagnostics
All ST1 drives have "For Embedded Application Only" printed on the back of them, which has led some people to think that the CF mode required for use in digital cameras is disabled. This is in fact not true and was most likely put there to remind the user that the drive was not designed for continuous use in a desktop computer.
ST1 models
ST1 Series:1
- ST625211CF/FX (2.5GB) (2004)
- ST650211CF/FX (5GB) (2004)
ST1.2 Series:2
- ST64022CF/FX (4GB) (2005)
- ST66022CF/FX (6GB) (2005)
- ST68022CF/FX (8GB) (2005)
ST1.3 Series:3
- ST660712DE/DEG (6GB) (2006)
- ST680712DE/DEG (8GB) (2006)
- ST610712DE/DEG (10GB) (2006)
- ST612712DE/DEG (12GB) (2006)
The CF, DE, DEG, FX suffixes are for CompactFlash+ Type II, ZIF, (zero insertion force) IDE interface, Flex (IDE interface) interfaces respectively. DEG models also include an additional free-fall sensor for robust drop performance.
Unlike most hard disk drives produced at that time, ST1.2 drives have physical sector size of 1024 bytes.4
References
References
- ST1 Series (ST650211CF, ST650211FX, ST625211CF, ST625211FX) Rev. A
- ST1.2 Series ST68022CF ST68022FX ST64022CF ST64022FX ST66022CF ST66022FX Rev. B
- ST1.3 Series ST612712DEG ST612712DE ST610712DEG ST610712DE ST680712DEG ST680712DE ST660712DEG ST660712DE Rev. D
- "ST1.2 Product Manual" (PDF). Seagate. Seagate. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-01-16.