What is a magnetic head?

Magnetic head is any device used with some recording technique designed to apply information to the type of physical media such as tape or hard drive. The concept uses electromagnetism to cause some material to change its orientation in a viable way that can be interpreted by the source of playback. Traditionally, magnetic heads are used with some kind of tape coated in iron oxide. Disc units use a similar principle, but convert magnetism into electricity. Two designs are used for this process: a solid or rotating head. Fixed heads are usually used for sound recording, magnetically set two or more channels along the length of the tape. The rotating head is used for video technology and determines magnetized data along the length of the tape to use the entire surface area.

The tape -based magnetic head uses the basic structure to control electromagnetic energy used to store data on iron oxide. The magnetic material is designed in a round or čTVerc shape with opening that allows air or some other material to act as an insulator. When the tape passes along the magnetic head, the electromagnetic energy magnetizes iron oxide on the tape. Using a wire coil connected to the device can be used as a magnetic head reader or magnetic recording head. This means that the tape can be read for data or have data placed on its length for storage.

For hard drives, the magnetic head is designed very differently with a significantly different purpose. The magnetic head, composed of a ferrite wrapped with a coil, sits above the disk surface and produces a magnetic field. This field is concentrated in the electric current. As the disk spins, the electromagnetic reaction creates electronic data to be stored. Similarly, the current is used to read information.

Over the years, the magnetic head of hard disk technology has undergone many changes. During the early 90s.A piece of metal located inside the ferrite to help process more condensed information. At the beginning of 2000, heaters were added to the hard disk design to allow magnetic heads to work with other disc plates. The heat generated from these devices helps to saturate the disc by stronger magnetism, which ensures that the information is more securely stored.