User:NickW1129/sandbox

Calix, Inc. is a American multinational telecommunications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. Calix designs, manufacturers, and sells modular switches, routers, optical network terminals (ONTs), and software platforms for business markets to support the delivery of broadband services.

Calix was founded on August 17, 1999 by Carl Russo, a

^{[1] [2]} The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Calix was formerly known as Calix Networks Inc.^[3] The company provides cloud, software platforms, systems and services to internet service providers.^[4]

Calix maintains facilities in Petaluma, CA, Minneapolis, MN, San Jose, CA, Richardson, TX in the US and facilities in Nanjing, China and Bangaluru, India.^[5]

In 2024, Orangeburg County Council in South Carolina approved a contract with Calix Inc. to expand broadband service lines in the Neeses and Cope areas as part of a federally supported rural broadband project.^[6]

• In 2006, Calix purchased Optical Solutions, Inc., based in Minneapolis, MN.^[7]
• In 2010, Calix announced acquisition of one-time rival Occam Networks, Inc., based in Santa Barbara, California.^[8] The acquisition was completed in February, 2011.^[9]
• In Nov 2012, Calix completed acquisition of Ericsson’s fiber access assets.^[10]

In 2023, Calix received a Gold Stevie Award in the Workforce Development category at the American Business Awards.^[11] In 2025, Calix was included in Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in the enterprise category.^[12]

https://web.archive.org/web/20240204235022/https://www.dacis.com/budget/budget_pdf/FY15/PROC/A/4582E34000_22.pdf

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/354857-m-18-smoke-question/

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADB014090.pdf

The M18 Colored Smoke Grenade is produced by the United States Army. Development began in 1942 after the Army Ground Forces requested a smoke hand grenade be made that had a visible range of 10,000 feet and could be used for marking friendly troop positions, identifying American tanks, or to signal location of downed planes. Utilizing previous experience in colored smoke signals, the Chemical Corps took on this task and had the first grenades designated "M16" available in April 1943. These grenades did not produce sufficient smoke for the Army Ground Forces, and so were remade shortly after production began. The redesigned grenades designated "M18" replaced the M16 in late 1943 and have been the standard issue colored smoke grenade for the United States Armed Forces since 24 September 1943.

Despite advancements in other methods used, colored smoke grenades are still regarded as a highly valuable communication method during military operations. They are primarily used for ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling, and target or landing zone marking.

Prior to the creation of smoke grenades, basic colored smoke signals and flares were used by the United States Armed Forces (USAF). During World War I, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) operated in sectors held by the French Army. They used French and British equipment supplied to them, and observed that the French used red and yellow colored smoke signals. These smoke signals were used in a variety of formats such as on rockets with parachutes, rifle grenades, and in various calibers of pistol cartridges. After observing this, it was seen as beneficial to adopt the French Army system of pyrotechnics into the AEF in 1918. In the prior year, the Chemical Corps developed colored smoke signals for the AEF that came in colors of red, yellow, blue, green, and black. However, only yellow was produced at the time as dyes for the other colors were not available in the United States.^[13]

After World War I, the research and development of various colored smoke munitions for the USAF increased. Colored smoke would eventually be available in bombs, mortars, canisters for various calibers of projectiles, and hand and rifle grenades.^[13]

In 1942, the Army Ground Forces requested a smoke hand grenade be made that had a visible range of 10,000 feet to be used for marking friendly troop positions, identifying American tanks, or to signal location of downed planes.^[14] Utilizing previous experience in colored smoke signals while cooperating with the Ordnance Department, the Chemical Corps took on this task. Development of colored smoke hand grenades began in September of that year.^[13]

The initial problem that had to be figured out for creating the grenades was finding a mixture of chemicals that could produce smoke of desired color, volume, visibility, and duration while being heat-stable, commercially available, and inexpensive. Additionally the fuel used had to burn with sufficient intensity to volatilize but not destroy the dyes.^[13]

First models of the smoke grenades were based on the M7 tear gas grenade, utilizing its tube and fuse assembly. This was a 2+3⁄8-inches wide and 4+5⁄8-inches tall steel cylindrical tube with 3 lines of 6 emission holes going around the body. On top were 4 additional emission holes, and a threaded hole in the center that a M200A1 fuse went into. The fuel mixture chosen consisted of sulfur and potassium chlorate. Sodium bicarbonate was used as a coolant to absorb heat, helping the dye mixture burn longer while preventing it from decomposing. Organic dye mixtures that varied in composition based on color were pressed into the tube before the fuel mixture was added.^[13]

Finding the right dyes took time, with hundreds tested at the Edgewood Arsenal and various other agencies. Many were discarded due to not meeting visibility and color requirements, or for being in short supply at the time.^[15] Rather than the dyes being synthesized by Edgewood Arsenal Laboratories, they were obtained from various industries because of the variety and quantity required. Development was finished once all colors could be distinguished from 10,000 feet. These grenades produced smoke for 2 to 2+1⁄2 minutes. They came in colors of red, orange, yellow, green, violet, and black and were designated as "M16" in April 1943, becoming standard issue and entering full production in May.^[16]

Shortly after the production of the M16 began, the Army Ground Forces tested it's performance and decided they wanted a more rapidly burning smoke grenade with a denser smoke cloud. This was not possible with the current composition of fuel and dye mixtures and would result in the dyes burning rather than volatilizing. Proportions of ingredients in the mixtures were adjusted, along with the pressure at which they were compressed during production. The rows of holes around the tube the mixtures went into were removed, and a 1+1⁄2-inch hole was cut through the middle on the bottom.^[13]

The new grenades produced the desired denser, more vibrant colored smoke cloud, and had a shorter burning time of about 1 to 1+1⁄2 minutes. They were designated as "M18" on 24 September 1943, entering full production and replacing the M16 which was then marked limited standard and stopped being produced.^[16]

Originally they were to come in the same colors as the M16, including white. During later testing it was decided that orange and yellow along with blue and violet were too similar for aircraft to differentiate from altitudes of 10,000 feet. Black and white were discarded because being able to identify them from other battle-field related smoke would be difficult. This left the M18 being produced in 4 colors instead which was red, yellow, green, and violet.^[15]

In the 1950s the tube for the M18 was 2+1⁄2-inches wide and 4+1⁄2-inches tall. There were 6 emission holes on the top and an additional on the bottom covered by tape for smoke to release when ignited. On the top a M201A1 pull-ring fuse assembly was threaded into the middle, and the top was painted indicating the color of smoke inside. A yellow band and text painted on the body stated the color, lot number, and date produced following MIL-STD-1168 format.^[17]

In the 1960s the M18 tube sized was changed to 2+1⁄2-inches wide and 5+3⁄4-inches tall. There were 4 emission holes on the top instead of 6, but the one on the bottom remained. The top was painted indicating the color, while the body came in gray or olive drab. A yellow or gray band and text were painted on the body.^[18] A waxed cardboard tube was used for shipping protection instead of metal.

In 2005, the top 4 emission holes were removed leaving only the bottom one. Inside the tube starter patches were put between pucks of dye during the manufacturing process to improve burning time and performance.^{[19] [20]} The design was otherwise the same as the previous iteration.

The smoke from an M18 is produced by volatilizing and condensing a colored dye mixture. The heat produced by the starter mixture volatilizes the dye which is then condensed by the air forming a colored smoke cloud. A cooling agent is added to the smoke mixture to help prevent excessive decomposition of the dye while burning time can be regulated by adjusting the amount of oxidant and combustible materials.^[21]

During extensive testing with the M18 in the 1980s, it was found that the burning of the original chemical components (Sulfur, potassium chlorate, and sodium bicarbonate) resulted in a toxic smoke mixture so the formulas were remade.^[21]

The new formulas used sugar for the starter mixture and magnesium carbonate as coolant. The dye mixtures were also changed, using different coloring components. The formula for the green and yellow M18 were changed quickly with relative ease, while red and violet were more challenging to produce. The sugar-based smoke compositions burned slightly hotter than the sulfur based ones, resulting in the dyes for red and violet burning instead of volatilizing.^[22] Additionally, it was also found the new violet smoke color mixture using Disperse Blue 3 even more toxic than the original. This was later changed to Disperse Red 11.^[23]

Due to the burning issues, red and violet M18's kept being produced using the original formulas until the early 2000s. They were then looked at again by the U.S. Army Environment Command and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). They introduced wafer starter patches placed between dye pucks, which reduced the overall temperature during burning preventing the dyes from decomposing.^[23] The new red was found to produce a pinkish smoke rather than the intended darker red, caused by added Terephthalic Acid. Several attempts were made to correct it but were unsuccessful.^[24]

The new dye mixtures are produced by Nation Ford Chemical in South Carolina.^[25]

In 1971, a non-submersible version of the M18 was created by Northrup Carolina, a subsidiary of Northrup Grumman at the time. This version was the same physical dimensions as the standard M18 and looked almost identical on the outside. The body contained a chimney design vent hole under the fuse assembly in the middle. Surrounding the chimney was a folded silicone fiberglass ballute that was attached to a bulkhead plate. 8 vent holes on the top of the bulkhead were used to inflate the ballute when the grenade was ignited. Below the bulkhead was a starter/ignition mixture, inflation mixture, and smoke mixture.^[26]

When ignited and thrown, the top of the grenade with the fuse assembly detached while the ballute inflated. The grenade would then glide towards the ground upright, and could float in water. During testing it was found these versions of the M18 had a lower smoke volume but burning time was almost double of the standard M18 with 90 seconds minimum. Although testing was considered successful, this version of the M18 was not used outside of it. It was created as the standard M18 was found to provide poor visibility for signaling when used in areas partially or fully covered in water in Vietnam.^[26]

The Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas is the only manufacturer of the M18 today.^[27] It has been assembled there since its introduction in 1942.^[28] Majority of M18's were produced by Pine Bluff. This is denoted on an M18 by a "PB" or "PBA" before the lot number marked on the outside. The various components of the M18 are made by different manufacturers contracted yearly in the United States. As of 2024 the body and lid are made by Tool Masters, Inc. in Tuscumbia, Alabama. The fuze assembly is made by Day & Zimmermann in Texarkana, Texas.^[29] The smoke mixture dyes are produced by Nation Ford Chemical in South Carolina.^[30]

Over the course of the M18's usage, various manufacturers have been used alongside the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Ordnance Products, Inc. ("OPI") from Maryland, Martin Electronics, Inc. ("MEI") from Florida, and Talley Industries, Inc. ("TAC") from Arizona are some examples.^{[31] [32] [33] [34]}

The M18 is used by holding it in one hand with the safety lever pressed against the canister. The safety pin/ring is then removed after which the M18 can be thrown. As the safety lever is released, it is forced away from the body by a striker spring. The striker rotates on its own and strikes the percussion primer. The fuze delay then starts the ignition process. The tape covering the bottom emission hole is blown off and smoke is released. After ignition, the M18 produced a cloud of colored smoke for 50 to 90 seconds. The M18 could be thrown up to 35 meters by the average soldier.^[35]

If the fuze was non-functional, the M18 could still be used. This was done by removing the tape covering the hole on the bottom, removing the fuze assembly, and igniting the starter mixture with an open flame.^[36]

With the M18 there is a danger of starting a fire if it is used in a dry foliage area as the inside of the tube gets very hot during the burning process (upwards of 350°C).^[23] Expended smoke grenade canisters remain hot for some time after burning out and should not be picked up bare-handed.

The M18 was able to be used as a rifle launched grenade using the M2/M2A1 (originally designated T2E1) chemical grenade projection attachment.^[37] This attachment was mounted onto a M7A3 or M76 grenade launcher, which went onto a rifle or carbine such as the M1 and M14.^[38] It was a modified version of the M1 grenade adapter and was created around 1944.^[39]

The M2 adapter consisted of a stabilizer assembly which was a metal tube with a fin assembly on one end and a base plate with a set of three claws on the other. The grenade was installed by being forced down into the clips until held securely in place. A setback band, which was a metal band with the ends held together by a spring, was installed midway on the grenade with the spring over the safety lever to hold it against the canister.^{[40] [41]} The M2A1 was a revised design with a slotted fin assembly and reinforced base plate which gave it more stability.

To use the launcher, the stabilizer tube was installed over the grenade launcher at a position that would give a desired range. The grenade/adapter was rotated so that the safety lever faced the ground, and the safety pin was removed. The assembly was launched by firing a high-powered blank from the rifle. When fired a forceful shock causes the setback band to slide down the grenade, releasing the lever. After launching the assembly would remain attached to the grenade until it landed. Using the M2/M2A1 adapter allowed higher ranges up to about 180 meters.^{[40] [42]}

The M2/M2A1 launchers were not widely used for the M18, which were intended more for chemical grenades such as the M6/M7 tear gas grenades. The impact of hitting the ground using the adapter could cause the M18 to burn out prematurely.^[40] There were rifle launched smoke grenades such as the M22 series available in the same colors that were designed specifically for this purpose.^[43]

A modified version of the M2A1 designated T1 was made for suspending M18 smoke grenades from trees to increase visibility. Instead of a setback band it used a solid ring to hold the grenade safety lever. A cardboard tube that contained rayon cord was tied to the base of the M2A1 and another ring positioned towards the top of the grenade. When the rifle was fired the entire assembly was launched, with the setback ring sliding down and striking the clips holding the grenade. This would release them, separating the grenade and adapter assembly. As the grenade flew, the cord would unravel from the tube which could easily be entangled in trees and allow the grenade to be suspended.^{[39] [43]}

The M16 was first used in combat before testing was completed and it being adopted as a standard munition in November of 1942 with Operation Torch. General George S. Patton heard about the development of the smoke grenades and sent officers to the Edgewood Arsenal to observe testing. The observers decided yellow had the best visibility, and had several thousand yellow grenades produced before troops arrived in French Morocco.^[44]

A large stock of M16's were made before the M18 replaced it and were used first in the war. On 6 June 1944, for the Normandy landings the color orange was chosen for identifying friendly positions, and so orange M16's were distributed, primarily to paratrooper units such as the 502nd and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiments.^[45]

Over the course of the war, troops and armored units utilized smoke grenades greatly. Commanders prearranged attack plans with color codes so that units could easily coordinate with each other. The grenades were used for marking allied positions to try to prevent friendly fire, while rifle-launching adapters allowed marking enemies a distance away.^[46] The great visibility of the smoke helped artillery observers and friendly aircraft above see these positions from afar.^[44]

By late 1945 the M16 was phased out with supplies diminished, and the M18 took over.

Introduction of a helicopter based medical evacuation system in the Korean War and supply shortages had the M18 considered a more vital piece of equipment for troops.^[47] Shortage of the grenades among other U.S. army ammunition and equipment was due to a logistic support deficiency, partially caused by industries reconverting to civilian use after World War II. Units were given allowances of equipment that limited what they were given.^[48] The M18 was primarily used to mark landing zones, making finding friendly troops on the ground to evacuate wounded personnel easier for the pilots regardless of the terrain.

As an unforeseen effect during the war when using M18 grenades, Chinese troops would mistake them for chemical weapons. This was because they used the standard markings of other chemical grenades such as the M7 at the time. The Chinese used captured M18's to train troops for defense against chemical warfare, with the belief that they contained toxic agents.^[49]

After the United States marines entered the Vietnam War in 1965, the M18 saw the most use since it's introduction.^[50] With the increased usage of helicopters and other equipment in warfare, demand of the M18 eventually reached levels beyond 100 times of the Korean and World War II rates. Supplies were limited of most USAF ammunition and equipment in the beginning of the war due to low stockpiles and a lack of planning expectations.^[51]

The M18 was mainly issued to platoon sergeants/leaders, squad leaders, and radio operators. However, any soldier could carry them if they chose to.^[52] This was with the exception of red and white. White smoke (produced by the M8 grenade) was the universal identifier of enemy positions in the war, while red was commonly used for fire support.

Violet and yellow were primarily used for signaling to helicopters and other aircraft for friendly force positions and landing zones.^{[53] [54]} Green was initially used for friendly positions as well, but was difficult to spot in the dense vegetation in Vietnam.^[55] Some unconventional usage of the M18 included clearing Viet Cong tunnels, setting booby-traps such as tripwires, and dispersing aggressive insects.^[56]

Overall color coding and usage was not universal and varied by units. This was changed regularly to try to prevent enemies from following patterns. When using the M18 for support, aircraft pilots were told to identify the color they saw, usually with code words, rather than being informed. This was because it was not uncommon for the enemy to be listening in on radio transmissions.^{[52] [57]} They could throw captured smoke grenades of the same color to attempt to deceive friendly aircraft.

In June 2019 the Pine Bluff Arsenal announced that they have produced 3,888,502 M18 grenades since its introduction.^[58]

In 2022, the US supplied Ukraine with an undisclosed amount of M18 smoke grenades as part of a military aid package.^[59]

and adapter assembly. As the grenade flew, the cord would unravel from the tube which could easily be entangled in trees and allow the grenade to be suspended.^{[39] [43]}

sources

https://www.bulletpicker.com/pdf/Grenades.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171328/http://members.shaw.ca/dwlynn/main/adapters.htm

T1 testing report document

PB 39464

device, tree suspension, T1, for smoke grenade test report

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bibliography_of_Scientific_and_Industria/sLUb-6M20-cC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=gilbert+l+hole+test+report&pg=PA346&printsec=frontcover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBNQHh3MAcM RESOURCES

https://www.pcworld.com/article/447531/the-astounding-evolution-of-the-hard-drive.html

https://www.eetimes.com/drive-makers-look-to-steal-wind-from-ibm-in-microdrive-segment/

https://www.eetimes.com/improved-ibm-microdrive-hunts-for-broader-use/

https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/shaping-the-evolution-of-the-pc/

development

https://www.eetimes.com/one-inch-no-cinch-for-ibm-storage-gurus/

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2783479/ibm-claims-world-s-tiniest-disk-drive.html

https://www.pctechguide.com/hard-disks/hard-disk-microdrives

https://research.ibm.com/publications/micro-drive-a-pluggable-one-inch-disk-drive-for-portable-devices

https://www.usenix.org/legacy/publications/library/proceedings/fast03/tech/full_papers/zedlewski/zedlewski_html/paper.html

kittyhawk

https://nathanlamontagne.wordpress.com/case-study-a/

release sources

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/8248476086/microtech

https://money.cnn.com/2000/06/20/technology/ibm_drive/

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/ibm-to-ship-4gb-microdrive/

https://www.hpcwire.com/1998/09/11/ibm-intros-worlds-smallest-hard-disk-drive/

https://www.pocketpcfaq.com/wce/microdrive.htm

https://www.usenix.org/legacy/publications/library/proceedings/fast03/tech/full_papers/zedlewski/zedlewski_html/paper.html

space

https://spacenews.com/ibm-microdrive-is-out-of-this-world-worlds-smallest-hard-disk-drive-completes-two-successful-nasa-shuttle-missions/

CF stuff

https://www.fastcompany.com/1000253/sandisk-announces-32gb-compactflash-cards

Samsung SpinPoint A

http://www.hjreggel.net/hdtechdat/hd-samsung.html

http://www.hjreggel.net/hdtechdat/hd-ibm.html

paid resources

https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=2238280&site=eds-live&scope=site

https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aci&AN=500556380&site=eds-live&scope=site

models

https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/tiny-drive-grows-in-capacity-mp3-players-3239081.php

http://www.hjreggel.net/hdtechdat/hd-hitachi.html

http://www.hjreggel.net/hdtechdat/hd-micro.html

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/618726/1

web archive

https://web.archive.org/web/20080517104552/http://www.hgst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.a994b57654279b5daa67bca4bac4f0a0/

https://web.archive.org/web/20060902010542/http://www.hgst.com/hdd/micro/overvw.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20051001093242/http://www.hgst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.88209297e0b10f8056fb11f0aac4f0a0/

https://web.archive.org/web/20090719003902/http://www.hgst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.92382478a130ca1492480021aac4f0a0/

https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/backnumber/

https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/E/2003/0106b/index.html

https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/050405.html

The Microdrive is a miniature, 1-inch hard disk drive released in 1998 by IBM. It was created by duo Timothy J. Riley and Thomas Albrecht at the Almaden Research Center in San Jose. A team of engineers and designers at IBM's Fujisawa, Japan facility helped make it possible.

Due to the failure of the Kittyhawk, a 1.3-inch hard disk drive created by Hewlett Packard in 1992, initial support for it was reluctant. Despite that, it didn't have much opposition and development persisted. The Microdrive ended up being albeit limited, a success. This was largely due to its advantages over and compatibility with CompactFlash technology at the time. It caused the creation of and used the CompactFlash Type II format, which is slightly bigger (5 mm vs 3.3 mm), and allowed a much higher power draw (500 mA vs 70 mA). Type II became the de facto standard for devices utilizing the technology. Additionally the Microdrive offered higher storage capacities, more durability, and was cheaper per MB compared to flash at the time.

Although a niche for a while, the Microdrive market later became very competitive. Many companies began producing miniature hard disk drives also referred to as Microdrives.^[60] Some offered much more storage capacity or were even more smaller in physical size to the original Microdrive. This did not last long however. By the mid to late 2000s, miniature hard disk drives were being viewed as obsolete with flash media such as CompactFlash, SD, and USB flash surpassing them in speed, capacity, durability, and pricing. By mid 2007, it was discontinued by most if not all manufacturers.

In June of 1992, prior to the Microdrive, a 1.3-inch hard disk drive nicknamed the "Kittyhawk" was launched. It was a collaboration creation by Hewlett Packard and AT&T. It was the smallest hard drive in the world at the time, being 2.0" ×ばつ 1.44" ×ばつ 0.414" (50.8mm ×ばつ 36.5mm ×ばつ 10.5mm) in size while offering 20, then later 40 MB of storage capacity.^[61] The Kittyhawk was a colossal failure, with HP leaving the disk-drive industry shortly after in 1994.^{[62] [63]}

The original idea of the Microdrive was created in 1992 by Timothy J. Riley and Thomas Albrecht, IBM researchers that were working at the Almaden Center in San Jose, California. At the time, they were working on a funded project to examine micromechanic drive technology. They originally were trying to find a way to read increasingly smaller tracks on a disk surface using tiny motors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. They found it would be better to use that technology in a mini disk drive rather than a large drive.^[64]

The original idea by Timothy was to simply make a tiny disk drive with Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS),^[65] but there was an increased technical risk and cost. The main issue was the size limit. Even if a tiny drive could be made, it's capacity would be very limited due to the diameter of the magnetic media and so the cost would be much higher, making the drive very expensive to produce.

It was then decided to stick with a conventional disk drive and all it's systems, but make it much smaller.

The leader of mobile drive development at IBM's Fujisawa facility at the time, Hideya Ino, highly sought the potential of a 1-inch disk drive. He decided that the Microdrive should become a real product, and had a team collaborate with Timothy and Thomas to create working prototypes.^[65]

There were many challenges to overcome in creating a working Microdrive, such as the design, the load/unload system, the spindle motor, and the weight.

The load/unload system could not retract the head into the parking ramp when the drive was powered off, but this was fixed by using a small capacitor and some clever engineering to get enough energy for the actuator to park. Rather than using a traditional ball-bearing spindle motor for the platters, the Microdrive used a fluid-type spindle motor.

Having all the necessary ICs fit for the drive to work was an even greater challenge. The original design used components on one side of the main-board of the drive, but an engineer came up with a way to use direct chip attach, which allowed components on both sides of the board.

Getting support and marketing for the Microdrive was another difficult process due to the Kittyhawk's failure. Many ploys were used to get support, such as chart's that implied the Kittyhawk failed due to it's huge size reduction at the time.^[64]

The form factor that ended up being chosen was CompactFlash, as that's what digital camera manufacturers were using. The CompactFlash interface was essentially IDE but scaled down. The original CompactFlash form factor was 3.3mm thick. Microdrive prototypes made in the 3.3mm size failed to work, however they did work in 5mm size.

Thomas/IBM visited the CompactFlash association and asked them to make a 5mm variant, which would then become CompactFlash Type II. It was the same as the original form factor, but just thicker. Because of this, camera manufacturers began making the slots on their cameras Type II and Type I compatible. This then became the Microdrive's main market.

It had a spindle speed of 4500 RPM, and drew 300 mA of current.

In September 1998, IBM officially announced the Microdrive, a year before the expected launch.^[66]

"For IBM Disk Drives, this was an uncharacteristically early announcement. We normally would never announce a product a year in advance of shipments," Albrecht said. "Everyone agreed that it was necessary. People needed to design Type II slots, and there were also questions whether we were serious about this."^[64]

It was advertised by marketers in varying ways. One source claimed it was about the size of a large coin, weighing less than an AA battery, and had the capacity of over 200 floppy disks. Another said it weighed half as much as a golf ball, and had a capacity of 300 novels.^[67] And a manager at Sanyo said it could store 1,500 1.5 mega-pixel images or 10 minutes of VGA-quality video.^[68] The Microdrive was expected to be launched by mid-1999, and would be a competitor to CompactFlash, which was originally released in 1994.^[69] On June 24, 1999, IBM Japan announced the IBM Microdrive 340 MB for 58,000円 or 475ドル USD.^[70]

In June 1999, IBM officially launched the first generation 1-inch Microdrive. It had storage capacities of 170MB and 340MB at a price of 499ドル. The drive was initially ordered by several companies such as Compaq, Casio, Minolta, Nikon, and more.^[71]

The first generation of the Microdrive was a partial success, having a few products released using the drive. Such as the Sanyo VPC-SX500,^[68] and the Casio QV2000UX.

A second generation of Microdrive was announced by IBM the following year in June 2000.^[72] These models would draw less power with a spindle speed reduction to 3600 RPM and have a higher bit density of 15.2 gigabit-per-square-inch. They would have increased capacities at 512 MB and 1 GB. The 512 MB model would cost 399ドル and the 1 GB model 499ドル upon release, with the original 340 MB microdrive decreasing to 299ドル.^[73] The initial microdrive models had limited-success due to their price tag. It was hoped with the improved models use could be expanded to other products such as audio players and handheld computers.^{[74] [75]}

The microdrive was much more expensive than conventional drives at the time, but less expensive than CompactFlash. The microdrive cost 0ドル.50 per MB while CompactFlash was 2ドル per MB.^[76]

The 1GB microdrive was successfully used to store and bring back digital images from NASA's STS98 and STS102 shuttle missions in 2001. The microdrive was first tested with high doses of radiation and durability in a weightless environment before being used on the missions. It was put in a Kodak DCS 660 camera and was used to take hundreds of photograph on the missions.^[77]

One of the main use cases of the Microdrive considered was portable audio players. The current capacity at the time was limited due to the cost of solid-state storage, and so only about 30 minutes of audio was available on consumer devices. With the Microdrive, this space could be expanded much larger although adding a bit to the price.

Timothy & Thomas along with some of IBM's marketing and development team went to various companies to advertise the Microdrive. They visited Sony, Panasonic, Phillips, and more. They however refused to use the Microdrive, and went with other formats such as record-able CD-ROM.

In 2004 Apple unexpectedly chose to use the Microdrive in their iPod Mini. This was surprising to the microdrive team.

Following the merger of IBM and Hitachi HDD business units, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies continued the development and marketing of the Microdrive. In 2003, 2GB and 4GB models were announced by Hitachi & IBM.^{[78] [79]} The 4 GB model was first available on February 20, 2004 for a price of 499ドル.^[80] This was followed by a 6GB capacity model in February 2005 for a price of 299,ドル with the 4 GB model dropping to 199ドル.^{[81] [82]} Hitachi additionally planned an even smaller 1-inch hard drive with a capacity of 8-10 GB under the code-name "Mikey" for late 2005 with a weight of 14 grams and a size of 40 mm ×ばつ 30 mm ×ばつ 5 mm.^{[83] [84]}

In 2006, flash-based CompactFlash cards began to surpass Microdrives in capacity and lower costs, which made the Microdrive technology obsolete.^[69] CompactFlash began in 1994 released by SanDisk with capacities of 2, 4, 10, and 15 MB at a cost of . By 2006, capacities reached 12 and 16 GB with a price of

In 2008, capacity reached 32 GB with a price of just 220ドル versus the 199ドル for a 4 GB microdrive.

By 2007, sales and profit of the Microdrive were dwindling so Hitachi discontinued production of 1 inch hard disk drives. Sales of 1-inch drives were only about 3,000 in a three-month period in 2007, while 560,000 units of 1-1.8-inch drives were sold throughout July to September 2007. Hitachi wanted to shift over to bigger 2.5 and 3.5-inch hard disk drives, rather than retain focus on the small hard disk drive business.^[85]

Halo Data Devices was a startup company founded in April 1998. They planned to make a direct competitor to IBM's Microdrive called the "MicroDrive". The drive would use CompactFlash Type I and have a 5400 RPM spindle with 37.5 to 75 Mbits/s transfer speed. It was claimed the drive would be even thinner than IBM's drive while being cheaper to purchase.^{[86] [87]}

In November of 2001 Halo Data Devices went out of business due to financial struggles designing and releasing their 1-inch hard drive.^[88]

Cornice was a startup company founded in 2000 in Longmont, Colorado.

In 2002, Apple wanted Cornice to supply them with 1-inch hard drives for the iPod Mini. Cornice declined the offer as Apple wanted an exclusive agreement, which would end Cornice's partnerships with Thomson/RCA and Rio. It would also prevent them from offering their drive's to other companies.^[89]

In 2003, Cornice released a 1.5 GB 1-inch hard disk drive for 65ドル.^[90]

In mid 2004, Seagate and Western digital both filed patent infringement suits against Cornice. They claimed their drives used technology Cornice didn't have permission to use.^{[91] [92]}

On July 18, 2005, Cornice announced a 4 GB 1-inch hard disk drive.^[93]

Faced with financial struggles, stiff competition, and lagging sales, the company eventually went out of business in 2007.^[94]

GS Magicstor was a Chinese company founded in 2002 as a subsidiary of GS Magic, Inc.

By 2007 GS Magicstor was out of business.

On July 16, 2003, a Chinese manufacturer called GS Magicstor, Inc. (subsidiary of GS Magic, Inc.) announced it had produced 1-inch hard disk drive with capacity of 2.4 GB at the beginning of the year 2003, originally marketed as an alternative to Microdrive by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. It was to be followed by 2.2 and 4.8 GB 1-inch HDD that was unveiled in 2004 International CES, with 0.8-inch HDD. On December 28, 2004, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies announced it had filed lawsuit against GS Magicstor, Inc., GS Magic, Inc., and Riospring, Inc. for infringement of multiple Hitachi GST's patents relating to hard disk drives, after GS Magic Inc. had started promoting mini-HDD (small form factor hard disk drive).

Main Article: Seagate ST1

In June 2004, Seagate launched the ST1 1-inch hard drive with 2.5 and 5 GB capacity. They were the same physical form-factor as IBM Microdrive and referred to as either 1-inch hard drives or CompactFlash hard drives due to the trademark issue.^{[95] [96]}

In 2005, Seagate launched an 8 GB model. Seagate also sold a standalone consumer product based on these drives with a product known as the Pocket Hard Drive. These devices came in the shape of a hockey puck with an integrated USB 2.0 cable.

Seagate announced their 6 GB Microdrive on the same day as Hitachi, in February 2005.^[97]

On February 13 2006, Seagate announced a 12 GB model called the ST1.3.^[98]

In January 2005, Western Digital announced they would be joining the 1-inch drive hard market. They planned to have 1-inch drives available by 2nd quarter of the year with capacities up to 6 GB.^[99]

Western Digital launched a 6 GB external USB 2.0 microdrive as a part of the Passport Pocket brand in March 2006. This was made as a competitor to the Seagate Pocket Hard Drive. The unit had 2 MB of cache, 11 ms seek, spun at 3,600 RPM, and was 60 ×ばつ 45 ×ばつ 9 mm. The price for the unit was 130ドル upon release. ^[100]

Toshiba decided to skip the 1" form factor, and in March 2004 announced a 0.85" drive that shipped in September of the same year.^[101] This form factor remains the smallest one ever shipped. Capacities of 2 and 4 GB were offered,^[102] destined primarily to the cellular phone market.^[103]

Samsung entered the microdrive market at a very late stage in 2008 with announced capacities of 20, 30 and 40 GB.^[104] Doing away with the bulky compact flash II connector, Samsung Spinpoint A1 microdrives were able to use a 1.3" diameter disk, while keeping the same outer microdrive dimensions (42.8mmx32.4mmx5mm). They also used perpendicular recording technology which had just been introduced in the hard disk industry. At the time when flash memory was becoming the medium of choice for all portable application, Samsung's entry was very short lived, with only one product carrying the 30 GB model known to ship: JVC's Everio GZ-MG73, an ultra-slim camcorder.^[105]

• Digital camera
• Hard disk drive
• HP KittyHawk

• IBM family of Microdrives - HGST
• Review: IBM's 1GB Microdrive – review on MP3 Newswire
• Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST)
• Review of Seagate ST1 5GB 1-inch hard disk for CF
• Samsung SpinPoint A1

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