History (1990): Multifunction Drive Able to Read All Optical Discs

Nothing will probably happen before two years, but let’s keep this pioneering idea in mind.

Several manufacturers are trying to agree on a multifunction drive that would be able to read any kind of optical disks: read-only, WORM and erasable.

It’s not quite an announcement, but John J. Hoy, VP marketing of optical storage division at LMSI (Laser Magnetic Storage International in Colorado Springs, CO), a JV between Philips (51%) and Control Data (49%), has extensively talked about this matter at the recent ICC in Paris (France), an itinerant professional meeting specialized in computer products, in this case storage ones.

The speaker announced that an half dozen large manufacturers had met to develop a standard on multi-function R/W half-height, 5.25-inch digital optical disks.

Based on a process using the variation of laser power, the drive can indifferently use an erasable disk (in magneto-optical or phase-change technology notably), a WORM type disk or an O-ROM (Optical- Read Only Memory).

This last one is a device that can only be read like a CD-ROM, but its diameter has one extra centimeter.

No 5.25-inch O-ROMs are available yet.

This means that there would be a new format for read-only optical disks, which also means that it will bring a little more confusion in a market where sizes and recording methods are already complicated.

John Hoy explained that CD-ROMs were given up for technical reasons. “It would be too expensive to have a CL V (Constant Linear Velocity) recording method like on CD-ROMs, when other disks use CA V (Constant Angular Velocity). In addition, problems with the error correction system also occur on CD-ROMs. ” Whether he needs momentary storage, long-lasting backup or large data base inquiry, the user will just load one or another disk in the same drive.”

This could have some interest and boost the optical disk market that is slowly taking off.

The main specs of the unit, temporary named LDxxx at LMSI, are an access time lower than 30ms for a transfer rate higher than 1MB/s. The capacity of all disks reach 1.3GB (650B per side) in a sample format and would be in the ISO cartridge of actual magneto-optical disks, with a special slot or whole to identify the type of media.

Companies working on this subject were not mentioned. We know that Pioneer has nevertheless adopted the project, and Ricoh is developing multifunction optical drives.

On the contrary, Hoy named a few media manufacturers that are following the subject: Pioneer, Maxell, ICI, etc.

And finally, he added that nothing would be offered before 1992.

This article is an abstract of news published on the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter on issue ≠25, published on February 1990.