What is HAMR ? Understand how this technology will allow hard drives with much more storage

 

Increase the storage capacity of the HDs without this means increasing the dimensions of these devices. This is the idea behind HAMR technology, a technique that has been used since 2012 in the industry. But do you know what HAMR is?

First of all you need to know what this novelty represents. For the first time we are reaching capacities comparable to those of large format hard drives, but without changing the size. This measure should reduce costs, especially for companies, which, when purchasing products with a capacity of 16 TB, for example, need to spend more than normal to meet their needs.

What is HAMR?

HAMR is an acronym in English for Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording , which in direct translation into Portuguese would be something like “ Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording ”. Its great merit is that it allows the data density of 1 terabit per square inch on the disk.

In other words, at least in theory, a 3.5-inch hard drive, just like the one you have on your PC, could be able to store up to 60 TB. The 2.5-inch model, present in notebooks, could reach 20 TB. At least for now, in 2018, the first 3.5-inch models with a maximum capacity of 16 TB are now arriving on the market.

The secret of HAMR technology is to work around some of the physical limitations that these devices have. The technique uses laser heating, allowing data written in bits to take up less space. It is the exact opposite of what is being done today to increase storage capacities.

Today, companies have focused on technologies that allow them to “squeeze” information so that it can be possible to store more data. However, in this case there is another problem to be overcome: the smaller the recorded data, the more subject to volatility it is. When we talk about data storage for companies in particular, this possibility can become a nightmare, so that this hypothesis is constantly being put in the background.

HAMR technology has a long development path

The HAMR technology started to be developed in 2010, but the first information about it started to be published in the international press. Since then almost 8 years have passed and only now has it been possible to reach the maximum capacity of 16 TB - which represents just under 30% of its real potential.

The expectation of the industry, throughout its development, is that it would be possible to put this technology on the market in time for it to become compatible with SSDs. In this case, the prediction was correct, as large capacity SSDs are still considered unfeasible from a technical and commercial point of view.

Although the tests carried out so far have proved successful, there is still no date for the first HDs using this technology to be launched commercially. The most optimistic forecasts indicate that by 2020 it will be possible to reach 20 TB. In the meantime, we may have some expectations that 16 TB models will begin to be tested by a greater number of companies starting next year.

Until then, everything that is said in relation to the price of this product will be speculation, but we can say without a doubt that, at first, it will be accessible to few companies.

Although the tests carried out so far have proved successful, there is still no date for the first HDs using this technology to be launched commercially. The most optimistic forecasts indicate that by 2020 it will be possible to reach 20 TB. In the meantime, we may have some expectations that 16 TB models will begin to be tested by a greater number of companies starting next year.

Until then, everything that is said in relation to the price of this product will be speculation, but we can say without a doubt that, at first, it will be accessible to few companies.