Data Disc

Lore & Background

Data Disc was founded in February 1962 in Palo Alto, California, by Armin Miller and Daniel Teichroew. Miller, a former Ampex engineer, had developed modified frequency modulation (MFM), a line code that doubled data density and transfer rate over earlier FM encoding, for which he received a patent in 1963. In 1965, the company moved to the Stanford Industrial Park, occupying half of a 36,000-square-foot building formerly used by Lockheed, and expanded to the entire building by the late 1960s. At Data Disc, Miller developed the first low-mass, three-point-suspension read–write head, which allowed heads to come closer to the spinning disk, achieving linear densities of 3200 bpi versus 300 bpi of competitors. This head was licensed to IBM for their Winchester drives. Data Disc used thin-film, nickel-cobalt-plated platters that allowed drives to be stopped and started arbitrarily without head crashes. The company sold these heads to other OEMs; those using particulate magnetic media often needed silicone oil lubrication to prevent sticking.

Two former Ampex engineers, Fred Pfost and Kurt Machein, joined Data Disc in the mid-1960s and developed the VDR-210CF, a device that recorded analog video signals onto a hard disk, enabling broadcasters to perform instant replays with jog, slow motion, and clean still frames—capabilities lacking in videotape. This device was sold by Machein's company Machtronics and licensed to Data Disc for resale. Data Disc created a specialized version for NASA that stored RGB component video sequentially and converted it to composite video; this system was used during the Apollo 11 moon landings and the Mariner 6 and 7 missions to Mars. Another version allowed physicians to make rapid X-rays without film development wait times. Data Disc formalized its video systems unit as a subsidiary in July 1969.

Following a corporate reorganization due to a sudden doubling of production volume, Miller resigned as president in April 1969 but remained on the board. William W. Stevens succeeded him, and later Andrew W. O'Sullivan became president in July 1971. Data Disc filed its initial public offering in mid-1972. In June 1972, it acquired Bright Industries from Tracor for 5,000 shares and $100,000 cash, adding data tape drives to its product line. The company released the Anagraph graphical terminal in November 1972 and the 6600 system in December 1973. By mid-1975, hard drive sales accounted for 55% of revenues, graphics terminals 15%, Bright tape drives 20%, and videodiscs 10%. In September 1975, James J. Woo, an 11-year IBM veteran, became president and renamed the company Amcomp, Inc., finalized in June 1976. In March 1977, Datapoint Corporation acquired Amcomp for $2 million in a stock swap.

Reader's Guide

Data Disc's significance lies in its contributions to magnetic storage and video recording technology. The low-mass, three-point-suspension read–write head developed by Armin Miller was licensed to IBM and used in their influential Winchester drives, enabling much higher linear densities (3200 bpi versus 300 bpi of competitors) and allowing heads to operate closer to the disk surface without crashes. This innovation, combined with thin-film nickel-cobalt platters, allowed drives to be stopped and started arbitrarily, a key reliability improvement. The company's videodisc recorders, derived from the VDR-210CF developed by Pfost and Machein, provided broadcasters with instant replay capabilities that videotape could not match, and were used by NASA during the Apollo 11 moon landings and Mariner missions to Mars. Data Disc also expanded into graphical terminals with the Anagraph and 6600 systems, and through its Bright Industries subsidiary, offered data tape drives. The company's eventual renaming to Amcomp and acquisition by Datapoint in 1977 marked the end of its independent existence, but its technological contributions—particularly the read–write head and videodisc recorder—left a lasting impact on both the storage and broadcast industries.

Did You Know?

• Armin Miller developed modified frequency modulation (MFM), also known as Miller modulation code, for which he was awarded a patent in 1963.
• The company's low-mass, three-point-suspension read–write head was licensed to IBM and used in their Winchester drives.
• Data Disc changed its name to Amcomp, Inc., in 1976 before being acquired by Datapoint in 1977.