Zone bit recording
disk drive optimization method
In computer storage, zone bit recording (ZBR) is a method used by disk drives to optimise the tracks for increased data capacity. It does this by placing more sectors per zone on outer tracks than inner tracks, which can be achieved by varying the rotational rate (constant linear velocity), the data rate (with constant angular velocity) or a combination of both (using zoned constant angular velocity). On a disk consisting of roughly concentric tracks, whether realized as separate circular tracks or as a single spiral track, the physical track length (circumference) is increased as it gets further from the centre hub.
The inner tracks are packed as densely as the particular drive's technology allows. The packing of the rest of the disks is changed depending on the type of disk. Zone recording was pioneered and patented by Chuck Peddle in 1961 while working for General Electric.
With a CAV-drive the data on the outer tracks are the same angular width of those in the centre, and so less densely packed. Using ZBR instead, the inner zoning is used to set the read/write rate, which is the same for other tracks. This permits the drive to have more bits stored in the outside tracks compared to the inner ones. Storing more bits per track equates to achieving a higher total data capacity on the same disk area.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Zone bit recording” is disk drive optimization method. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Zone, recording and disk, not as a finished interpretation.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q144772. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1961.
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