Skip to main content
data track

data track

5.0
A circular path on a disk that holds information for reading and writing
  • noun
  • /ˈdeɪtə træk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pista de datos
  • In magnetic and optical disk drives, tracking servos are used to maintain the head or optical spot on a given data track.

Examples

  • To optimize performance, the read/write head must stay precisely aligned with the data track on the disk.

  • I have a data-track on my program.

  • The servo easily compensated for the slow drift and was able to keep the tip on the data track for a period of days.

    Academic text (1995)
  • (a) Sector-servo scheme for keeping the tip on a data track, borrowed from magnetic recording.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Measurement ODT_DEP1 is the distance from the center of the head element to the outermost data track (in the disk plane) when the actuator is touching the OD crash stop.

    Academic text (1996)
  • In magnetic disk technology, data is stored and retrieved from specific locations known as data tracks.

  • The hard drive utilizes multiple data tracks to increase its storage capacity and performance.

Synonyms

track
vsdata track
  • Specialized
190 6.5

A circular path on a disk where information is stored

records and stores information on the magnetic disk rather than acting as a guide

Surface Forms

data track singular
data tracks plural

Morphology

data + track

The compound 'data track' is directly compositional: 'data' (information) + 'track' (a path on a disk) yields a path used for storing/reading data. This follows a regular noun-noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Data track comes from the picture of a round disk with many circular rings like the grooves on a record. Each track is a path that holds the data, so data track means 'one circular path on a disk where data is recorded and read'.