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{{Infobox computer peripheral
| name          = Tandon TM100-1
| image        = [[File:Tandon TM100-1 placeholder.png|260px]]
| caption      = Tandon TM100-1, full-height 5.25" single-sided 160 KB / 180 KB floppy drive
| manufacturer  = Tandon Corporation
| type          = Full-height 5.25" floppy disk drive (single-sided, 48 TPI)
| release_date  = 1981
| discontinued  = ~1983
| interface    = Shugart-style 34-pin
| compatible    = [[IBM PC (5150)]] (early units), [[Apple II]], S-100 systems
| dimensions    = 146 mm W × 203 mm D × 82 mm H (full-height 5.25")
| weight        = ~1.4 kg
| media        = 5.25" SS DD diskette, 48 TPI, 40 tracks
| storage      = 160 KB (PC DOS 1.0, 8 sectors/track); 180 KB (PC DOS 2.0+, 9 sectors/track)
| model        = TM100-1
}}
The '''Tandon TM100-1''' is a full-height 5.25" single-sided double-density (SS DD) floppy disk drive, 48 tracks-per-inch (TPI), 40 tracks per side, supplied as the original drive in the first batch of [[IBM PC (5150)]]s and as the standard drive in some [[Apple II]] and S-100 systems of the same era. It stores 160 KB per disk under PC DOS 1.0 (180 KB under PC DOS 2.0+).
The '''Tandon TM100-1''' is a full-height 5.25" single-sided double-density (SS DD) floppy disk drive, 48 tracks-per-inch (TPI), 40 tracks per side, supplied as the original drive in the first batch of [[IBM PC (5150)]]s and as the standard drive in some [[Apple II]] and S-100 systems of the same era. It stores 160 KB per disk under PC DOS 1.0 (180 KB under PC DOS 2.0+).



Revision as of 10:07, 21 May 2026

Tandon TM100-1
File:Tandon TM100-1 placeholder.png
Tandon TM100-1, full-height 5.25" single-sided 160 KB / 180 KB floppy drive
Manufacturer Tandon Corporation
Type Full-height 5.25" floppy disk drive (single-sided, 48 TPI)
Release date 1981
Discontinued ~1983
Interface Shugart-style 34-pin
Compatible IBM PC (5150) (early units), Apple II, S-100 systems
Dimensions 146 mm W × 203 mm D × 82 mm H (full-height 5.25")
Weight ~1.4 kg
Model TM100-1
Storage 160 KB (PC DOS 1.0, 8 sectors/track); 180 KB (PC DOS 2.0+, 9 sectors/track)
Media 5.25" SS DD diskette, 48 TPI, 40 tracks

The Tandon TM100-1 is a full-height 5.25" single-sided double-density (SS DD) floppy disk drive, 48 tracks-per-inch (TPI), 40 tracks per side, supplied as the original drive in the first batch of IBM PC (5150)s and as the standard drive in some Apple II and S-100 systems of the same era. It stores 160 KB per disk under PC DOS 1.0 (180 KB under PC DOS 2.0+).

Specifications

  • Form factor: 5.25" full-height (1.6").
  • Heads: 1 (single-sided).
  • Tracks per inch: 48.
  • Tracks per side: 40.
  • Encoding: MFM, 250 kbit/s.
  • Unformatted capacity: 250 KB.
  • Formatted capacity: 160 KB (PC DOS 1.0, 8 sectors/track) or 180 KB (PC DOS 2.0+, 9 sectors/track).
  • Stepper motor: four-phase, 6 ms step time.

The TM100-1 has the same mechanics as the double-sided Tandon TM100-2 but only one read/write head. Visually the drives are nearly identical; the TM100-1 is identified by its single-head carriage and by the part-number label on the rear.

Common Faults

  • Drive belt failure — the rubber belt between the spindle motor and the spindle hub stretches or breaks. Replacement belts are inexpensive and the drive cannot be operated without one.
  • Stepper grease drag — the head-positioner lead screw is lubricated with grease that hardens over decades, preventing the heads from stepping cleanly. Clean with isopropyl alcohol; re-lubricate with white lithium grease.
  • Dirty heads — the single head needs cleaning with a foam swab and isopropyl alcohol every few hundred disk reads in regular use.
  • Track 0 sensor failure — the optical sensor that detects track 0 gets dusty; clean with isopropyl alcohol.

Disk Compatibility

A TM100-1 can read single-sided disks written by any other 48-TPI MFM 40-track drive. It cannot read double-sided disks at all (it has no second head), and it cannot read 96-TPI 80-track disks (the head and stepper increment are different).