Floppy

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8-Inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch Floppy Disks
8-Inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch Floppy Disks

The Floppy Disk or disk(ette), is a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic enclosure lined with fabric that removes dust particles. Floppy disks are read and written by a disk(ette) drive.

Diskettes (initially as 8-inch (203 mm) media and later in 5 1⁄4-inch (133 mm) and 3 1⁄2 inch (90 mm) sizes) were a ubiquitous form of data storage and exchange from the mid-1970s into the first years of the 21st century. By 2006 computers were rarely manufactured with installed floppy disk drives; 3 1⁄2-inch floppy disks can be used with an external USB floppy disk drive, but USB drives for 5 1⁄4-inch, 8-inch, and non-standard diskettes are rare to non-existent. These formats are usually handled by older equipment.

Floppy disk drives are seen on several Tektronix instruments like the 3026, 3066, 3086, 2402A Tekmate, 3001GPX, 370 Curve Tracer, 4100-Series Terminals, DSA600, DAS9200, TDS3012, TDS3014, TDS3034, TDS3052, TDS5032, TDS5034, TDS5052, TDS5054, TDS5104, TDS544A, TDS644, TDS684, and TDS784