Abstract:
A method of calibrating magnetoresistive (MR) head geometry for a product head (112) in a selfservo writing disc drive (100) includes the steps (305) of writing a first burst at an inner diameter of a disc surface using the write head of the product head. Next, the first burst is read using the MR read head of the product head, and a first read amplitude of the first burst is determined (310). From the first read amplitude of the first burst, it is determined which one of a multiple different sets of subsequent inner diameter steps to perform (315). Then, the one of the multiple different sets of subsequent inner diameter steps is performed (320) to determine a read head width (206), a write head width (210), and a read-write offset (215) between the read head and the write head.
Abstract:
A rigid disk drive information storage device (1, 4) includes a rigid disk (10) having an outside diameter of about 33-34 mm, with a housing having a footprint with a width of about 35 mm and utilizing a rotary actuator (15) for positioning read/write recording elements (5) across the surface of the disk (10). The disk storage devices (1, 4) includes a footprint with length of about 50.8 mm, and includes in one embodiment dynamic head loading apparatus for loading the read/write recording elements (5) into operative relationship with the disk (10). In another embodiment the rigid disk drive (1, 4) utilizes contact start stop loading and unloading of the read/write recording elements (5). An inertial latch (16) prevents rotation of the actuator (15) when the drive (1, 4) is subjected to a rotational force. Back electromotive force generated by spin motor windings is used during power down to unload the read/write recording elements (5) from the disk surface and latch the actuator (15) in parked position.
Abstract:
A disk apparatus comprising an MR (magneto-resistive) element as a reproduction element, and a disk including a servo-region and a data region. This apparatus is intended to prevent a reproduction error resulting from protuberances occurring on the disk, or a reproduction error of a so-called "thermal asperity", and particularly a read error of a start bit of a grey code by the thermal asperity occurring immediately before the grey code in the servo-region, and detects an erase region. In the construction of the present invention, a channel circuit includes a hysteresis comparator, which forms a servo-pattern so that the polarity of a reproduction signal of a start bit in the beginning of the grey code becomes opposite to the polarity of the signal generated by the MR element by the thermal asperity and alternately detects or reads signals of opposite polarities. As a result, error signals resulting from the thermal asperity are not read to prevent reproduction errors.
Abstract:
A technique for writing a servo-pattern on a storage medium (12a) located in a recording device (10) having an internal recording head (14a). A timing pattern is generated on the storage medium (12a) with the internal recording head (14a) and a radial positioning value is determined in order to radially position the internal recording head (14a). The servo-pattern is written using the internal recording head (14a) at locations determined by the timing pattern and the radial positioning value.
Abstract:
A method for optimizing data transfer performance (200) in a disc drive (100) through selection of optimal reader/writer offsets (280, 300) and write fault thresholds (284, 286, 302, 304). During a reader/writer offset calibration operation (222), an initial offset (294) for a selected track (174, 270) is determined as the radial distance between read and write elements (224, 226) of a head (118) as the head is positioned adjacent the selected track. A write threshold analysis (258) selects asymmetric write fault thresholds (296, 298) on opposing sides of the center of the selected track in relation to the ability of the read element to successfully recover data written to the track. The initial offset is adjusted (278) by an adjustment value determined in relation to the asymmetry of the write fault thresholds, and final write fault thresholds are selected (282) to be symmetric about the center of the selected track.
Abstract:
A disk drive system for a PC includes a rotatable magnetic storage disk (10) and a read/write arm (12) having a reading/writing head (14). During manufacture, servo control tracks are written onto the surface of the disk (10) by means of an external servo writing system including a control arm (40) independently pivotable by means of a motor/encoder unit (50). The control arm has a null sensor (80) which detects the relative displacement of the read/write arm (12) and control arm (40). The control arm (40) has a relatively high inertial mass, whereas the read/write arm has a low inertial mass. Servo control tracks are written by moving the control arm (40) continuously across the surface of the disk. Servo control card (70) receives output signals from the encoder (50) and null sensor (80), and instructs the hard disk control electronics (30) to move the read/write arm (12) into register with the control arm (40) at the instant the control arm (40) lies in register with a region of the disk on which it is desired to write a servo control track (because the read/write arm (12) has a low inertial mass it is moved much more rapidly than the control arm (40)). The read/write arm (12) is then maintained in its position relative to the disk (the servo control card using the output of the null sensor for this purpose), and a servo control track is written. The control arm (40) continues to traverse the disk during writing of the track, and when the track has been written the read/write arm (12) is once again moved rapidly into register with the control arm (40) at the location at which the next servo control track is to be written.
Abstract:
A system (110) and method for performing a combined media certification and servo data writing function is disclosed. The system and method include mounting a plurality of media, such as hard disks (121), to a spindle (120) and using at least one positioner (117) to move multiple read write heads (113) over disk surfaces according to multiple specific aspects of the invention. One aspect of the invention comprises performing certification on a first pass, writing servo pattern data on a second pass, and verifying servo data on a third pass over the media. The system may require high performance read/write heads, writing of coherent patterns in addition to servo patterns, use of multiple positioners, and additional hardware to perform the joint certification and servowriting function.
Abstract:
During self-servowriting, burst information is written within slots defined on tracks of a recording medium. In writing the burst information, write to read interference, caused by large offsets in separate read and write elements of a recording transducer, is to be avoided. In order to avoid the write to read interference, the slots are carefully chosen. The choice of a particular slot can be independent of any predefined order, such as a successive order. Further, the order in which slots are chosen may be altered during the propagation process.
Abstract:
The present invention proposes a new servo track writing technique called Extended Copying with Head Offset ("ECHO"). The read and write elements of the read/write head are offset from each other. A servo writer writes a guide pattern on the magnetic media disc. ZAP correction factors are added to the guide pattern. The head disc assembly is then connected to an electrical control system for self-propagating servo writing. The actuator arm is displaced until the read head is aligned over the guide pattern. A new servo track is written by the write element. ZAP correction factors are added to the newly written servo track. The actuator arm is displaced until the read element is aligned with the newly written servo track. A new servo track is written. ZAP correction factors are added to the newly written servo track. The process is repeated until a desired number of servo tracks are written.