Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for reducing spindle power and acoustic noise in a disk drive

US5886489A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
26References
39Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 4, 1996
Grant dateMar 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 4, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02P6/14
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for reducing spindle power and acoustic noise in a self-commutating brushless d.c. motor for a disk drive adjusts the commutation angle of the motor until a point of optimum power consumption is reached. In a preferred approach implemented during disk drive operation, a direction in which to change the commutation angle is determined such that spindle power consumption is decreased. The commutation angle is the changed in the determined direction until a point of minimum spindle power consumption is identified. In order to determine the correct direction of commutation angle change, the commutation angle is varied in a first direction for so long as the spindle power consumption is decreasing. If varying the commutation angle of the motor in the first direction results in an increase in spindle power consumption, the commutation angle of the motor is varied in a second direction. During drive operation, the commutation angle may be varied back and forth in order to maintain the point of minimum spindle power consumption. The apparatus and method also minimizes torque ripple by determining a drive torque profile and storing that profile in memory as a table o…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.