Head instability recovery method for a disk drive
US5940234A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 8, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 8, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B2005/0008
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of recovering a read/write head in a metastable state employs a retry algorithm which uses a combinatorial approach, i.e., parameters are altered step-by-step, and the retry algorithm is operational for a predetermined time. The method also employs an auxiliary write operation that utilizes a predetermined spare data sector on a track, another sector of which includes data. In this spare data sector, the corrective write/cycling operation can occur without requiring any seek operations and without overwriting of prerecorded data. In addition, the present method may include the step of moving the arm on which the head is mounted to a remote or crash position relative to a magnetic medium such as a disk, and, if so chosen, forcing a write operation with the head in that position.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.