Electronic over stress detector circuit for magnetoresistive devices in data storage devices such as disc drives
US6339380B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 7, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jan 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 7, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B2005/001
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The circuit in accordance with the present invention monitors current signals between the preamplifier and the transducer in a data storage device such as a disc drive utilizing magnetoresistive transducers and/or giant magnetoresistive transducers. The detector circuit includes an amplitude section, a duration section, a frequency section, and an alarm section. The amplitude section has a comparator for detecting when a signal exceeds a predetermined voltage level. The duration section measures the time period that the comparator has an output signal. The frequency section measures the frequency of occurrence of comparator output signals. Each of the sections provides an input to the alarm section which provides an alarm signal condition if the amplitude section magnitude is too high, or the duration times amplitude is too high, or the frequency of occurrences of events is too high.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.