System and method for terminal short detection
US6489779B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 3, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 6, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/455
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Shorts are detected in terminals fed current by a driver connected to the terminals. To detect terminal-to-ground shorts, at least one virtual driver is connected to the driver for processing an output of the driver, and a detector detects if a short has occurred, based on an output of the virtual driver, by detecting when an output of the virtual driver exceeds a first threshold. If the detector detects that the output of the virtual driver has exceeded the first threshold, this indicates a terminal-to-ground short. To detect terminal-to-terminals shorts, a detector detects when an output of the driver drops below a second threshold. If the detector detects that the output of the driver has dropped below the second threshold, this indicates a terminal-to-terminal short. Shorts may be detected in terminals in one or more write heads. The driver, virtual driver, and detector may be included in a preamplifier. Detecting shorts in this manner avoids the loss of data without impeding performance of the write driver.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.