Patent · US Expired

Write head driver circuit and method for writing to a memory disk

US6504666B1 · kind B1 · utility

14Cited by
16References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 30, 2000
Grant dateJan 7, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 11, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2005/0013
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and circuit are disclosed for controlling the write head of a magnetic disk storage device. The circuit includes a pull-up device and a current sink circuits coupled to each terminal of the write head, for selectively sourcing current to and sinking current from the write head, respectively. A clamp device is coupled to each write head terminal to selectively clamp the write head terminals to steady state intermediate voltage levels. The circuit further includes a control circuit for individually activating the pull-up devices, the current sink circuits and the clamp devices. In particular, when reversing the direction of current flow through the write head from a first direction in which current is provided to the write head via the write head terminal to a second direction in which current is drawn from the write head from the write head terminal, the appropriate pull-up device is activated for a predetermined period of time. The clamp device coupled to the temporarily activated pull-up device is thereafter activated to clamp the corresponding write head terminals to the steady state intermediate voltage levels.

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