System and method for adaptive soft head loading of disk drive head onto disk medium
US6590731B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B21/12
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A head loading apparatus and method for a disk drive device adapts the head load characteristics of a disk drive in order to minimize the velocity of the heads during loading of the heads onto the surface of a data storage medium. The apparatus is characterized by attempting to load the heads onto engagement with a medium, determining whether the heads actually load, measuring the head load velocity, and adjusting the load characteristics of the drive based on the measured head load velocity. Preferably, the pulse width of the loading current applied to the actuator of the drive is adaptive, either increasingly or decreasingly, in response to the measured head load velocity. This adaptive soft head load characteristic of the drive allows the head load velocity to be minimizes to a velocity sufficient to move the read-write heads off of a load ramp and onto the surface of a data storage medium without damaging the head, the medium, or both.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.