Patent · US Expired

Detecting a mismatch between a head disc assembly and a printed wiring assembly in a disc drive

US6618930B1 · kind B1 · utility

7Cited by
18References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 9, 2000
Grant dateSep 16, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 9, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49036
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for improving the operational performance of a disc drive through the identification of vital product information associated with a head-disc assembly (HDA) of the disc drive. The disc drive comprises a printed wiring assembly (PWA) housing control circuitry for the disc drive. The HDA of the disc drive is operably coupled to the printed wiring assembly and includes a rotatable disc to which data are written by a controllably positionable head. A non-volatile memory device is mounted on the HDA and operably coupled to the PWA so that, when the disc drive is initialized, the PWA verifies the configuration of the HDA before proceeding with the initialization of the disc drive, thereby preventing errors and damage to the disc drive as a result of the installation of a new, replacement PWA in the disc drive, or the downloading of new, incorrect firmware to the PWA.

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