Patent · US Active

Disk drive resetting fly height reference generated from a degrading calibration track

US8773802B1 · kind B1 · utility

118Cited by
52References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 10, 2011
Grant dateJul 8, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 17, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/6029
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk and a fly height actuator operable to control a fly height of the head in response to a fly height control signal. A touchdown operation is executed to set an operating fly height control signal by adjusting the fly height control signal until the head contacts the disk. A fly height calibration track is then read to set a fly height reference. When calibrating the operating fly height control signal, the fly height calibration track is read and the operating fly height control signal is adjusted in response to the fly height reference. When the adjusted operating fly height control signal is invalid, the touchdown operation is re-executed to reset the operating fly height control signal and then the fly height calibration track is read to reset the fly height reference.

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