Servowriter contact torque control

1. A servo writer apparatus for writing servo information to a data storage device having an actuator in a data transfer relationship with a storage medium, the servo writer comprising:

an external positioner configured for contactingly positioning the actuator in relation to the storage medium; and

a contact torque control with executable instructions stored in memory that operably changes the actuator torque in relation to a change in the external positioner torque.

2. The servo writer of claim 1 wherein the contact torque control operably maintains a substantially constant ratio of external positioner torque to actuator torque.

3. The servo writer of claim 2 wherein the contact torque control operably changes a current supplied to a motor driving the actuator in relation to a change in a current supplied to a motor driving the external positioner.

4. The servo writer of claim 3 wherein the contact torque control operably changes the actuator motor current in relation to a predefined correlation between the external positioner motor current and the actuator motor current.

5. The servo writer of claim 4 wherein the contact torque control operably determines the predefined correlation by relating a required steady state external positioner motor current, respectively, to each of a plurality of different actuator motor currents.

6. The servo writer of claim 5 wherein the contact torque control operably commands the external positioner to hold a constant position while determining the predefined correlation.

7. The servo writer of claim 6 wherein the contact torque control operably commands the external positioner to hold two or more different positions while determining the predefined correlation.

8. The servo writer of claim 7 wherein the contact torque control operably defines a first predefined correlation in relation to a first zone of the data storage medium and defines a second predefined correlation in relation to a second zone of the data storage medium.

9. The servo writer of claim 2 wherein at least one of the external positioner and the actuator comprises a resilient contacting engagement surface.

10. The servo writer of claim 9 capable of positioning the actuator at a reference position and writing servo information to the data storage medium.

11. The servo writer of claim 10 capable of writing the servo information in a spiral track while moving away from the reference position.

12. A method comprising:

contactingly engaging an external positioner against an actuator of a data storage device to position the actuator at different locations in relation to a data storage medium of the data storage device;

varying the external positioner torque during the contactingly engaging step; and

varying the actuator torque in relation to changes in the external positioner torque to maintain a substantially constant contact torque.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the varying the actuator torque step comprises maintaining a predetermined ratio of external positioner torque to actuator torque.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the maintaining step comprises correlating a current supplied to a motor driving the external positioner to a current supplied to a motor driving the actuator.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the correlating step comprises commanding the external positioner to hold a constant position.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the correlating step comprises applying a first selected current to the actuator motor and observing a steady state current required by the external positioner motor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the correlating step comprises applying two or more different selected currents to the actuator motor and observing the steady state currents, respectively, required by the external positioner motor.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the correlating step comprises modeling the relationship between the actuator current levels and the respective external positioner steady state current levels.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the correlating step comprises modeling the relationship between the actuator current levels and the respective external positioner steady state current levels at two or more different positions of the external positioner.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the correlating step comprises modeling a first relationship between the actuator current levels and the respective external positioner steady state levels in relation to a first zone of the storage medium, and modeling a second relationship between the actuator current levels and the respective external positioner steady state levels in relation to a second zone of the storage medium.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the correlating step is characterized by one of an empirically determined sample size and a predetermined sample size.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising positioning the actuator at a reference location and writing servo information to the data storage medium at the reference location.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising moving the actuator away from the reference location while writing servo information to the data storage medium.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the varying the actuator torque step is responsive to acceleration of the external positioner.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the servo information is written in a spiral pattern.

26. A servowriter apparatus comprising:

an external positioner that is contactingly engageable with a data storage device to move an actuator in a data transfer relationship with a storage medium; and

means for biasing the actuator against the external positioner to maintain a substantially constant contact torque as variable torque is operably applied to the external positioner.