IP Library Granted Patent US 7,542,225
Granted Patent B1
US 7,542,225 · App. 11/601,268 · Granted Jun 2, 2009

Disk drive idle mode responsive to flex circuit cable bias changes

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,542,225
App. No.
11/601,268
Granted
Jun 2, 2009
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed is disk drive comprising an actuator including a head, a disk having a plurality of tracks, and a processor to control the movement of the actuator and the head relative to the disk. The processor is coupled to the actuator by a flex circuit cable. The processor commands the application of a pre-calibrated bias signal to the actuator during an idle mode to compensate for a bias force imparted by the flex circuit cable upon the actuator such that the head is maintained proximate a pre-determined track of the disk within a pre-determined idle zone of tracks and further determines if a back electromagnetic force (BEMF) reading associated with the actuator is greater than the threshold value, and if so, commands an exit out of the idle mode.

Claims (27)

1. A disk drive comprising:

an actuator including a head;

a disk having a plurality of tracks; and

a processor to control the movement of the actuator and the head relative to the disk, the processor being coupled to the actuator by a flex circuit cable, the processor to:

command the application of a pre-calibrated bias signal to the actuator during an idle mode to compensate for a bias force imparted by the flex circuit cable upon the actuator such that the head is maintained proximate a pre-determined track of the disk within a pre-determined idle zone of tracks; and

determine if a back electromagnetic force (BEMF) reading associated with the actuator is greater than a threshold value, and if so, exiting the idle mode.

2. The disk drive of claim 1 , further comprising a pre-amplifier to provide power to the head, wherein entering the idle mode includes powering-off the pre-amplifier.

3. The disk drive of claim 1 , further comprising a pre-amplifier to provide power to the head, wherein exiting the idle mode includes powering-on the pre-amplifier.

4. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein, after exiting the idle mode, the processor determines the track at which the head is located.

5. The disk drive of claim 4 , wherein if the track at which the head is located is outside of the pre-determined idle zone of tracks, the processor re-calibrates the bias signal for the flex circuit cable.

6. The disk drive of claim 5 , wherein the processor re-calibrates the bias signal for the flex circuit cable to account for temperature changes associated with the flex circuit cable.

7. The disk drive of claim 5 , wherein the processor re-enters the idle mode.

8. The disk drive of claim 4 , wherein if the track at which the head is located is within the pre-determined idle zone of tracks, the BEMF reading is re-calibrated.

9. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the processor re-enters the idle mode.

10. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined idle zone of tracks is located between a middle diameter (MD) of the disk and an inner diameter (ID) of the disk.

11. In a disk drive including a disk having a plurality of tracks and an actuator including a head, the actuator being coupled to circuitry of the disk drive by a flex circuit cable, a method to adaptively adjust for flex bias change in the flex circuit cable comprising:

applying a pre-calibrated bias signal to the actuator during an idle mode to compensate for a bias force imparted by the flex circuit cable upon the actuator such that the head is maintained proximate a pre-determined track of the disk within a pre-determined idle zone of tracks; and

determining if a back electromagnetic force (BEMF) reading associated with the actuator is greater than a threshold value, and if so, exiting the idle mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein entering the idle mode comprises powering-off a pre-amplifier that provides power to the head.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein exiting the idle mode comprises powering-on a pre-amplifier that provides power to the head.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after exiting the idle mode, determining the track at which the head is located.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, determining if the track at which the head is located is outside of the pre-determined idle zone of tracks, and if so, re-calibrating the bias signal for the flex circuit cable.

16. The method claim 15 , wherein the bias signal for the flex circuit cable is re-calibrated to account for temperature changes associated with the flex circuit cable.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, re-entering the idle mode.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, determining if the track at which the head is located is within the pre-determined idle zone of tracks, and if so, re-calibrating the BEMF reading.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, re-entering the idle mode.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-determined idle zone of tracks is located between a middle diameter (MD) of the disk and an inner diameter (ID) of the disk.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 038744 FRAME 0481 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058982/0556 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 045501/0714 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038722/0229 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0281 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2016
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038744/0481 →