Granted Patent B2

US 7,583,466 · App. 11/940,894 · Granted Sep 1, 2009

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A disk drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors and a plurality of servo sectors;

a spindle motor for rotating the disk;

a head actuated radially over the disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) heater; and

control circuitry operable to select an operating control setting for the DFH heater by:

positioning the head over one of the tracks;

measuring a first rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors;

adjusting the control setting for the DFH heater;

measuring a second rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors; and

detecting whether the head has contacted the disk in response to the first and second rotation times.

2. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises measuring a wedge-to-wedge time representing a time period between two of the servo sectors.

3. The disk drive as recited in claim 2 , wherein the wedge-to-wedge time is measured by evaluating a control signal applied to a phase-locked loop.

4. The disk drive as recited in claim 2 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises measuring multiple wedge-to-wedge times for multiple of the servo sectors.

5. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the disk rotation time comprises a sinusoidal component and the control circuitry is further operable to compensate for the sinusoidal component.

6. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises switches for driving the spindle motor, and the control circuitry is further operable to tristate the switches while measuring the first and second rotation times.

7. The disk drive as recited in claim 6 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises computing a slope of the rotation times.

8. The disk drive as recited in claim 7 , wherein detecting whether the head has contacted the disk comprises comparing the slope of the rotation times to a threshold.

9. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to select the operating control setting for the DFH heater in response to the adjusted control settings.

10. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to select at least two different operating control settings for the DFH heater corresponding to at least a first track and a second track.

11. The disk drive as recited in claim 10 , wherein:

the tracks form a plurality of zones on the disk;

the first track is in a first zone; and

the second track is in a second zone.

12. A method of operating a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors and a plurality of servo sectors, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, and a head actuated radially over the disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) heater, the method comprising:

positioning the head over one of the tracks;

measuring a first rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors;

adjusting the control setting for the DFH heater;

measuring a second rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors; and

detecting whether the head has contacted the disk in response to the first and second rotation times.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises measuring a wedge-to-wedge time representing a time period between two of the servo sectors.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the wedge-to-wedge time is measured by evaluating a control signal applied to a phase-locked loop.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises measuring multiple wedge-to-wedge times for multiple of the servo sectors.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the disk rotation time comprises a sinusoidal component, further comprising compensating for the sinusoidal component.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the disk drive further comprises switches for driving the spindle motor, and further comprising tristating the switches while measuring the first and second rotation times.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein measuring the first and second rotation times comprises computing a slope of the rotation times.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein detecting whether the head has contacted the disk comprises comparing the slope of the rotation times to a threshold.

20. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising selecting the operating control setting for the DFH heater in response to the adjusted control settings.

21. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising selecting at least two different operating control settings for the DFH heater corresponding to at least a first track and a second track.

22. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein:

the tracks form a plurality of zones on the disk;

the first track is in a first zone; and

the second track is in a second zone.

23. A disk drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors and a plurality of servo sectors;

a spindle motor for rotating the disk;

a head actuated radially over the disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) heater; and

a means for positioning the head over one of the tracks;

a means for measuring a first rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors;

a means for adjusting the control setting for the DFH heater;

a means for measuring a second rotation time of the disk in response to at least one of the servo sectors; and

a means for detecting whether the head has contacted the disk in response to the first and second rotation times.

Assignments (6)