Disk drive emulator and method of use thereof

1. A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the disk drive emulator comprising:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connector is for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body for measuring vibrations imparted by the disk drive testing system to the emulator body, wherein the at least two vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body;

wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 40×10 6 Psi; and

wherein the disk drive emulator is configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot.

2. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 85×10 6 Psi.

3. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body comprises carbon fiber.

4. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

5. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors comprise first and second vibration sensors; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises third and fourth vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from the center of gravity of the emulator body.

6. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors comprise first and second vibration sensors; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises third and fourth vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body and that are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

7. The disk drive emulator of claim 6 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and the center of gravity of the emulator body.

8. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

9. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

10. The disk drive emulator of claim 1 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.

11. A method of validating a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a disk drive emulator and the test slot; and

performing diagnostic testing on the test slot, the diagnostic testing comprising monitoring a vibration level of at least one region of the disk drive emulator;

wherein the disk drive emulator comprises:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connecter is for establishing the connection and for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body, wherein the at least two vibration sensors are for monitoring the vibration level, and wherein the at least vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body;

wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 40×10 6 Psi; and

wherein the disk drive emulator is configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 85×10 6 Psi.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body comprises carbon fiber.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors comprise first and second vibration sensors; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises third and fourth vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from the center of gravity of the emulator body.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors comprise first and second vibration sensors; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises third and fourth vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body and that are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and the center of gravity of the emulator body.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.

21. A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the disk drive emulator comprising:

an emulator body;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body; and

at least one vibration sensor disposed on the emulator body;

wherein the emulator body includes weight receivers configured to each receive a weight.

22. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 85×10 6 Psi.

23. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the emulator body comprises carbon fiber.

24. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

25. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the at least one vibration sensor comprises a first vibration sensor; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises second and third vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body.

26. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the at least one vibration sensor comprises a first vibration sensor; and

wherein the disk drive emulator further comprises second and first, second and third vibration sensors that are disposed on the emulator body and that are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

27. The disk drive emulator of claim 26 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and a center of gravity of the emulator body.

28. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

29. The disk drive emulator of claim 21 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

30. A disk drive testing system comprising:

a test slot; and

a disk drive emulator configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot, the disk drive emulator comprising:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connector is for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body for measuring vibrations imparted by the disk drive testing system to the emulator body.

31. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 85×10 6 Psi.

32. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

33. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body.

34. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

35. The disk drive testing system of claim 34 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and a center of gravity of the emulator body.

36. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

37. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

38. The disk drive testing system of claim 30 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.

39. A method of validating a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a disk drive emulator and the test slot; and

performing diagnostic testing on the test slot, the diagnostic testing comprising monitoring a vibration level of at least one region of the disk drive emulator;

wherein the disk drive testing system comprises:

the test slot; and

the disk drive emulator, wherein the disk drive emulator comprises:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connecter is for establishing the connection and for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body, wherein the at least two vibration sensors are for monitoring the vibration level;

wherein the disk drive emulator is configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot.

40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the emulator body comprises a material having a tensile modulus of at least 85×10 6 Psi.

41. The method of claim 39 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

42. The method of claim 39 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body.

43. The method of claim 39 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and a center of gravity of the emulator body.

45. The method of claim 39 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

46. The method of claim 39 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

47. The method of claim 39 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.

48. A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the disk drive emulator comprising:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connector is for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body for measuring vibrations imparted by the disk drive testing system to the emulator body;

wherein the disk drive emulator is configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot.

49. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body has a height of between about 9.5 mm and about 19 mm.

50. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body comprises carbon fiber.

51. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

52. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body.

53. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

54. The disk drive emulator of claim 53 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and a center of gravity of the emulator body.

55. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

56. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

57. The disk drive emulator of claim 48 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.

58. A method of validating a test slot of a disk drive testing system, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a disk drive emulator and the test slot; and

performing diagnostic testing on the test slot, the diagnostic testing comprising monitoring a vibration level of at least one region of the disk drive emulator;

wherein the disk drive emulator comprises:

an emulator body for insertion into the test slot;

an interface connecter disposed on the emulator body, wherein the interface connecter is for establishing the connection and for providing a mechanical connection point between the emulator body and the test slot when the emulator body is inserted into the test slot; and

at least two vibration sensors disposed on the emulator body, wherein the at least two vibration sensors are for monitoring the vibration level;

wherein the disk drive emulator is configured to emulate a disk drive inserted into the test slot during testing of the test slot.

59. The method of claim 58 , wherein the emulator body has a height of between about 9.5 mm and about 19 mm.

60. The method of claim 58 , wherein the emulator body has a bending mode at greater than about 8 kHz.

61. The method of claim 58 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are disposed on the emulator body equidistantly from a center of gravity of the emulator body.

62. The method of claim 58 , wherein the at least two vibration sensors are spaced about 2 inches (51 mm) along longitudinal and transverse axes defined by the emulator body from an intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

63. The method of claim 62 , wherein the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes coincides with at least one of a geometric center of the emulator body and a center of gravity of the emulator body.

64. The method of claim 58 , wherein the emulator body is substantially rectangular shaped having top and bottom surfaces, a vibration sensor being disposed near each corner of the top and bottom surfaces.

65. The method of claim 58 , wherein the emulator body defines an electronics region, a motor region, and a head region, a vibration sensor being disposed in each region.

66. The method of claim 58 , wherein the emulator body defines at least one weight receiver configured to receive a weight.