Granted Patent B2

US 9,093,095 · App. 14/137,418 · Granted Jul 28, 2015

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a media;

a head positioned over the media; and

control circuitry configured to cause a flying height of the head to be adjusted and to cause the head to:

write a first precondition track with a preconditioning pattern on the media the preconditioning pattern written at a flying height that is different from the flying height of the head for writing a data track, and

write the data track on the media at a first inter-track spacing with the head positioned in a first direction from the first precondition track.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to position the head in the first direction by the first inter-track spacing that is less than a data track width.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the head to write a second precondition track on the media at a second inter-track spacing with the head positioned in the first direction from the first inter-track spacing.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the head to form a preconditioned band on the media by the data track written on a portion of the first precondition track.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head includes one of: a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) head and a conventional magnetic recording (CMR) head.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head, including a write transducer, is wider than a data track width.

7. A method of manufacturing an apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a media;

positioning a head over the media; and

configuring a control circuitry includes preparing the head for:

writing a first precondition track with a preconditioning pattern on the media the preconditioning pattern including an alternating current (AC) pattern, and

writing a preconditioned data track on the media at a first inter-track spacing with the head positioned in a first direction from the first precondition track by coupling the preconditioning pattern through the head.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein writing the preconditioned data track on the media at the first inter-track spacing includes moving the head less than a data track width.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

writing a second precondition track on the media with the head positioned at a second inter-track spacing in the first direction from the first inter-track spacing; and

coupling the preconditioning pattern through a single write transducer of the head.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein writing the preconditioned data track includes forming a preconditioned band on a portion of the first precondition track.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein writing the first precondition track includes writing the first precondition track wider than a data track width.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the head comprises one of: a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) head and a conventional magnetic recording (CMR) head.

13. A method of operating an apparatus, the method comprising:

positioning a head over a media;

adjusting a flying height of the head for writing a preconditioning pattern at a flying height that is different from the flying height of the head for writing user data;

writing a first precondition track with the preconditioning pattern on the media; and

writing a data track on the media with the user data at a first inter-track spacing in a first direction from the first precondition track.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 writing the data track includes moving the head less than a data track width.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising writing a second preconditioned track on the media with the head positioned at a second inter-track spacing in the first direction from the first inter-track spacing and coupling the preconditioning pattern through a single write transducer of the head.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein writing the data track includes forming a preconditioned band on a portion of the first precondition track.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein writing the first precondition track includes writing the first precondition track wider than a data track width.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein writing the first precondition track with the preconditioning pattern includes writing an alternating current (AC) pattern.

19. A method of operating an apparatus, the method comprising:

determining, based on an environmental variable related to the apparatus, whether to precondition a media in the apparatus; and

in response to determining that preconditioning of the media should be performed:

positioning a head over the media which includes adjusting a flying height of the head for writing a preconditioning pattern at a flying height that is different from the flying height of the head for writing user data,

writing a first precondition track with the preconditioning pattern on the media, and

writing a data track on the media with the user data at a first inter-track spacing in a first direction from the first precondition track.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein determining whether to precondition the media includes examining an override flag, conditioned based on the environmental variable, for controlling the precondition.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein examining the override flag, conditioned based on the environmental variable, includes preventing writing the first precondition track based on the condition of the override flag being set.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein examining the override flag, conditioned based on the environmental variable, includes allowing writing the first precondition track based on the condition of the override flag being reset.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the environmental variable related to the apparatus comprises one of more of: the flying height, a current temperature, an altitude, or a relative humidity.

Assignments (9)