Applying a pre-erase or pre-condition field to a hard disk before writing data to the hard disk
A pattern is pre-written using a pre-erase or pre-conditioning magnetic field applied within at least part of a target track of a hard disk via a first write transducer prior to the target track being written. Subsequent to the pre-writing, target user data is written to the part of the target track.
1. A method, comprising:
detecting an event during field operation of a hard drive that causes at least part of a track of the hard drive to be selected for pre-erase or preconditioning;
in response to the event, pre-writing a pattern using a pre-erase or pre-conditioning magnetic field applied within at least part of the selected track via a first write transducer prior to the selected track being written; and
subsequent to the pre-writing, writing target user data over the pattern pre-written to the part of the selected track.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the event comprises an idle time of the hard drive.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises an AC erase pattern.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-writing comprises writing the target user data to one or more adjacent tracks proximate the selected track.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target user data is written to the part of the selected track via the first write transducer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target user data is written to the part of the selected track via a second write transducer.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second write transducer is located on the same head as the first write transducer.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second write transducer is located on the same head-gimbal assembly as the first write transducer.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second write transducer is moved via a second arm different from a first arm that moves the first write transducer, the first and second arms configured to independently and simultaneously access a same surface of the hard disk.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected track of the hard drive is included in a region of a disk of the hard drive susceptible to write errors due to weak fields produced by the write transducer, wherein other regions of the disk are not pre-written.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a write command to write the target user data to the selected track, wherein the pre-writing is performed in response to the write command.
12. A method comprising:
receiving a write command to write target user data to a target track of a hard disk;
pre-writing a pattern using a pre-erase or pre-conditioning magnetic field applied to an adjacent track proximate the target track via a first write transducer prior to the target track being written; and
subsequent to the pre-writing, writing the target user data to the part of the target track.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a copy of the target user data.
14. An apparatus comprising:
interface circuitry operable to communicate with a first write transducer of the apparatus that applies a magnetic field to a hard disk of the apparatus; and
a controller coupled to the interface circuitry and operable to:
detect an event during field operation of the apparatus that causes at least part of a track of the hard drive to be selected for pre-erase or preconditioning;
in response to the event, pre-write a pattern using a pre-erase or pre-conditioning magnetic field applied within at least part of the selected track of the hard disk via the first write transducer prior to the selected track being written; and
subsequent to the pre-writing, write target user data to the part of the selected track.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the target user data is written to the part of the selected track via the first write transducer.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the target user data is written to the part of the selected track via a second write transducer of the apparatus that is coupled to the interface circuitry.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second write transducer is located on the same head-gimbal assembly as the first write transducer.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second write transducer is located on a second arm of the apparatus different from a first arm that moves the first write transducer, the first and second arms operable to independently and simultaneously access a same surface of the hard disk.
19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the selected track of the hard disk is included in a region of the hard disk susceptible to write errors due to weak fields produced by the write transducer, wherein other regions of the disk are not pre-written before being written.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-erase or pre-conditioning magnetic field is applied over previously written user data on the part of the selected track.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a direct offline scan procedure.