Actuators for an elevator drive

A data storage device comprising:

• a base;
• a shaft having an end coupled to the base, the shaft extending perpendicular from the base;
• a head stack assembly (HSA) having an upper actuator arm to which a down-facing head is coupled and a lower actuator arm to which an up-facing head is coupled, the down-facing head and the up-facing head being at a first end of the HSA, and a second end of the HSA being movably mounted on the shaft;
• a data storage medium an upper surface with which the down-facing head is configured to interact and a lower surface with which the up-facing head is configured to interact;
• an elevator configured to move the HSA along the shaft to position the HSA proximate to the data storage medium;
• and
• an optical feedback system comprising at least one optical transmitter and at least one optical receiver, with at least a portion of the optical feedback system coupled to the upper actuator arm and the lower actuator arm such that optical signals transmitted by the at least one optical transmitter are detected by the at least one optical receiver when the elevator positions the upper actuator arm and the lower actuator arm at a predetermined location relative to the data storage medium,
• wherein the transmitted optical signals are either reflected by the data storage medium or obstructed by the data storage medium.