Data storage device with recording head failure prediction and mitigation

A data storage device configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) comprising:

• a magnetic storage medium;
• one or more recording heads configured to write data to and read data from the magnetic storage medium;
• and
• one or more processing devices or components, configured individually or in combination, to predict and mitigate recording head failure by:
• monitoring multiple thermal condition parameters of the one or more recording heads during operation;
• analyzing the thermal condition parameters using a machine learning model;
• generating survival probability scores for the one or more recording heads;
• and
• implementing one or more corrective actions based on the generated survival probability scores to mitigate a likelihood of failure and extend an operational lifetime of the one or more recording heads.

A method for predicting and mitigating recording head failure in a data storage device, the method comprising:

• monitoring thermal condition parameters of one or more recording heads during operation;
• analyzing the thermal condition parameters to identify conditions indicating a likelihood of failure of the one or more recording heads, wherein the analyzing is performed by at least one of:
• a simple model that compares the thermal condition parameters to predefined thresholds;
• and
• a machine learning model trained to predict time-to-failure of the one or more recording heads based on the thermal condition parameters;
• and
• implementing one or more corrective actions to mitigate the likelihood of failure and extend an operational lifetime of the one or more recording heads.