Predicting disc drive acoustic sound power from mechanical vibration

Abstract

A method includes selecting a subset of predictive frequencies from a set of disc drive frequencies consisting essentially of operational driving frequencies in the disc drive and system resonance frequencies in the disc drive. Correlation constants are determined that correlate sound power to mechanical vibration magnitudes at each of the frequencies in the subset of predictive frequencies. The method further includes acquiring mechanical vibration data from the disc drive while operating the disc drive and determining predictive vibration magnitudes at each of the frequencies in the subset of predictive frequencies from the mechanical vibration data. Finally, the method includes determining an estimated acoustic sound power value for the disc drive from the determined correlation constants and the predictive vibration magnitudes. A testing system determines an estimated acoustic sound power value for a subject disc drive from predetermined correlation constants and vibration magnitudes.

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