Disk drive system controller architecture utilizing embedded real-time diagnostic monitor

A disk drive comprising:

• (a) a disk for storing data in a plurality of concentric tracks on a surface of said disk and within a track band defined by predetermined inner and outer diameter tracks;
• (b) a transducer for reading data from said disk;
• (c) a spin motor, coupled to said disk, for rotating said disk;
• (d) an actuator, coupled to said transducer, for positioning said transducer relative to said tracks;
• and
• (e) control means for providing communication signals to control the commutation of said spin motor and positioning signals to said actuator to control the positioning of the transducer, said control means including a microcontroller for executing a control program and a memory coupled to said microcontroller and providing for the storage of said control program, said memory further providing for the non-volatile storage of initialization data values;
• wherein execution of said control program by said microcontroller provides for performance of a control process for operating said disk drive dependent on a predetermined initialization data value stored by said memory, the performance of said control process further determining a revised initialization data value and replacing said predetermined initialization data value with said revised initialization data value in said memory.

A disk drive system comprising:

• (a) a disk assembly including a disk for storing data in a plurality of concentric tracks, each track including a plurality of sectors, said plurality of concentric tracks being located within a track band on a surface of said disk a transducer for reading data from the disk, a spin motor for rotating the disk in response to a commutation control signal, an actuator for positioning the transducer relative to the disk in response to a position control signal;
• and
• (b) control means for controlling said disk assembly, said control means including a microcontroller, a memory providing for the storage of a control program and initialization data values, said memory being coupled to said microcontroller to allow said microcontroller to execute said control program dependant on said initialization data values, the execution of said control program providing for the performance of a plurality of control processes with respect to each sector as it passes said transducer, said plurality of control processes including a positioning process providing for the generation and provision of said positioning signal to said actuator by said microcontroller, said positioning process determining said position control signal based on a predetermined initialization data value stored in said memory with respect to a predetermined track, said positioning process including a subprocess for determining a revised initialization data value and for storing said revised initialization data value in said memory with respect to said predetermined track.

In a disk drive including a media providing for the storage of data, a spin motor for rotating said media, an actuator for positioning a sensor with respect to a surface of said disk for the transfer of data, a memory for storing a control program and initialization data, a microcontroller dedicated to the control of said disk drive through the execution of said control program and a host computer interface for the transfer of host computer commands and data, an improvement in the control function performed by said microcontroller upon execution of the control program, wherein the improvement comprises:

• means for communicating diagnostic commands and data with said microcontroller independent of said host computer interface;
• and
• a control program providing for the performance of a plurality of control functions with respect to said disk drive in response to the execution of corresponding control processes of said control program, the execution of a first predetermined set of said control processes being responsive to control messages determined by a second predetermined set of control processes, said second predetermined set of control processes including a host interface control process and monitor control process, said host interface control process providing for the issuing of control messages to said first predetermined set of control processes in response to host computer commands and said monitor control process providing for the issuing of control messages to said first predetermined set of control processes in response to diagnostic commands and received from said communicating means.