US 4,979,056 AGranted

Disk drive system controller architecture

AssigneeConner Peripherals, Inc.

InventorsJohn P. Squires, Thomas A. Fiers, Louis J. Shrinkle

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Abstract

The control system manages the storage and retrieval of data with respect to a rotating media, wherein an actuator is utilized in the selection of data for storage and retrieval. The control system includes a low level media control circuit that permits the selection of the rotational position of the rotating media and an actuator control circuit that permits the selection of the position of the actuator with respect to the rotating media. A system controller is utilized to direct the operation of the low level media and actuator control circuits whereby the system controller specifies and adjusts, in real time, the incremental selection of the rotational position of the rotating media and the position of the actuator with respect to the rotating media. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system controller is a programmable microcontroller operating in closed loop, event driven response to the occurrence of control information and data stored by the rotating media so that all essential operation required for the successful storage and retrieval of data with respect to the rotating media are performed concurrently and in real time by the microcontroller.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A disk drive architecture providing for the controlled storage and transfer of data with respect to a host, said architecture comprising:

(a) a disk for storing data in respective sectors at a surface of said disk, each sector including sector information;
(b) means for rotating said disk in response to spin signals that determine the direction and rotational rate of said disk, said rotating means including means, responsive to spin data values, for providing said spin signals to said rotating means;
(c) means for positioning a head with respect to the surface of said disk for reading and writing data, said positioning means including actuator means, responsive to a positioning signal, for moving said head with respect to the surface of said disk and means for converting an actuator data value into said positioning signal;
(d) sector means, coupled to said head, for recovering sector information from the sectors on the surface of said disk, said sector means including means for converting said sector information to sector data values including a sector mark signal;
and
(e) a microcontroller for successively executing a plurality of control processes including sector, spin, and actuator control processes, wherein said spin and actuator control processes respectively provide said spin data values and actuator data values to said rotating means and positioning means, wherein said microcontroller includes timing means, responsive to a plurality of timing control data values, for initiating the execution of said sector, spin and actuator control processes by said microcontroller, and wherein said microcontroller, in response to said sector data values determines and provides said timing control data values to said timing means such that said spin and actuator control processes are initiated at respective predetermined periods after receipt of said sector mark signal by said microcontroller and said sector control process is initiated a predetermined period in advance of the calculated occurrence of the next said sector mark signal.

3 more elements

A control system providing for the storage of data on a rotating media, wherein an actuator is utilized in the selection of data for storage and retrieval with respect to said media and wherein data is transferred between said control system and a host, said control system comprising:

(a) media control means for selecting a rotational position of said rotating media;
(b) actuator control means for selecting a position of said actuator with respect to said rotating media;
(c) data channel means for transferring data with respect to said rotating media to effect storage and retrieval of data;
(d) interface means for communicating data to and from the host;
and
(e) system control means for controlling the immediate operation of said media control means, said actuator control means and said data channel means and for directing the operation of said interface means in real time, said system control means including a single microcontroller and wherein said microcontroller implements real-time media, actuator and data channel control processes to control the immediate operation of said media control means, said actuator control means and said data channel means.

3 more elements

Apparatus for controlling the storage and retrieval of data on concentric tracks of respective pluralities of sectors in a media in response to a host, said apparatus comprising:

(a) actuator means for selecting a track of said media for the storage and retrieval of data;
and
(b) data channel means for transferring data with respect to said media to effect data storage and retrieval;
(c) interface means for transferring data between said data channel means and said host;
and
(d) control means for controlling said actuator means, said data channel means and said interface means, said control means including timing means for providing first and second periodic task selection signals to initiate respective active control of said timing means and said actuator means by said control means, said control means being responsive to said data channel means for determining the beginning of said sectors, wherein said control means periodically adjusts the period of said first and second periodic task selection signals with respect to the beginning of said sectors, and wherein said timing means provides said first periodic task selection signal before the expected beginning of each of said sectors and said second periodic task selection signal following beginning of each of said sectors, said control means further including means for executing tasks, wherein said control means initiates execution of sector and actuator control tasks in response to said first and second periodic task selection signals, respectively, said sector task providing for the detection of said sector mark and for adjusting said timing means for the provision of said first and second periodic task selection signals.

3 more elements

Apparatus for the controlled storage of data on a media in a plurality of sectors and a sector mark is associated with the beginning of each said sector, said apparatus comprising:

(a) spin means for rotating said media, said spin means including latched driver means for storing a spin position value and causing a corresponding rotational acceleration force to be applied to said media;
(b) actuator means for positioning a head sensor with respect to said media, said actuator means including a voice coil driver for electro-mechanically pivoting said actuator means, said actuator means further including positioning means for storing an actuator position value and causing said voice coil driver to apply a corresponding pivoting force to said actuator means;
(c) means for detecting said sector marks, said detecting means providing a sector mark signal;
and
(d) control means for providing respective series of spin and actuator position values to said spin means and said actuator means, said control means including a microcontroller executing a repeating series of time-based scheduled tasks wherein a first task provides for the determination and provision of said spin position values to said spin means and a second task provides for the determination and provision of said actuator position values to said actuator means, said control means further including timing means, responsive to said detecting means, for scheduling execution of said first and second tasks by said microcontroller at respective predetermined time periods following detection of each said sector mark.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/057,289Filed 2 Jun 1987
Granted: 18 Dec 1990
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G11B 19/20
Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of…:…
G11B 19/02
Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of…:…
G11B 27/3027
On the same track as the main recording: used signal is digitally coded
G11B 2020/1282
Servo information: in embedded servo fields