Loop-back circuit for testing a magnetic recording system with simultaneous read and write functions
AssigneeTrace Mountain Products, Inc.
InventorsRay Y. Yokoyama, Gerald L. Pressman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a magnetic recording system, a loop-back test circuit provides a technique to test a magnetic recording head, a read circuit, and a write circuit to a read-write head, is sensed through the voltage generated at the head by the test current, such that a small voltage portion of the test signal is transferred through a resistor toga read circuit. The voltage portion is then filtered through a capacitor to form detectable peaks such that the read signal is generated with pulses corresponding to the peaks.
Claims11
A method for testing a magnetic recording system that includes at least a read circuit, at least a write circuit, and at least a magnetic recording head, and a controller coupled to the magnetic recording system for receiving a write data, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating a write signal in the write circuit in response to the write data received thereby, the write data containing a plurality of bits;
- supplying the write signal to the magnetic recording head to produce a head signal;
- attenuating the head signal to include a plurality of detectable peaks;
- generating a read signal by transferring a portion of the head signal into the read circuit to produce a read data containing a plurality of bits corresponding to the plurality of detectable peaks;
- comparing the plurality of bits in the read data to the plurality of bits in the write data to test the read circuit, the write circuit, and the magnetic recording head, to indicate proper functioning of the magnetic recording system if the plurality of bits in the write data match the plurality of bits in the read data.
A method for testing a magnetic recording device having at least a read circuit, at least a write circuit, and at least a magnetic recording head, a controller coupled to the magnetic recording head for receiving a write data, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating the write signal in the write circuit in response to a plurality of bits in a write data received thereby;
- supplying the write signal to the magnetic recording head to produce a head signal;
- transferring a portion of the head signal to the read circuit;
- generating from the head a read signal containing a read data including a plurality of bits;
- and
- comparing the plurality of bits in the read data to the plurality of bits in the write data to test the read circuit, the write circuit, and the magnetic recording head, to indicate proper functioning of the magnetic recording system if the plurality of bits in the read data match the plurality of bits in the write data.
Apparatus for testing a magnetic recording system comprising:
- a read circuit;
- a magnetic recording head;
- a write circuit coupled to the magnetic recording head for supplying a write signal in the magnetic recording as a head signal;
- a loop-back circuit connected to the read circuit and the write circuit for transferring a portion of the head signal to the read circuit;
- and
- a switch connected to the write circuit and to the read circuit and to the loop-back circuit for selectively decoupling the read circuit from the write circuit, and for transferring the portion of the head signal from the write circuit to the read circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.