Intelligent speed monitoring auto retract system
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsBan Hok Goh, Nan Ling Goh, Tze Ming Jimmy Pang, Kah Liang Gan, LaiKein James Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for hardware intelligent speed monitoring and auto-retract is disclosed. The system contains a monitoring device that monitors the TACH (Tachometer) output of motor driver. The device provides a trigger to the signal processor and a retract mechanism to retract the actuator when the spindle motor speed is unexpectedly much higher or lower than normal speed. The system DSP (Digital Signal Processor) is unaware of such occurrence.
Claims14
A disc drive having:
- a disc mounted on a spindle, the spindle being rotatably driven by a motor at a spindle speed, the spindle speed being monitored by a frequency sensor;
- a head for reading and writing data on a surface of the disc, the head being suspended from an actuator arm over the disc;
- and
- a retract device comprising:
- a comparator circuit which compares an input signal from the frequency sensor with a predefined threshold range and outputs a comparison signal when the input signal falls outside of the predefined threshold range;
- a delay filter which determines a duration of the comparison signal;
- and
- a trigger, operatively coupled to the comparator circuit and the delay filter, which initiates a retract mechanism when the comparison signal falls outside of the predefined threshold range for a predetermined duration of time, the retract mechanism being configured to move the head away from the surface of the disc.
A disc drive having:
- a disc with a landing mounted on a spindle motor;
- an actuator arm connected to a head;
- and
- means for returning the head to the landing when a speed of the spindle motor falls out of a predetermined range.
A method of retracting an actuator comprising the steps of:
- comparing a motor speed to a range;
- and
- retracting the actuator if the motor speed is outside the range.
A disc drive comprising:
- a disc rotatable by a spindle motor;
- and
- an actuator arm connected to a head,
- wherein a spindle motor speed is compared to a range and, if the spindle motor speed is outside that range, the actuator arm is retracted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.