Disk drive with selectable power source for heater in a slider
AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
InventorsKarl Flechsig, Mike Suk
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AssigneeHitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
InventorsKarl Flechsig, Mike Suk
Estimating the term…
A disk drive with switchable power levels for the heaters in the sliders is disclosed. The invention includes a switch for the electrical circuit of each heater which selects between two or more voltages to apply to the power control element and the heater with at least a high and a low voltage option. The heater power control circuit dissipates a certain amount of heat as a part of the control process. By having a low voltage option the disk drive can save power and reduce the amount of heat dissipated by the heater control circuit when high power is not required. The programmable switch is controlled by the drive control system. The high power setting can be used during manufacturing testing or otherwise if higher heater power is needed. The low power setting is used for normal operation or to save power.
A disk drive comprising:
A method of operating a disk drive comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.