US 8,059,357 B1 · Disk drive adjusting fly height when calibrating head/disk contact

Abstract

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of tracks, and a head actuated over the disk. The disk drive further comprises control circuitry including a fly height actuator. A fly height map is measured for at least one track. A constant FHC signal applied to the fly height actuator is adjusted to decrease an average fly height of the head. After decreasing the average fly height of the head, a fluctuating fly height control (FHC) signal is applied to the fly height actuator to adjust a fly height of the head in response to the fly height map. When the head contacts the disk, an operating FHC signal is determined. The operating FHC signal is applied to the fly height actuator while executing at least one of a read and write operation.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A disk drive comprising:

a disk comprising a plurality of tracks;
a head actuated over the disk;
a fly height actuator operable to adjust a fly height of the head;
and
control circuitry operable to:
measure a fly height map for at least one track;
adjust a constant fly height control (FHC) signal applied to the fly height actuator to decrease an average fly height of the head;
after decreasing the average fly height of the head, apply a fluctuating FHC signal to the fly height actuator to adjust a fly height of the head in response to the fly height map;
detect when the head contacts the disk;
determine an operating FHC signal when the head contacts the disk;
and
apply the operating FHC signal to the fly height actuator during at least one of a read and write operation.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Disk drive adjusting fly height when calibrating head/disk contact

Life of this patent

Disk drive adjusting fly height when calibrating head/disk contact

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18