Disk drive detecting when head is on ramp
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSoo-Choon Kang, Siri S. Weerasooriya, Scott A. Ottele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk surface, the head comprising a fly height actuator for controlling a fly height of the head, and a ramp for parking the head. A ramp procedure is executed by applying a control signal to the fly height actuator to decrease the fly height and receiving a corresponding fly height signal, and detecting whether the head is on the ramp in response to the fly height signal.
Claims18
A disk drive comprising:
- a disk surface;
- a head actuated over the disk surface, the head comprising a fly height actuator for controlling a fly height of the head;
- a ramp for parking the head;
- and
- control circuitry operable to execute a ramp procedure by:
- applying a control signal to the fly height actuator to decrease the fly height and receiving a corresponding fly height signal;
- seeking the head toward the outer diameter of the disk surface;
- and
- detecting when the head contacts the ramp in response to the fly height signal.
A method of operating a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a disk surface, a head actuated over the disk surface, the head comprising a fly height actuator for controlling a fly height of the head, a ramp for parking the head, the method comprising:
- applying a control signal to the fly height actuator to decrease the fly height and receiving a corresponding fly height signal;
- seeking the head toward the outer diameter of the disk surface;
- and
- detecting when the head contacts the ramp in response to the fly height signal.
A disk drive comprising:
- a plurality of disk surfaces;
- a head actuated over each disk surface, the head comprising a fly height actuator for controlling a fly height of the head in response to a control signal;
- a ramp for parking the heads;
- and
- control circuitry operable to:
- calibrate a touchdown value for the control signal that causes each head to contact the respective disk surface;
- and
- execute a ramp procedure using the head having the maximum touchdown value by:
- applying the control signal to the fly height actuator to decrease the fly height and receiving a corresponding fly height signal;
- and
- detecting whether the head is on the ramp in response to the fly height signal.
A method of operating a disk drive, the method comprising:
- calibrating a touchdown value for a control signal of a fly height actuator that causes each of a plurality of heads to contact a respective disk surface;
- and
- executing a ramp procedure using the head having the maximum touchdown value by:
- applying the control signal to the fly height actuator to decrease the fly height of the head and receiving a corresponding fly height signal;
- and
- detecting whether the head is on the ramp in response to the fly height signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.